Midas was enjoying himself in his treasure-room one day as usual, when he saw a shadow fall over the heaps of gold; and, looking suddenly up, what should he behold but the figure of a stranger, standing in the bright and narrow sunbeam! It was a young man with a cheerful and ruddy face. King Midas could not help fancying I that the stranger’s smile had a kind of golden look.
一天,迈达斯像往常一样,在他的宝库里玩得很开心,突然看到一个黑影落到那堆金子上;突然,他抬头一看,只见一个陌生人的身影,站在明亮狭窄的阳光下!这是一个年轻男子,面色红润,神采奕奕。迈达斯国王不禁想象起陌生人的微笑有一种金色的表情。
As Midas knew that he had carefully turned the key in the lock, and that no one could possibly break into his treasure-room, he of course thought that his visitor, must be an unusual being. Midas had met such beings I before now, and was not sorry to meet one of them again. The stranger’s manner was so good-humored and kindly that it would have been unreasonable to suspect him of intending any mischief. It was far more probable that he came to do Midas a favor. And what could that favor be, unless to multiply his heaps of treasure?
迈达斯知道他小心翼翼地把钥匙插进锁里,任何人都不可能闯进他的宝库,他当然认为他的客人一定是个不寻常的人。迈达斯在此之前曾遇到过这样的人,我对再次遇到他们中的一个并不感到抱歉。那陌生人的态度那么和蔼可亲,因此怀疑他存心恶作剧是没有道理的。他很可能是来帮迈达斯一个忙的。可除了增加财富,还有什么可帮的呢?
The stranger gazed about the room, and when his bright smile had glistened upon all the golden objects that were there, he turned again to Midas.
陌生人环视了一下房间,当他灿烂的笑容在所有的金色物件上闪耀之后,他又转向迈达斯。
“You are a wealthy man, friend Midas!” he said. “I doubt whether any other four walls on earth contain so much gold as you have piled up in this room.”
“你是个有钱人,朋友迈达斯!”他说。“我怀疑世界上还有哪四面墙能像你在这个房间里堆积的那么多金子。”
“I have done pretty well—pretty well,” answered Midas. “But, after all, it is but a trifle, when you consider that it has taken me my whole life to get it together. If one could live a thousand years, he might have time to grow rich!”
“我做的很好——非常好,”迈达斯回答说。“不过,你想想,我花了一辈子才把他们聚在一起,这毕竟只是一件小事。如果一个人可以活一千年,他可能有时间变得富有!”
“What!” exclaimed the stranger. “Then you are not satisfied?” Midas shook his head.
“什么!”陌生人惊呼道。“那你不满意吗?”迈达斯摇摇头。