Roxy老師陪你讀英文原版書 | 《皇帝的新裝（二）》

今天我陪你讀《安徒生童話——皇帝的新裝》， 希望你喜歡，Good night！

He will be best able to see how the stuff looks, for he is a clever man and no one fulfils his duties better than he does!

The Emperor's new clothes （二）

I should like to know how those weavers are getting on with the stuff," thought the Emperor; but he felt a little queer when he reflected that anyone who was stupid or unfit for his post would not be able to see it. He certainly thought he need have no fears for himself, but still he thought he would send somebody else first to see how it was getting on. Everybody in the town knew what wonderful power the stuff possessed, and everyone was anxious to see how stupid his neighbour was.

"I will send my faithful old minister to the weavers," thought the Emperor. "He will be best able to see how the stuff looks, for he is a clever man and no one fulfils his duties better than he does!" So the good old minister went into the room where the two swindlers sat working at the empty loom.

"Heaven preserve us!" thought the old minister, opening his eyes very wide. "Why I can't see a thing!" But he took care not to say so.

Both the swindlers begged him to be good enough to step a little nearer, and asked him if he did not think it a good pattern and beautiful colouring. They pointed to the empty loom, and the poor old minister stared as hard as he could but he could not see anything, for of course there was nothing to see.

"Good heavens!" thought he, "is it possible that I am a fool. I have never thought so and nobody must know it. Am I not fit for my post? It will never do to say that I cannot see the stuff."

"Well, sir, you don't say anything about the stuff," said the one who was pretending to weave.

"Oh, it is beautiful! quite charming!" said the old minister, looking through his spectacles; "this pattern and these colours! I will certainly tell the Emperor that the stuff pleases me very much."

"We are delighted to hear you say so," said the swindlers, and then they named all the colours and described the peculiar pattern. The old minister paid great attention to what they said, so as to be able to repeat it when he got home to the Emperor.

Then the swindlers went on to demand more money, more silk, and more gold, to be able to proceed with the weaving; but they put it all into their own pockets not a single strand was ever put into the loom, but they went on as before weaving at the empty loom.

中文翻譯

皇帝的新裝（二）

"我很想知道他們織布究竟織得怎樣了，"皇帝想。不過，他立刻就想起了愚蠢的人或不稱職的人是看不見這布的。他心裡的確感到有些不大自在。他相信他自己是用不著害怕的。雖然如此，他還是覺得先派一個人去看看比較妥當。全城的人都聽說過這種布料有一種奇異的力量，所以大家都很想趁這機會來測驗一下，看看他們的鄰人究竟有多笨，有多傻。

"我要派誠實的老部長到織工那兒去看看，"皇帝想。"只有他能看出這布料是個什麼樣子，因為他這個人很有頭腦，而且誰也不像他那樣稱職。"因此這位善良的老部長就到那兩個騙子的工作地點去。他們正在空空的織機上忙忙碌碌地工作著。

"這是怎麼一回事兒？"老部長想，把眼睛睜得有碗口那麼大。"我什麼東西也沒有看見！"但是他不敢把這句話說出來。

那兩個騙子請求他走近一點，同時問他，布的花紋是不是很美麗，色彩是不是很漂亮。他們指著那兩架空空的織機。

這位可憐的老大臣的眼睛越睜越大，可是他還是看不見什麼東西，因為的確沒有什麼東西可看。

"我的老天爺！"他想。"難道我是一個愚蠢的人嗎？我從來沒有懷疑過我自己。我決不能讓人知道這件事。難道我不稱職嗎？——不成；我決不能讓人知道我看不見布料。"

"哎，您一點意見也沒有嗎？"一個正在織布的織工說。

"啊，美極了！真是美妙極了！"老大臣說。他戴著眼鏡仔細地看。"多麼美的花紋！多麼美的色彩！是的，我將要呈報皇上說我對於這布感到非常滿意。"

"嗯，我們聽到您的話真高興，"兩個織工一起說。他們把這些稀有的色彩和花紋描述了一番，還加上些名詞兒。這位老大臣注意地聽著，以便回到皇帝那裡去時，可以照樣背得出來。事實上他也就這樣辦了。

這兩個騙子又要了很多的錢，更多的絲和金子，他們說這是為了織布的需要。他們把這些東西全裝進腰包里，連一根線也沒有放到織機上去。不過他們還是繼續在空空的機架上工作。