1.Atri is the name of a little town in Italy. A long time ago, the King of Atri bought a large bell and had it hung up in a tower in the marketplace. A long rope that reached almost to the ground was fastened to the bell. “It is the bell of justice,” said the King. All the men and women and children came down to the marketplace to look at the bell of justice. It was a very pretty bell. “How we should like to hear it ring!” they said. Then the King came down the street. “Perhaps he will ring it,” said the people. And everybody stood very still and waited to see what he would do.
“阿特里”是意大利一個小鎮的名字。很久以前，當那里還是個王國的時候，阿特里國王買了一口大鐘，并把它掛在了市場里的一座塔樓內。一根長長的繩子一頭系在這口鐘上，另一頭幾乎垂到了地面。國王說：“這是一口正義之鐘。”全國所有的男女老少紛紛來到了這個市場，看一看這口正義之鐘。它是一口非常漂亮的鐘。人們說：“我們真想聽聽它的響聲！”隨后，國王沿著大街向鐘的方向走去。人們紛紛說：“也許他會搖響那口鐘。”每個人都站在那里，一動不動地等著看國王要做什么。
2.But he did not ring the bell. He did not even take the rope in his hands. “My people,” he said, “do you see this beautiful bell? It is your bell. But it must never be rung except in case of need. If any one of you is wronged at any time, you may come and ring the bell. And then the judges shall come together at once, and hear your case, and give you justice. Rich and poor, old and young, all alike may come. But no one must touch the rope unless you know that you have been wronged.”
但是，他并沒有搖響那口鐘。他甚至都沒有伸手去抓那根繩子。“我的臣民們”，他說，“你們看到這口漂亮的鐘了嗎？它屬于你們。但只有在需要時，才可以搖響它。如果你們中的任何人在任何時候受到了不公正的待遇，就可以來搖響這口鐘。然后，法官們就會立即來這里集合，審理你的案件，并還你公正。無論你是富人還是窮人，是上年紀的還是年輕人，都可以過來搖響它。但是，除非你真的確認自己受到了不公正的待遇，否則任何人都不可以碰那根繩子。”
3.Many years passed by after this. Many times did the bell in the marketplace ring out to call the judges together. Many wrongs were righted; many ill-doers were punished. In the end the rope was almost worn out. It became so short that only someone tall could reach it. “This will never do,” said the judges one day. “What if a child should be wronged? The child could not ring the bell to let us know it.” They gave orders that a new rope should be put upon the bell at once, but there was not a rope to be found in all Atri.
自此之后許多年過去了，召集法官們集合在市場內的鐘聲響起了許多次。許多不公正的待遇回歸了正義，許多作惡之人受到了懲罰。最后，繩子磨損得幾乎不成樣子了。它被磨得太短了，以至于只有高個子的人才能夠到它。“這根繩子不能再用了，”法官們一天這樣說道，“要是一個孩子受到了不公正的待遇該怎么辦？孩子根本無法搖響那口讓我們知道他所受到不公正待遇的鐘”。于是，法官們下達了立即更換新繩子的命令，但阿特里全國都找不到一根合適的新繩子。
4.What if some great wrong should be done before it came? How could the judges know about it, if the injured one could not reach the old rope? “Let me fix it for you,” said a man who stood by. He ran into his garden, which was not far away, and soon came back with a long grapevine in his hands. “This will do for a rope,” he said. And he climbed up and fastened it to the bell. “Yes,” said the judges, “it is a very good rope. Let it be as it is.”
如果在找到一根新繩子之前有人受到了嚴重的不公正待遇該怎么辦？如果受到傷害的人無法夠到那根舊繩子，那法官們該如何知道他所受到的不公呢？“讓我來幫你們修好這根繩子吧，”一個旁觀的男子說。然后，他跑進不遠處的自家花園里，很快手里拿著一根長長的葡萄藤回來了。“這東西可以當繩子用，”他說。然后，他爬上了塔樓，把那根葡萄藤牢牢地系在了鐘上。“是的，”法官說，“這的確是一根很好的繩子。就用它吧。”
5.Now, on the hillside above the village, there lived a man who had once been a brave knight. In his youth he had ridden through many lands, and he had fought in many a battle. His best friend through all that time had been his horse—a strong, noble steed.
當時，在村莊旁邊的山坡上住著一個男子，他曾幾何時是一位勇敢的騎士。他年輕時曾騎著馬穿越了許多國家，而且還參加過許多場戰斗。他的那匹強壯且高貴的駿馬一直以來都是他最好的朋友。

6.But the knight, when he grew older, cared no more to ride into battle; he cared no more to do brave deeds; he thought of nothing but gold; he became a miser. So he sold all that he had, except his horse, and went to live in a little hut on the hillside. Day after day he sat among his moneybags and planned how he might get more gold. And day after day his horse stood in his bare stall, hungry and shivering with cold.
