瘦莉莎


Lean Lisa


懒哈利和胖特丽娜总是为人持重,不为外物所扰。 瘦莉莎的想法却完全相反,她总是从早忙到晚,让她的大个子丈夫伦茨干很多的活。 可尽管如此,他们还是一无所获,一事无成。 一天晚上,莉莎躺在床上,累得无法动弹,却心事重重地无法入睡。 她用肘撞旁边的男人说:"伦茨,你听,我想的是什么?假如我找到一块金币,别人又送我一块,我再去借一块,你也给我一块,那么,我一共就有四块金币,我就要买一头母牛。"男人觉得这很好,他说:"我虽不知道上哪儿去给你弄到送你的那块金币,但是如果你有了这笔钱,你就可以用它买头母牛,如果母牛生头小牛,那我们就可以喝上牛奶,提提神了。"女人说:"牛奶不是你的,我们让小牛吸,让它长得膘肥体壮,才能卖个好价钱。"男人说:"那是当然,不过我们也可以喝一点点,不碍事。"女人说:"谁叫你这样对待母牛?不管碍不碍事,我都不会答应。你要是胡思乱想,休想喝到一滴牛奶!你这傻大个真是个贪得无厌的家伙,要把我幸苦挣来的东西消耗尽吗?"男人说:"老婆,安静些,否则我要把你的嘴蒙起来。""什么?"她喊道,"你要吓唬我,你这馋鬼,你这长杆子,你这懒鬼哈利。"她想揪他的头发,但长子伦茨坐起来,用一只手抓着瘦莉莎的两条细胳膊,用另一只手将她的头发按在枕上,听凭她叫骂,直到她最后累得又睡着了才松开。 第二天早上,他们醒来后没有继续吵闹,莉莎后来究竟有没有出去找她想得到的那块金币,那我们就不知道了。
Lean Lisa was of a very different way of thinking from lazy Harry and fat Trina, who never let anything disturb their peace. She scoured everything with ashes, from morning till evening, and burdened her husband, Long Laurence, with so much work that he had heavier weights to carry than an ass with three sacks. It was, however, all to no purpose, they had nothing and came to nothing. One night as she lay in bed, and could hardly move one limb for weariness, she still did not allow her thoughts to go to sleep. She thrust her elbows into her husband's side, and said, "Listen, Lenz, to what I have been thinking: if I were to find one florin and one was given to me, I would borrow another to put to them, and thou too shouldst give me another, and then as soon as I had got the four florins together, I would buy a young cow." This pleased the husband right well. "It is true," said he, "that I do not know where I am to get the florin which thou wantest as a gift from me; but, if thou canst get the money together, and canst buy a cow with it, thou wilt do well to carry out thy project. I shall be glad," he added, "if the cow has a calf, and then I shall often get a drink of milk to refresh me." - "The milk is not for thee," said the woman, "we must let the calf suck that it may become big and fat, and we may be able to sell it well." - "Certainly," replied the man, "but still we will take a little milk; that will do no harm." - "Who has taught thee to manage cows?" said the woman; "Whether it does harm or not, I will not allow it, and even if thou wert to stand on thy head for it, thou shouldst not have a drop of the milk! Dost thou think, because there is no satisfying thee, Long Laurence, that thou art to eat up what I earn with so much difficulty?" - "Wife," said the man, "be quiet, or I will give thee a blow on thy mouth!" - "What!" cried she, "thou threatenest me, thou glutton, thou rascal, thou lazy Harry!" She was just laying hold of his hair, but long Laurence got up, seized both Lean Lisa's withered arms in one hand, and with the other he pressed down her head into the pillow, let her scold, and held her until she fell asleep for very weariness. Whether she continued to wrangle when she awoke next morning, or whether she went out to look for the florin which she wanted to find, that I know not.