The Gardener and His Landlord

A man who had a great fondness for gardening, being half a countryman and half town-bred, possessed in a certain village a fair-sized plot with a field attached, and all enclosed by a quickset hedge. Here sorrel and lettuce grew freely, as well as such flowers as Spanish jasmine and wild thyme, and from these his good wife Margot culled many a posy for her high days and holidays.

有一个人对园艺情有独钟，他一半是乡下人，一半是城里人，他在一个村子里拥有一块大小适中的园地，附带一片田地，四周都用密植的树篱围了起来。这里酸模草和莴苣长得十分茂盛，还有西班牙茉莉和野生百里香之类的花草，他贤惠的妻子玛戈常常从中采摘花束，用来装点她的节日和喜庆日子。

This happy state of things was soon troubled by the visits of a hare, and to such an extent that the man had to go to his landlord and lodge a complaint. "This wretched animal," he said, "comes here and stuffs himself night and morning, and simply laughs at traps and snares. As for stones and sticks they make no difference whatever to him. He must be enchanted."

这般美满的日子不久便被一只野兔的频繁光顾搅乱了，闹到这个地步，这个人不得不去找他的地主投诉。“这只可恶的畜生，”他说，“早晚都跑到这儿来大吃大喝，对陷阱和罗网毫不在意。至于石头和木棍，对它来说更是毫无用处。它一定是被施了魔法。”

"Enchanted!" cried the landlord. "I defy enchantment! Were he the devil himself old Towler would soon rout him out in spite of his tricks. I'll rid you of him, my man, never fear!"

“施了魔法！”地主喊道。“我才不信什么魔法！就算它是魔鬼本身，我家老托勒也能不管它耍什么花招，把它撵出来。我一定替你把它除掉，我的朋友，尽管放心！”

"And when?" asked the man.

“那什么时候呢？”那人问道。

"Oh, to-morrow, without more delay!"

“哦，明天，一刻也不耽搁！”

The affair being thus arranged, on the morrow came the landlord with all his following. "First of all," he said, "how about breakfast? Your chickens are tender I'll be bound. Come here, my dear," he added, addressing the man's daughter, and then, to her father, "When are you going to let her marry? Hasn't a son-in-law come on the scene yet? My dear fellow, this is a thing that positively must be done you know, you'll have to put your hand in your pocket to some purpose."

事情就这样定了下来，第二天，地主带着他的一大帮随从来了。“首先，”他说，“早饭怎么样？你家的鸡想必很嫩吧。过来，亲爱的，”他一边说，一边招呼那人的女儿，然后又转向她的父亲，“你打算什么时候让她出嫁呀？还没有女婿上门吗？我的好朋友，这件事你可真该办一办了，你得舍得为此花点钱才是。”

So saying he sat down beside the damsel, took her hand, held her by the arm, toyed with her fichu, and took other silly and trifling liberties which the girl resented with great self-respect, whilst the father grew a little uneasy in his mind.

说着，他便在姑娘身边坐下，握住她的手，挽住她的胳膊，摆弄她的领巾，还做出其他一些轻浮无礼的举动，姑娘满怀自尊地不悦，而她的父亲心里也渐渐感到不安。

Nevertheless, the cooking went on. There was quite a run on the kitchen.

尽管如此，厨房里的活儿还是照常进行着。厨房里忙得团团转。

"How ripe are your hams? They look good."

“你家的火腿腌得怎么样了？看着不错。”

"Sir," replied the flattered host, "they are yours."

“老爷，”受宠若惊的主人答道，“它们都归您了。”

"Oh, really now! Well I'll take them, and that right gladly."

“哦，真的吗！那好，我就却之不恭地收下了。”

The landlord and his family, his dogs, his horses, and his men-servants, all take breakfast with hearty appetites. He assumes the host's place and privileges, drinks his wine and caresses his daughter. After this a crowd of hunters take seats at the breakfast table.

地主一家，连同他的猎狗、他的马匹、他的仆役，个个都胃口大开地吃起了早饭。他俨然占了主人的位置和特权，喝着主人的酒，还去挑逗主人的女儿。这之后，一群猎人也在早饭桌前入了座。

Now everybody is lively and busy with preparations for the hunt. They wind the horns to such purpose that the good man is dumbfounded by the din. Worse than that they make terrible havoc in the poor garden. Good-bye to all the neat rows and beds! Good-bye to the chickory and the leeks! Good-bye to all the pot-herbs!

这时人人都活跃起来，忙着为打猎做准备。他们吹起号角，声势之大，把这位好心人震得目瞪口呆。更糟的是，他们把这可怜的花园糟蹋得一塌糊涂。再见了，那些整整齐齐的畦垄和花床！再见了，那些菊苣和韭葱！再见了，所有的香料草！

The hare lies hidden under the leaves of a great cabbage, but being discovered is quickly started, whereupon he rushes to a hole—nay, worse than a hole, a great and horrible gap in the poor hedge, made by the landlord's order, so that they might all burst out of the garden in fine style; for it would have looked ridiculous for them to ride out at the gate.

那只野兔藏在一大棵卷心菜的叶子底下，可还是被人发现了，很快就被赶了出来，于是它冲向一个洞口——不，比洞口还要糟糕，是篱笆上一个巨大而可怕的豁口，是地主特意命人弄开的，好让他们所有人都能气派地从花园里冲出去；因为要是他们从大门骑马出去，未免显得太滑稽了。

The poor man objected. "This is fine fun for princes, no doubt——"; but they let him talk, whilst dogs and men together did more harm in one hour than all the hares in the province would have done in a century.

那可怜的人提出了抗议。“这对王公贵族来说自然是好玩的乐子，只是——”可他们只顾任他说去，狗和人在一个钟头之内造成的损害，比这整个省的野兔一百年造成的损害还要多。

Little princes, settle your own quarrels amongst yourselves. It is madness to have recourse to kings. You should never let them engage in your wars, nor even enter your domains.

小小的王公们啊，你们的争端该自己去了断。求助于国王，简直是荒唐至极。你们绝不该让他们插手你们的战事，甚至不该让他们踏入你们的领地半步。