評論
打印
The whole of this little valley belonged to three brothers called Schwartz, Hans, and Gluck.
整個小山谷屬于這個三兄弟，他們叫施瓦茲，漢斯以及格拉克。
Schwartz and Hans, the two elder brothers, were very ugly men, with heavy eyebrows and small, dull eyes, which were always half shut,
施瓦茲和漢斯是兩個丑陋的男子，他們是老大和老二，有著濃郁的小眉毛，有一雙總是半閉的遲鈍眼睛，
so that you could not see into them, yet you always thought they saw very far into you.
所有你無法看清他們，但你總認為他們把你看得很清楚。
They lived by farming the Treasure Valley, and very good farmers they were. They killed everything that did not earn its food.
他們靠在寶藏谷務農為生，他們是非常好的農民，他們殺害所有無法賺取食物的東西。
They shot the blackbirds because they pecked the fruit; they poisoned the crickets for eating the crumbs in the kitchen;
他們射殺了黑鸝，因為他們啄食水果；他們毒害了蟋蟀，因為它們食用廚房的碎屑，
and killed the locusts, which used to sing all summer in the trees.
并殺害了曾經在整個夏天歌唱的蝗蟲。
They worked their servants without any wages till they would not work any more,
他們不給傭人工錢，直到他們不再干活，
and then quarreled with them and turned them out-of-doors without paying them.
之后與他們爭吵，在沒有給薪水的情況下將他們趕出門。
They generally managed to keep their corn till it was very dear, and then sell it for twice its value;
他們通常會一直耕種玉米，知道它們的價格非常昂貴，并以兩倍的價格出賣；
they had heaps of gold lying about on their floors, yet it was never known that they had given so much as a penny or a crust of bread to the poor.
地面上滿是一堆堆金子，但他們卻從來沒有給窮人一分錢或是面包皮。
They never went to church, and were of so cruel and selfish a temper as to receive from everyone who knew them the nickname of the Black Brothers.
他們從不做禮拜，而且很無情很自私，所有知道他們的人給他們起了個名字，叫做黑兄弟。
The youngest brother, Gluck, was completely opposite in both appearance and character to his brothers.
最年輕的兄弟格拉克在性格和面貌上與二人完全不同。
He was not above twelve years old, fair, blue-eyed, and kind to every living thing.
他們還不到12歲，皮膚白皙，藍色的眼睛，對所有活物都非常友好。
He did not, of course, agree very well with his brothers, or rather, they did not agree with him.
當然，他不太同意哥哥們的觀點，或者是說他不同意。
When there was any meat to roast, Gluck was usually given the task of watching it.
如果有肉需要烘烤，他總要來這里盯著。
And it was not often they had meat, for the brothers were just about as stingy with themselves as they were with other people.
他們擁有肉的機會不多，兄弟們對他人和對自己一樣扣。
At other times he cleaned the shoes, the floors, and sometimes the plates.
有時他清洗鞋子，地板，有時是盤子。
Things went on in this manner for a long time. At last came a very wet summer, and everything went wrong in the country around.
這樣的日子持續了很久，最后是一個非常潮濕的夏天，周圍的任何事情都變得非常不對勁。
The hay had hardly been got in, when the haystacks were floated bodily down to the sea by a flood;
幾乎沒有得到多少干草，干草堆全部被洪水沖到海中；
the vines were cut to pieces with the hail; and the corn was all rotted. Only in the Treasure Valley all was safe.
冰雹打碎葡萄樹，玉米全爛了，只有寶藏谷是安全的。
As it had rain when there was rain nowhere else, so it had sun when there was sun nowhere else.
當其他地方無雨時，這里會下雨，沒有太陽時這里有太陽。
Everybody came to buy corn at the farm, and went away pouring curses on the Black Brothers, who made them pay a terrible price.
所有人到農場去買玉米，走時謾罵黑兄弟，他們讓他們支付了巨額費用。
Some of the poor people, who could only beg, starved at their very door.
一些窮人只能到他們家門口乞討。
