Going a-travelling


旅行去


There was once a poor woman who had a son, who much wished to travel, but his mother said, "How canst thou travel? We have no money at all for thee to take away with thee." Then said the son, "I will manage very well for myself; I will always say, 'Not much, not much, not much.'"
So he walked for a long time and always said, "Not much, not much, not much." Then he passed by a company of fishermen and said, "God speed you! not much, not much, not much." - "What sayst thou churl, not much?" And when the net was drawn out they had not caught much fish. So one of them fell on the youth with a stick and said, "Hast thou never seen me threshing?" - "What ought I to say, then?" asked the youth. "Thou must say, 'Get it full, get it full.'"
After this he again walked a long time, and said, "Get it full, get it full," until he came to the gallows, where they had got a poor sinner whom they were about to hang. Then said he, "Good morning; get it full, get it full." - "What sayst thou, knave, get it full? Dost thou want to make out that there are still more wicked people in the world is not this enough?" And he again got some blows on his back. "What am I to say, then?" said he. "Thou must say, 'May God have pity on the poor soul.'"
Again the youth walked on for a long while and said, "May God have pity on the poor soul!" Then he came to a pit by which stood a knacker who was cutting up a horse. The youth said, "Good morning; God have pity on the poor soul!" - "What dost thou say, thou ill-tempered knave?" and the knacker gave him such a box on the ear, that he could not see out of his eyes. "What am I to say, then?" - "Thou must say, 'There lies the carrion in the pit!'"
So he walked on, and always said, "There lies the carrion in the pit, there lies the carrion in the pit." And he came to a cart full of people, so he said, "Good morning, there lies the carrion in the pit!" Then the cart pushed him into a hole, and the driver took his whip and cracked it upon the youth, till he was forced to crawl back to his mother, and as long as he lived he never went out a-travelling again.
从前,有位穷女人,她有一个儿子。 这儿子总想出去旅行,母亲说:"你怎样去旅行呢?我们没有一点钱能让你路上用。"儿子说:"我会自己想办法的。我会说:不多,不多,不多。"
他就是这样走了好些日子,嘴里总是"不多,不多,不多"地说个不停。 一次他打一群渔夫那儿经过,说:"愿上帝保佑你们!不多,不多,不多。""你说什么来着,乡巴佬,'不多'?"说着他们拖起网来,打着的鱼果然不多。 因此一个人就操起根棍子朝这年轻人打来,口中说道,"你没瞧见我正打鱼吗?""那我该怎么说?"年轻人问。 "你得说:'打一满网,打一满网'。"于是,他又走了很长时间,口里不断念道:"打一满网,打一满网。"最后他来到一个绞架旁,那儿正要处决一个可怜的罪犯。 于是他说:"早上好,打一满网,打一满网。""你这家伙说什么?'打一满网',难道世上坏蛋还多的是?绞死一个还不够吗?"这样他背上又挨了几下打。 "那么,我该怎么说呢?"他问。 "你得说'愿上帝保佑这个可怜的灵魂吧!'"
年轻人又走了很长时间,口里念道:"愿上帝保佑这个可怜的灵魂吧!"他又来到了一条水沟边。 那儿站着个人,正在给一匹马剥皮,只听这年轻人说:"早上好,愿上帝保佑这个可怜的灵魂吧!""你这浑小子,说什么来着?"这剥皮者给了他的耳朵重重一拳,痛得他眼冒金星,一时分不出哪是东南西北。 "那么,我该说什么?""你得说'你这僵尸,快躺进沟里吧!'"
于是,他又继续往前走,口中念道:"你这僵尸,快躺进沟里吧!你这僵尸,快躺进沟里吧!"这时 ,他来到一辆乘满人的马车旁,说:"早上好,你这僵尸,快躺进沟里吧!"话刚出口,马车果然翻进了水沟里,车夫操起马鞭,给了他一顿猛抽,痛得他只好回到他母亲那儿去了。 从此,他一辈子再也不出去旅行了。