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Here lived once upon a time a wicked prince whose heart and mind were to set upon conquering all the countries of the world, and on frightening the people; he devastated their countries with fire and sword, and his soldiers trod down the crops in the fields and destroyed the peasants' huts by fire, so that the flames licked the green leaves off the branches, and the fruit hung dried up on the singed black trees. Many a poor mother fled, her naked baby in her arms, behind the still smoking walls of her cottage; but also there the soldiers followed her, and when they found her, she served as new nourishment to their diabolical enjoyments; demons could not possibly have done worse things than these soldiers! The prince was of opinion that all this was right, and that it was only the natural course which things ought to take. His power increased day by day, his name was feared by all, and fortune favoured his deeds.
從前有一個惡毒而傲慢的王子，他的全部野心是想要征服世界上所有的國家，使人一聽到他的名字就害怕。他帶著火和劍出征；他的兵士踐踏著田野里的麥子，放火焚燒農(nóng)民的房屋。鮮紅的火焰燎著樹上的葉子，把果子燒毀，掛在焦黑的樹枝上。許多可憐的母親，抱著赤裸的、仍然在吃奶的孩子藏到那些冒著煙的墻后面去。兵士搜尋著她們。如果找到了她們和孩子，那么他們的惡作劇就開始了。惡魔都做不出像他們那樣壞的事情，但是這位王子卻認(rèn)為他們的行為很好。他的威力一天一天地增大；他的名字大家一提起來就害怕；他做什么事情都得到成功。
He brought enormous wealth home from the conquered towns, and gradually accumulated in his residence riches which could nowhere be equalled. He erected magnificent palaces, churches, and halls, and all who saw these splendid buildings and great treasures exclaimed admiringly: “What a mighty prince!” But they did not know what endless misery he had brought upon other countries, nor did they hear the sighs and lamentations which rose up from the débris of the destroyed cities.
他從被征服了的城市中搜刮來許多金子和大量財富。他在京城里積蓄的財富，比什么地方都多。他下令建立起許多輝煌的宮殿、教堂和拱廊。凡是見過這些華麗場面的人都說：“多么偉大的王子啊！”他們沒有想到他在別的國家里造成的災(zāi)難，他們沒有聽到從那些燒毀了的城市的廢墟中發(fā)出的呻吟和嘆息聲。
The prince often looked with delight upon his gold and his magnificent edifices, and thought, like the crowd: “What a mighty prince! But I must have more—much more. No power on earth must equal mine, far less exceed it.”
這位王子瞧瞧他的金子，瞧瞧他那些雄偉的建筑物，也不禁有與眾人同樣的想法：“多么偉大的王子啊！不過，我還要有更多、更多的東西！我不準(zhǔn)世上有任何其他的威力趕上我，更不用說超過我！”