但是，隨著年紀越來越大，這位騎士變得不再喜歡騎馬戰斗了；變得不再愿意做勇敢的事情；變得除了金幣什么也不關心。他已經變成了一個守財奴。于是，他賣掉了除了他的馬以外的全部家當，然后搬進了山坡上的一間小屋里。他日復一日地坐在他的錢袋中間，盤算著如何得到更多的金幣。而他的馬則日復一日地站在他家光禿禿的馬廄里，在饑餓與寒冷中瑟瑟發抖。
7.“What is the use of keeping that lazy steed?” said the miser to himself one morning. “Every week it costs me more to keep him than he is worth. I might sell him, but there is no one who wants him. I cannot even give him away. I will get rid of him, he will just have to take care of himself and pick grass by the roadside.” So the brave old horse was sent away to find what he could among the rocks on the hillside. Lame and sick, he strolled along the dusty roads, glad to find a blade of grass. The dogs barked at him, and in all the world there was no one to pity him.
“留著這匹懶馬還有什么用？”這個守財奴一天早晨自言自語道，“每個星期我都要花錢白白養著它，這太不值了。我可以賣掉它，但是沒人想要它。甚至白送都沒人要。我要把它弄走，它以后只需要照顧好自己，然后在路邊吃草果腹就行了。”于是，這匹勇敢的老馬被送到了山坡上的巖石間。它病病歪歪、一瘸一拐地沿著灰塵彌漫的路漫無目的地走著，為能夠找到一片草葉而高興；狗見到它都會沖著它吠叫；這個世界上沒有一個人可憐它。
8.One hot afternoon, when no one was upon the street, the horse wandered into the marketplace. Not a man nor child was there, for the heat of the sun had driven them all indoors. The horse saw the grapevine rope that hung from the bell of justice. What a fine dinner that would be for a hungry horse! He took a bite and pulled at the grapevine, and the great bell above him began to ring. All the people in Atri heard it. The judges heard it. They put on their robes and went out through the hot streets to the marketplace. They wondered who it could be who would ring the bell at such a time. When they passed through the gate, they saw the old horse nibbling at the vine. “Ha!” cried one, “It is the miser’s steed. He has come to call for justice. For his master, as everybody knows, has treated him most shamefully.” “And he shall have justice!” said another.
一個炎熱的下午，大街上空無一人，這匹馬徘徊著走進了那個市場。市場里一個人也沒有，炙熱的太陽把大人們和孩子們都趕進了室內。馬看到了從正義之鐘上垂下來的葡萄藤繩。對于一匹饑餓的馬來說，這簡直是一頓美味大餐！它咬了一口，扯到了葡萄藤，與此同時，它頭頂上的大鐘響了起來。阿特里的所有人都聽到了這鐘聲。法官們也聽了，于是他們穿上了長袍，穿過熱氣騰騰的街道到來到市場。他們都很納悶誰會在這個時間搖響鐘聲。當他們穿過大門時，他們看到了那匹老馬正在啃著那根葡萄藤。“哈！”其中一位法官喊道，“原來是那個守財奴的馬。它是來呼求正義的。眾所周知，他的主人一直以最可恥的方式對待它。”“它應該得到公正的待遇！”另一位法官說。
9.Meanwhile a crowd of men and women and children had come into the marketplace. When they saw the horse, all stood still in wonder. Then everyone was ready to tell how they had seen him wandering on the hills, unfed, uncared for, while his master sat at home counting his bags of gold.
與此同時，男女老少一大群人也來到了市場。當他們看到這匹馬時，所有人都停下了腳步，怔住了。然后，每個人都準備好講述自己是如何看到這匹馬在山上徘徊，餓著肚子，也沒人照顧，而他的主人卻坐在家里數著他的一袋子一袋子的金幣。
10.“Go bring the miser before us,” said the judges. And when he came, they bade him stand and hear their judgment. “This horse has served you well for many a year,” they said. “He has saved you many times. He has helped you gain your wealth. Therefore, we order that one half of all your gold shall be set aside to buy him shelter and food, a green grassland, and a warm stall to comfort him in his old age.” The miser hung his head and grieved to lose his gold. But the people shouted with joy, and the horse was led away to his new stall and a dinner such as he had not had in many a day.
法官們說：“去把那個守財奴帶到我們面前。”他被帶來后，法官命令他站在那里，接受審判。法官們說：“這匹馬為你服務了很多年，而且還多次救了你的命。你是在它的幫助下才獲得了現在的財富。因此，我們下令將你所擁有金幣的一半留給它，用于為它購買住所和食物、一片茂盛的草地以及一個溫暖的馬廄，以撫慰它的老年生活。”守財奴垂下頭，為失去他的金幣而感到悲痛 。但其他人都歡呼雀躍了起來。隨后，這匹馬被帶到了它的新馬廄，享受了一頓多年未曾有過的大餐。