英文寓言故事:杰克与豆茎

【英文原文】

There lived a poor woman who had been a widow for some years, and had an only child name Jack. Jack was a careless and extravagant boy. One day the poor woman found that they did not have enough money to buy even a bit of bread for another day. Nothing now remained to sell but a cow. So she told Jack to sell the cow in the market. But Jack exchanged the cow for a few beans. When his mother saw the beans, she got so angry that she threw them out of the window. Jack awoke early next morning, and discovered that some of the beans had taken root and grown up into the clouds. Jack climbed up the beanstalk and found himself in a strange country. A fairy directed him to the house of a giant who had killed his father. Jack stole from the giant a hen that laid golden eggs, two bags of gold and silver coins, and a beautiful harp that could play of its own accord, without being touched. But he was finally discovered by the giant, who ran after him down the beanstalk. The moment Jack got down the beanstalk he cut the beanstalk with an axe, and the giant fell and was killed.

从前有一个穷寡妇，与她的独子杰克在一起艰难度日。杰克是个粗心大意、大手大脚的孩子。有一天，那可怜的女人发现家里连买一片面包的钱也没有了，只剩下一头母牛。于是那女人叫杰克把母年牛拉到市场上卖掉。不料杰克用母牛仅仅换来几颗豆子。他母亲看到那几颗豆子，气得把它们扔出窗外。第二天一早，杰克发现豆子已发芽长大，豆茎高耸入云。杰克爬上豆茎，到了一个陌生的世界。一个仙女告诉他，他的父亲是被一个巨人杀害的，并向杰克指明那巨人的住所。杰克从巨人那里偷了一只会下金蛋的母鸡、两大口袋金币和银币，还有一架会自动弹奏的竖琴。但是他最终还是被巨人发现了。杰克赶忙爬下豆茎，巨人在后面穷追不舍。杰克一落地，就用斧头将豆茎齐根砍断，巨人堕地摔死。

题外话：这个故事似乎暗示殖民者与土著人的关系。那巨人像是殖民者眼中的土著人，有财富，但残酷粗野，无头脑，易上当。杰克像个殖民者，有心眼儿，十分贪婪。有了下金蛋的母鸡，足矣，还要金银币干什么？当然要。多多益善。光搜罗金银，不够档灰，还不能忘记竖琴——殖民地的艺术品。