The tale of Cockaigne


极乐世界里的故事


In the time of Cockaigne I went there, and saw Rome and the Lateran hanging by a small silken thread, and a man without feet who outran a swift horse, and a keen sharp sword that cut through a bridge. There I saw a young ass with a silver nose which pursued two fleet hares, and a lime-tree that was very large, on which hot cakes were growing. There I saw a lean old goat which carried about a hundred cart-loads of fat on his body, and sixty loads of salt. Have I not told enough lies? There I saw a plough ploughing without horse or cow, and a child of one year threw four millstones from Ratisbon to Treves, and from Treves to Strasburg, and a hawk swam over the Rhine, which he had a perfect right to do. There I heard some fishes begin to make such a disturbance with each other, that it resounded as far as heaven, and sweet honey flowed like water from a deep valley at the top of a high mountain, and these were strange things. There were two crows which were mowing a meadow, and I saw two gnats building a bridge, and two doves tore a wolf to pieces; two children brought forth two kids, and two frogs threshed corn together. There I saw two mice consecrating a bishop, and two cats scratching out a bear's tongue. Then a snail came running up and killed two furious lions. There stood a barber and shaved a woman's beard off; and two sucking-children bade their mother hold her tongue. There I saw two greyhounds which brought a mill out of the water; and a sorry old horse was beside it, and said it was right. And four horses were standing in the yard threshing corn with all their might, and two goats were heating the stove, and a red cow shot the bread into the oven. Then a cock crowed, Cock-a-doodle-doo! The story is all told, Cock-a-doodle-doo!
我在极乐时代旅行时,看见一根丝线上挂着罗马城和教皇的宫殿;看见一个没有腿的人跑得比飞马还快;看见一把锋利的剑切断一座桥;看见一头银鼻子的小毛驴在追赶两只飞奔的兔子;看见一株菩提树上长着熟面包;我看见一头又老又瘦的山羊背上驮着一百桶油,还有六十车盐,还看见过一个周岁的孩子从特里尔飞到了斯特拉斯堡;还看见过一只大鹰在莱茵河上游泳。 我听见鱼儿在相互嬉戏,欢叫声直达天空;还听见过一道甜蜂蜜像水一样从一条深谷流到一座高山上;看见过两只乌鸦在割一块草地;我又看见两只蚊子合力建造一座桥,两只鸽子拔一只狼的毛,两个男孩扔了两只羊,两只青蛙在一起打五谷;我还瞧见过两只小老鼠在加封一位大主教,两只猫在把熊的舌头往外拉。 那里有蜗牛跑到莱茵河上游泳并打死两只狮子;那里站着理发匠在给一位妇女刮胡子,两个吃奶的小孩叫他们的母亲别作声。 我还看见两只猎犬从河里拉出一座磨坊,听见一匹老马站在一边说话,说得很好。 还看见院子里立着四匹大马,用尽力气在打谷;看见两只山羊在生火炉子;一头红母马把面包推到炉子里;一只公鸡突然叫起"咯咯咯嘟!故事讲完了!咯咯咯嘟!"