The Farmer and his Sons 农夫和他的儿子们

Mr. Thompson has three sons, David, James, and Peter. He is a very diligent man. He works in his grape fields all day. But, his three sons are all very lazy. Mr. Thompson is always worried about them.
汤普森先生有三个儿子，戴维、詹姆斯和彼得。汤普森先生是个非常勤劳的人。他整天都在他的葡萄园里工作。但是，他那三个儿子却十分懒惰。汤普森先生总是为他们担心。

Farmer: David, can you help me in the field today? I need your help. I can’t work alone.
农夫：戴维，今天你可以到园子里来帮我吗？我需要你的帮助。那些活儿我一个人干不了。

David: But Father, it is too hot outside. I am too tired today. Besides, I am the eldest. Ask James to help you.
戴维：可是爸爸，外边太热了。我今天太累了。再说，我是老大。叫詹姆斯帮你吧。

Farmer: You are always tired, David.
农夫：你总是很累，戴维。

David lies down on his bed to rest. Mr. Thompson calls his second son, James.
戴维躺在他的床上休息。于是汤普森先生去叫他的第二个儿子，詹姆斯。

Farmer: James! What are you doing now? I need your help in the field today. I can’t work alone.
农夫：詹姆斯！你现在在做什么？今天我需要你到园子里来帮我。那些活儿我一个人干不了。

James: I’m sorry, Father. I’m busy today. I’ll help you tomorrow. Ask Peter.
詹姆斯：对不起，爸爸，我今天很忙。我明天再帮你。你叫彼得帮你吧。

Farmer: You are always busy, James.
农夫：你总是很忙，詹姆斯。

James pretends to be busy. Mr. Thompson calls Peter, his youngest son.
詹姆斯装出很忙的样子。汤普森先生只好去叫他最小的儿子，彼得。

Farmer: Hey, Peter! Are you busy now?
农夫：喂，彼得！你现在忙吗？

Peter: Not really, Father.
彼得：不太忙啊，爸爸。

Farmer: Are you going out somewhere today?
农夫：你今天要外出吗？

Peter: No, Father. Why do you ask?
彼得：不，爸爸。为什么要这么问呢？

Farmer: Well then, help me in the field. I need your help. I can’t work alone.
农夫：那么，你来园子里帮我干活吧！我需要你的帮助。我一个人忙不过来。

Peter makes up an excuse.
彼得也找了一个借口。

Peter: I would like to help you, Father. But I am not feeling well today. I have a headache.
彼得：我很想帮你，爸爸。可是我今天不太舒服，我头疼。

Farmer: Not again! The last time, you had a stomachache.
农夫：不会吧!上次你说你肚子疼。

Mr. Thompson goes out to the field alone in the hot sun. He works all day while his three sons do nothing. His neighbors see him.
汤普森先生顶着炎炎烈日独自到园子里去干活。他的三个儿子无所事事，而他却不得不整日工作。邻居们看到了汤普森先生。

Wife: Look, dear! It’s Mr. Thompson He is working alone again.
妻子：瞧，亲爱的！那不是汤普森先生吗。他又在一个人干活。

Neighbor：Where are all his three sons?
邻居：他那三个儿子都去哪里了？

Wife: Didn’t you know, dear? They are the laziest boys in the world. They never work.
妻子：你难道不知道吗？亲爱的？他们是世界上最懒惰的人。他们从来不干活。

Neighbor：Really? That’s too bad. Poor Mr. Thompson.
邻居：真的？那可太惨了。可怜的汤普森先生。

Mr. Thompson worked hard all his life. Finally, he gets very sick and cannot work anymore. He is about to die.
汤普森先生一生辛勤工作。终于有一天，他病倒了，再也没法工作了。他快要死了。

Farmer: What will happen to my three sons after I die? They will starve to death for sure. How can I change them?
农夫：（呻吟）我那三个儿子怎么办在我死后？他们会饿死的。我怎么才能改变他们呢？

Mr. Thompson cannot stop worrying about his three sons even in bed. He thinks and thinks. An idea comes to his mind. He calls his three sons.
就算是躺在病床上，汤普森先生仍在不停地为他的三个儿子担心。他想了又想。突然，他想到了一个主意。于是他叫来了三个儿子。

Farmer: My dear sons, David, James, and Peter, I love you all. But I cannot live for long. So when I die, take care of my grape fields for me. That’s my last wish.
农夫：我亲爱的儿子们，戴维、詹姆斯、彼得，我爱你们。但是我已经活不了多久了。如果我死了，请为我照顾葡萄园。这是我最后的愿望。

