[睡前故事之轻松学英文]皇帝的新装3

上一期我们讲到两个骗子开始动手在空空的织机上“织衣服”，把丝和金子都装进自己的口袋，皇帝又迫不及待想要通过这件衣服来检测周围的人是否愚蠢和不称职。 "I will send my faithful old minister to the weavers，" said the Emperor at last， after some deliberation， "he will be best able to see how the cloth looks； for he is a man of sense， and no one can be more suitable for his office than he is．" “我要派诚实的老部长到织工那儿去看看，”皇帝想。“只有他能看出这布料是个什么样子，因为他这个人很有头脑，而且谁也不像他那样称职。” So the faithful old minister went into the hall， where the knaves were working with all their might， at their empty looms． "What can be the meaning of this?" thought the old man， opening his eyes very wide． "I cannot discover the least bit of thread on the looms．" However， he did not express his thoughts aloud． 因此这位善良的老部长就到那两个骗子的工作地点去。他们正在空空的织机上忙忙碌碌地工作着。 “这是怎么一回事儿？”老部长想，把眼睛睁得有碗口那么大。 “我什么东西也没有看见！”但是他不敢把这句话说出来。 The impostors requested him very courteously to be so good as to come nearer their looms； and then asked him whether the design pleased him， and whether the colors were not very beautiful； at the same time pointing to the empty frames． The poor old minister looked and looked， he could not discover anything on the looms， for a very good reason， viz： there was nothing there． 那两个骗子请求他走近一点，同时问他，布的花纹是不是很美丽，色彩是不是很漂亮。他们指着那两架空空的织机。这位可怜的老大臣的眼睛越睁越大，可是他还是看不见什么东西，因为的确没有什么东西可看。 "What！" he thought again． "Is it possible that I am a simpleton? I have never thought so myself； and no one must know it now if I am so． Can it be， that I am unfit for my office? No， that must not be said either． I will never confess that I could not see the stuff．" “我的老天爷！”他想。“难道我是一个愚蠢的人吗？我从来没有怀疑过我自己。我决不能让人知道这件事。难道我不称职吗？——不成；我决不能让人知道我看不见布料。” "Well， Sir Minister！" said one of the knaves， still pretending to work． "You do not say whether the stuff pleases you．" "Oh， it is excellent！" replied the old minister， looking at the loom through his spectacles． "This pattern， and the colors， yes， I will tell the Emperor without delay， how very beautiful I think them．" “哎，您一点意见也没有吗？”一个正在织布的织工说。 “啊，美极了！真是美妙极了！”老大臣说。他戴着眼镜仔细地看。“多么美的花纹啊！多么美的色彩啊！是的，我将要呈报皇上说我对于这布感到非常满意。” "We shall be much obliged to you，" said the impostors， and then they named the different colors and described the pattern of the pretended stuff．The old minister listened attentively to their words， in order that he might repeat them to the Emperor；and then the knaves asked for more silk and gold， saying that it was necessary to complete what they had begun．However，they put all that was given to them into their knapsacks；and continued to work with as much apparent diligence as before at their empty looms． “嗯，我们听到您的话真高兴，”两个织工一起说。他们把这些稀有的色彩和花纹描述了一番，还加上些名词。这位老大臣注意地听着，以便回到皇帝那里去时，可以照样背得出来。事实上他也就这样办了。这两个骗子又要了很多的钱，更多的丝和金子，他们说这是为了织布的需要。他们把这些东西全装进腰包里，连一根线也没有放到织机上去。不过他们还是继续在空空的机架上工作。