The best thing in the world
Once upon a time, there were four brothers who lived in a far away land.
曾经，有四兄弟住在一个遥远的国土上。
Their father was an old king.
他们的父亲大人是一个老国王。
One day he said, "I will not live long now. Today you must start out into the world. In a year, bring back the best thing you have found. The one who can pick the best thing shall be the new king."
一天老国王说：“我不可能长命百岁，现在开始你们必须要开始闯天涯。一年内，把你们发现的最好的东西带回来。谁能把最好的东西带回来，谁就是新国王。”
The first brother said, "I will look in every city or town. I will buy the best thing I can for my father."
大兄弟说：“我会巡遍每一个城市乡镇。我会把最好的东西买回来献给我的父亲大人。”
The next two brothers said, "We will both go on fast ships over the sea. We will find something better."
二兄弟和三兄弟说：“我们俩会登上海上快速的舰艇，我们会到更好的东西。”
The last brother said, "I am going to ask the people here in our own land to tell me the best thing."
小兄弟说：“我会询问我们国家的子民（什么是）最好的东西。”
The other three brothers began to laugh. "Then you will never be king!" They said.
其他三个兄弟开始哈哈大笑，嘲笑他说：“你是不会成为国王的。”
The last brother started off.
小王子启程了。
When he had gone about six miles, he met a man. "What do you carry in those big bags?" he asked.
当他出发了六英里，他遇到了一个男人，他问道：“你的那些大袋子里装了什么啊？”
"The best thing in the world," said the man. "These are full of the good nuts which fall from my five nut trees."
“是世界上最好的东西”，男人回答，“这些袋子里装满了饱满的坚果，都是从我的五棵坚果树上掉下来的”
"I don't think that would work," said the brother to himself, "I must try again."
“我觉得那还不是世界上最好的东西”他自言自语，“我必须再试一次。”
The brother went on another seven miles. He found a small brown bird.
小儿子又走了七英里。他发现了一只棕的小鸟。
It had been hurt, so he put it in his coat where it could keep warm.
它受伤了，于是他把鸟儿放在他的外套里，那儿可以给他取暖。
As he went on, he saw a little girl crying.
正当他在走着，他看到了一个小女孩在哭泣。
He ran to meet her. "Why are you crying?" he asked.
他走到她面前，问道“你为什么哭啊？”
"I want to get some water from the well," she said. "We use so much. We drink cold water. We wash the clothes clean with hot water.
“我想从井里打水，”她说.“我们用了太多水。我们喝冷水，用热水洗衣服。
But I do not know how to pull it up. Please show me."
“但是我不知道怎么把水提上来，请帮帮我。”
The brother said,” Hold this bird and I will help you. It does not fly around any more becau
se it got its wing cut."
小王子说：“我可以帮你，你帮我拿一下这只小鸟。它不会飞，因为它的翅膀受伤了。”
"Thank you. What a pretty bird!" she said.
“谢谢你，多么可爱的小鸟啊！”她说。
"I wish you would give it to me. If you will let me keep it, I will always be very kind to it. I will take care of it myself. I will make it grow well again."
“我好希望你可以把小鸟给我，如果你让我保管它，我会对它很好的，我会亲自照顾它。我会让它再次成长的很好。”
"Yes, you may have it," said the brother. So he gave her the bird and went on.
“好的，你可以拥有它，”小王子说。于是他把小鸟给了小姑娘，继续上路。
At night, he went to sleep under a round yellow haystack.
晚上，他就睡在枯黄的干草堆里。
When it was light again he walked on.
天刚亮他就要继续上路。
Every day he would walk eight or ten miles.
他每天都要走八到十英里。
He asked the people about the best thing in the world.
他问人们世界上最好的东西。
Some said it was best to sing. Some said it was best to run and jump and play.
有人说最好的东西是唱歌，有人说最美好的事物就是能跑能跳能玩耍。
Some said the green grass was best.
有人说绿草坪是最美好的事物。
Some liked the red and blue and white flowers best.
有人觉得红蓝白相间的花是最好的。
One man said the best thing was to ride a black horse.
一个人说最好的东西是骑着黑马。
He always stopped to help people who needed it.
他总是停下来帮助需要帮助的人。
Soon he made many friends. All the people began to like him.
不久之后他结识了很多朋友。所有的人都开始喜欢他。
They would say, "See there goes the king's son. He would be just the right kind of king for us."
他们说：“看，国王的儿子来了。他正是那种适合我们的好国王。”
wordsEvery door was open to him. The people would call to him to stop.
每扇门都向他打开。人们都叫他停下来。
They would ask him to come and eat with them.
他们都邀请他进来坐坐，和他们吃点东西。
After he ate, he would sit down and read to the children.
吃完东西，他会坐下来和孩子们读书。
After he read, he showed them how to draw and write.
读完书，他还会教孩子们画画写字。
Months went by. He still had no beautiful thing to take to his father.
几个月过去了，他还是没能到精致的东西带给他的父亲大人。
Just before the year was done, he went home again.
正好在年前，他再次回到家。
The time came when the king called his sons together.
国王召集他的儿子们的时间到了。
"What did you bring?" He asked them all. The other brothers had many beautiful things.
“你们都带了什么？”他问所有的儿子。其他几兄弟都拿出来很多精美的物品。
"And what did you bring?" said the king to the last brother.
“那你带了什么？”国王问小儿子。
"This is too funny!" said the other brothers.
“太可笑了”其他兄弟说。

版权声明：本站内容均来自互联网，仅供演示用，请勿用于商业和其他非法用途。如果侵犯了您的权益请与我们联系QQ:729038198，我们将在24小时内删除。