【第一篇】
A certain king had a beautiful garden, and in the garden stood a tree which bore golden apples. These apples were always counted, and about the time when they began to grow ripe it was found that every night one of them was gone.
從前有位國王，他有一座漂亮的花園，花園里面有一棵蘋果樹，樹上掛著金燦燦的蘋果。 樹上蘋果的數量都有記錄，但是，當蘋果快熟的時候，人們發(fā)現(xiàn)，每天晚上蘋果都會少掉一個。
The king became very angry at this, and ordered the gardener to keep watch all night under the tree. The gardener set his eldest son to watch; but about twelve o'clock he fell asleep, and in the morning another of the apples was missing.
國王知道后很生氣， 命令園丁要整夜地看守蘋果樹。 于是，園丁派了他的大兒子去看守蘋果樹，但是到了晚上12點的時候，園丁的大兒子睡著了。當他第二天早上醒來時，發(fā)現(xiàn)樹上的蘋果又少了一個。
Then the second son was ordered to watch; and at midnight he too fell asleep, and in the morning another apple was gone. Then the third son offered to keep watch; but the gardener at first would not let him, for fear some harm should come to him: however, at last he consented, and the young man laid himself under the tree to watch.
園丁這次派他的第二個兒子去看守蘋果樹。 不過，二兒子也在12點的時候睡著了，結果蘋果又少了一個。 這時，園丁的第三個兒子自告奮勇去看守蘋果樹，園丁一開始沒有答應，因為他害怕有什么東西會傷害他的小兒子，但最后還是答應了。 于是，園丁的第三個兒子來到蘋果樹下躺下。
As the clock struck twelve he heard a rustling noise in the air, and a bird came flying that was of pure gold; and as it was snapping at one of the apples with its beak, the gardener's son jumped up and shot an arrow at it. But the arrow did the bird no harm; only it dropped a golden feather from its tail, and then flew away.
當大鐘剛敲過12點，小伙子聽到天上一陣沙沙的響聲，一只全身都是金色的鳥飛了下來。 當那只鳥猛然用嘴叼住樹上的一個蘋果時，小伙子嚯地跳了起來，朝那只鳥放了一箭。 不過，射出的箭沒有傷著那只鳥，只是把它尾巴上的一根金色的羽毛射了下來。
The golden feather was brought to the king in the morning, and all the council was called together. Everyone agreed that it was worth more than all the wealth of the kingdom: but the king said, 'One feather is of no use to me, I must have the whole bird.'
鳥飛走了。 第二天早上，那根金色的羽毛被送到了國王的面前， 同時，所有大臣也被招集到一起討論金色羽毛的事情。 大家都認為，這根羽毛比這個王國里的所有財富加起來都要值錢。 不過，國王并不滿足，他說，“一根羽毛對我來說沒什么用，我一定要那只鳥”。
【第二篇】
Then the gardener's eldest son set out and thought to find the golden bird very easily; and when he had gone but a little way, he came to a wood, and by the side of the wood he saw a fox sitting; so he took his bow and made ready to shoot at it.
園丁的大兒子出發(fā)去找黃金鳥，他覺得他不怎么費事就能找到； 沒走多遠，他來到了一片小樹林，樹林邊上蹲著一只狐貍； 他拿出了弓箭準備向狐貍射去。
Then the fox said, 'Do not shoot me, for I will give you good counsel; I know what your business is, and that you want to find the golden bird.You will reach a village in the evening; and when you get there, you will see two inns opposite to each other, one of which is very pleasant and beautiful to look at: go not in there, but rest for the night in the other, though it may appear to you to be very poor and mean.'
這時狐貍說話了，“不要射我，因為我會給你出個好主意；我知道你要去干什么，你是要去找那只黃金鳥。走到傍晚的時候，你會到達一個村子，到那以后，你會看 到兩間面對面開著的旅館，其中一間外表很漂亮，另一間臟兮兮的、很難看，但記住，不要進那家漂亮的，而是要進那家不好看的旅館過夜”。
But the son thought to himself, 'What can such a beast as this know about the matter?' So he shot his arrow at the fox; and it set up its tail above its back and ran into the wood. Then he went his way, and in the evening came to the village where the two inns were; and in one of these were people singing, and dancing, and feasting; but the other looked very dirty, and poor.
園丁的兒子心里琢磨，“這樣一只畜生能懂什么呢？”，于是，他朝狐貍放了一箭，但沒有射中。狐貍支著尾巴，跑進了樹林。 園丁的兒子繼續(xù)往前走， 傍晚時分來到了一個村子，那里果然有兩家旅館； 在其中一間旅館里面，人們載歌載舞，吃喝玩樂；但另外一家旅館看起來又臟又亂，很不成樣子。
'I should be very silly,' said he, 'if I went to that shabby house, and left this charming place'; so he went into the smart house, and ate and drank at his ease, and forgot the bird, and his country too.
“如果我不進那家好看的旅館，而是去那家骯臟的旅館我就是真是大傻瓜了。”于是，園丁的兒子走進了那家漂亮的旅館，放開肚皮地吃啊、喝啊，完全把找黃金鳥的事和他們的祖國忘得一干二凈了。
【第三篇】
Time passed on; and as the eldest son did not come back, and no tidings were heard of him, the second son set out, and the same thing happened to him. He met the fox, who gave him the good advice: but when he came to the two inns, his eldest brother was standing at the window where the merrymaking was, and called to him to come in; and he could not withstand the temptation, but went in, and forgot the golden bird and his country in the same manner.
日子一天天過去了，大兒子沒有回來，音訊全無。同樣的事情發(fā)生在他身上。 他遇到了那只狐貍，狐貍給了他很好的建議，但當他到達那兩個旅館時，他看到他的哥哥站在一家旅館里的窗戶邊上，些時旅館里面的人們正狂歡作樂。 他哥哥向弟弟打招呼，讓他進去，他沒能抵抗住誘惑，走了進去，然后，也把黃金鳥和自己的祖國忘記了。
Time passed on again, and the youngest son too wished to set out into the wide world to seek for the golden bird; but his father would not listen to it for a long while, for he was very fond of his son, and was afraid that some ill luck might happen to him also, and prevent his coming back.
又過了一些日子，園丁的小兒子坐不住了，希望到外面的世界尋找那只黃金鳥，但他的父親有好一陣子都不同意，因為他非常喜愛他的兒子，害怕他也會象他兩個哥哥一樣一去不回。
However, at last it was agreed he should go, for he would not rest at home; and as he came to the wood, he met the fox, and heard the same good counsel. But he was thankful to the fox, and did not attempt his life as his brothers had done; so the fox said, 'Sit upon my tail, and you will travel faster.' So he sat down, and the fox began to run, and away they went over stock and stone so quick that their hair whistled in the wind.
不過，園丁的小兒子天天跟園丁鬧著要去找黃金鳥，園丁最后沒法，只能讓他去了。 當園丁的小兒子來到樹林時，他遇到了狐貍， 聽到狐貍給他好建議。 不過，他并沒有象他的兩個哥哥一樣，想殺死狐貍，而是對狐貍表示了由衷的感謝。 因此，狐貍說，“坐到我的尾巴上吧，這樣你就可以走得快一些。” 于是，園丁的小兒子坐到了狐貍的尾巴上。狐貍飛快地跑了起來，樹趕和石頭從身邊呼嘯而過。
