63.守财奴和他的黄金, The Miser and His Gold (shǒu cái nú hé tā de huáng jīn)

hěn jiǔ yǐ qián ，

很久以前，

yǒu yī gè shǒu cái nú cháng cháng bǎ tā de jīn zǐ mái zài yuàn lǐ de shù dǐ xià ，

有一个守财奴常常把他的金子埋在院里的树底下，

dàn měi gè xīng qī tā yòu huì bǎ tā men wā chū lái ，

但每个星期他又会把它们挖出来，

duì zhe cái bǎo zì wǒ táo zùi yī fān   。

对着财宝自我陶醉一番 。

yī gè xiǎo tōu zhù yì dào le tā de xíng wéi ，

一个小偷注意到了他的行为，

jiù dào le tā de jīn zǐ táo zǒu le 。

就盗了他的金子逃走了。

dāng shǒu cái nú zài qù kàn tā de jīn zǐ shí ， 

当守财奴再去看他的金子时，

tā fā xiàn dì shàng zhǐ yǒu dòng le ， lǐ miàn de dōng xī què bù yì ér fēi 。

他发现地上只有洞了，里面的东西却不翼而飞。

tā pīn mìng chě zì jǐ de tóu fā ， fàng shēng dà kū ，

他拼命扯自己的头发，放声大哭，

bǎ zhōu wéi de lín jū dōu xī yǐn le chū lái 。

把周围的邻居都吸引了出来。

tā gào sù lín jū yǐ wǎng rú hé cháng cháng kàn tā de jīn zǐ 。

他告诉邻居以往如何常常看他的金子。

qí zhōng yǒu rén jiù wèn tā ： “ nǐ yǒu ná chū guò yī kuài jīn zǐ mɑ ？ ” 。

其中有人就问他：“你有拿出过一块金子吗？”。

tā huí dá shuō ： “ méi yǒu ， wǒ zhǐ shì lái kàn tā men ” 。

他回答说：“没有，我只是来看它们”。

lín jū jiù shuō ：“ nǐ hái shì kě yǐ zhào yàng lái kàn zhè gè dòng yɑ ，

邻居就说：“你还是可以照样来看这个洞呀，

zhè hé yuán lái méi yǒu duō dà chà bié mɑ ” 。

这和原来没有多大差别嘛”。

gù shì shì shuō ： yǒu qián bù yòng ， děng yú méi yǒu 。 

故事是说：有钱不用，等于没有。

Once upon a time

hěn jiǔ yǐ qián ，

there was a Miser who used to hide his gold at the foot of a tree in his garden;

yǒu yī gè shǒu cái nú cháng cháng bǎ tā de jīn zǐ mái zài yuàn lǐ de shù dǐ xià ，

but every week he used to go and dig it up 

dàn měi gè xīng qī tā yòu huì bǎ tā men wā chū lái ，

and gloat over his gains.  

duì zhe cái bǎo zì wǒ táo zùi yī fān   。

A robber, who had noticed this,

yī gè xiǎo tōu zhù yì dào le tā de xíng wéi ，

went and dug up the gold and decamped with it.  

jiù dào le tā de jīn zǐ táo zǒu le 。

went and dug up the gold and decamped with it.  

dāng shǒu cái nú zài qù kàn tā de jīn zǐ shí ， 

he found nothing but the empty hole.

tā fā xiàn dì shàng zhǐ yǒu dòng le ， lǐ miàn de dōng xī què bù yì ér fēi 。

He tore his hair,and raised such an outcry that 

tā pīn mìng chě zì jǐ de tóu fā ， fàng shēng dà kū ，

all the neighbours came around him,

bǎ zhōu wéi de lín jū dōu xī yǐn le chū lái 。

and he told them how he used to come and visit his gold.  

tā gào sù lín jū yǐ wǎng rú hé cháng cháng kàn tā de jīn zǐ 。

"Did you ever take any of it out?" asked one of them.

qí zhōng yǒu rén jiù wèn tā ： “ nǐ yǒu ná chū guò yī kuài jīn zǐ mɑ ？ ” 。

"Nay," said he, "I only came to look at it."

tā huí dá shuō ： “ méi yǒu ， wǒ zhǐ shì lái kàn tā men ” 。

"Then come again and look at the hole," said a neighbour; 

lín jū jiù shuō ：“ nǐ hái shì kě yǐ zhào yàng lái kàn zhè gè dòng yɑ ，

"it will do you just as much good."

zhè hé yuán lái méi yǒu duō dà chà bié mɑ ” 。

Wealth unused might as well not exist.

gù shì shì shuō ： yǒu qián bù yòng ， děng yú méi yǒu 。