【翻译听写】练习之18 -- 奇妙的载决

 

Long time ago, a chimney sweeper was so poor that he couldn’t even afford to buy himself lunch. In a hot afternoon, he stopped in front of a restaurant, standing there greedily sniffing at the mouth-watering scent of the food. Despite of the restaurant owner’s repeated requests for him to leave, he still couldn’t bring himself to do that, even though he knew he couldn’t afford the lunch. At last, walking out of the restaurant, the cook grabbed the sweeper and asked angrily for half of the price of the lunch because he had had a mouth full of the scent of it. “Otherwise, don’t even think of leaving.” he said. The poor man said that he couldn’t and wouldn’t pay that price, and suggested to ask for the first pass-by to judge if the whole thing was fair.

At that moment,  a policeman happened to pass by, so the case was referred to him. The policeman said to the sweeper, “Because one of your organs enjoyed the scent of the food he cooked, it is only fair to pay him. Now it’s your turn to let one of his organs enjoy something of yours, yet it seems that his organ may not be easily satisfied. How much do you have on you?”

“Two pennies only, but I would rather use them to buy bread, Sir.”

“Don’t worry. “ said the policeman, “Put the two pennies in both of your hands and make them rattle.”

The sweeper did as he said. Then the policeman turned to the cook, “Sir, I think he has paid you now. His nose enjoyed the scent of your food, and your ear enjoyed the sound of his money”.

The onlookers were all satisfied by the ruling. Even though the cook might not, that was all he could get.