David: But Father, I am not interested in grapes.
戴维：但是爸爸，我对葡萄不敢兴趣。

James: I don’t want to work under the sun all day, Father.
詹姆斯：我可不愿整天在太阳底下工作，爸爸。

Peter: I want to live in the city. I don’t even like grapes, Father.
彼得：我想住在城里。我甚至不喜欢葡萄，爸爸。

The three sons keep complaining, until Mr. Thompson tells them his secret
三个儿子不住地抱怨，直到汤普森先生说出他的秘密。

Farmer: But the three of you must keep the field. I buried some treasure there. Find it, dig it out, and share it together.
农夫：但是你们三个必须留在园子里。我在那里埋下了一些财宝。只要你们找到并挖出财宝，你们就可以拿去分了。

Sons: What did you say?
儿子们：你说什么？

The three sons cannot believe their ears.
三个儿子几乎不敢相信他们的耳朵。

David: Did you say treasure? When did you bury is, Father?
戴维：你是说有财宝？你什么时候埋的，爸爸？

James: Are there lots of gold and silver pieces inside?
詹姆斯：里面有很多金子、银子吗？

Peter: Those things are not important.
彼得：这些都不重要。 Sons: Then what is it? 儿子们：那什么才是重要的呢？

Peter: Where is it?
彼得：重要的是财宝埋在哪儿？

David: Peter is right. Where is the treasure buried, Father?
戴维：彼得说的对。你把财宝埋在哪儿了，爸爸？

Farmer: I’m sorry, my sons. It was so long ago. I do not remember. Just keep digging and you shall find it.
农夫：对不起，我的儿子们。那是很久以前的事情。我记不得了。不过只要你们不断地挖，你们一定会找到的。

Mr. Thompson dies a few days later. David, James, and Peter start digging for treasure the very next day.
几天以后，汤普森先生去世了。从第二天开始，戴维、詹姆斯和彼得就开始挖财宝。

Wife: Look, dear! Aren’t they Mr. Thompson’s boys?
妻子：你看，亲爱的！那不是汤普森先生的儿子们吗？

Neighbor: I think so, dear. But they have changed. They are working so hard today.
邻居：我想是的，亲爱的。不过，他们变了。今天他们干得非常卖力。



Wife: I know. I can’t believe my eyes. Mr. Thompson would be really happy.
妻子：我看出来了，我真不敢相信自己的眼睛。汤普森先生一定会很开心的。

The three brothers dig and dig, but they cannot find any treasure.
三个兄弟挖呀挖，但是他们找不到任何财宝。

David: Where’s the treasure?
戴维：财宝在哪里？

James: Perhaps, there isn’t any treasure.
詹姆斯：也许这儿根本就没有财宝。

Peter: That can’t be. Father must have buried it very deep. Let’s dig deeper.
彼得：不可能，一定是爸爸把它埋的很深。我们再挖深点看看。

David: Peter may be right.
戴维：也许彼得说得对。

The three sons keep digging and working in the field for months. It is now fall.
三个儿子不断地在田里翻土，挖掘，忙活了好几个月。转眼之间到了秋天。

David: There is no treasure here.
戴维：根本没有什么财宝。

James: We dug up the whole field for nothing.
詹姆斯：我们挖遍了整个园子却一无所获。

Peter: But look, David and James! Our field is filled with ripe grapes.
彼得：但是，瞧啊，戴维，詹姆斯！我们的园子里长满了成熟的葡萄啊！

David: You are right!
戴维：对啊！

James: Let’s sell the grapes.
詹姆斯：我们把葡萄卖了吧。

The three brothers take the grapes to the market. Their grapes are the largest and sweetest among all the others. They become rich by selling the grapes.
三兄弟把葡萄运到市场上。在所有的葡萄里，他们的葡萄是最大、最甜的。因为卖了葡萄，他们变得很富有。

Peter: Now I know. Treasure is everywhere.
彼得：现在我知道了，财宝到处都可以找到。

David: Yes. If we work hard, we can always get it.
戴维：是呀，如果我们努力工作，我们总是能够收获财富的。

James: So that’s what Father was trying to tell us.
詹姆斯：所以，这就是爸爸想让我们明白的道理。

MORAL： Work hard and good fortune will always follow.
寓意：好运总是跟随者辛勤工作而来的。