King Guaire walked amid his court.The palace yard and riverside.And there to three old beggars said，“You that have wandered far and wide，can ravel out what’s in my head．
Do men who least desire get most，get the most who most desire？”A beggar said，“They get the most，or whom man or devil cannot tire，and what could make their muscles taut，unless desire had made them so？”But Guaire laughed with secret thought，“If that be true as it seems true，one of you three is a rich man，for he shall have a thousand pounds，who is first asleep，if but he can，sleep before the third noon sounds．”
And there on，merry as a bird，with his old thoughts，King Guaire went，from riverside and palace yard ，and left them to their argument．“And if I win，”one beggar said，“Though I am old I shall persuade a pretty girl to share my bed”；The second：“I shall learn a trade”；The third：“I’ll hurry to the course among the other gentlemen，and lay it all upon a horse”；The second：“I have thought again：a farmer has more dignity．”
One to another sighed and cried：The exorbitantexorbitant dreams of beggary，that idleness had borne to pride，Sang through their teeth from noon to noon；and when the second twilight twilight brought the frenzy frenzy of the beggars’moon，none closed his bloodshot eyes but sought to keep his fellows from their sleep；all shouted till their anger grew and they were whirling in a heap．
They mauled maul and bit the whole night through；they mauled and bit till the day shone；they mauled and bit through all that day，and till another night had gone，or if they made a moment’s stay，they sat upon their heels to rail，and when old Guaire came and stood before the three to end this tale，
they were commingling lice and blood．
“Time’s up，”he cried，and all the three with bloodshot eyes upon him stared．“Time’s up，”he cried，and all the three fell down upon the dust and snored．
三个乞丐威·巴·叶芝
癸尔王漫步在他的宫廷里，宫殿庭院和御水河边，在那里对三个老乞丐说：“你们曾流浪得广阔遥远，定能解开我头脑中的疑团。人们是欲求愈少所得愈多，还是欲求愈多所得愈多？”一个乞丐说：“人或恶魔都无法使疲倦者所得最多，除非欲望使他们肌肉绷紧什么又能使他们如此？”可是癸尔心思诡秘地大笑：“假如这像看起来一样真实，你们三人中就有一个是富翁，因为第一个睡着者将得到一千镑，只要他能在第三天正午前入睡。”于是，癸尔王像雀儿一样喜欢，带着他老年的思想，离开了御水河边和宫殿庭院，撇下他们争论个不休。
“如果我赢了，”一个乞丐说，“尽管我老了我仍将说服一个漂亮姑娘与我同床共卧”；第二个：“我将学一门手艺”；第三个：“我将赶到赛马场，挤在别的绅士先生们中间，把钱全押在一匹马身上”；第二个：“我又想了一下：当个农场主才更体面。”彼此相对又是叹息又是喊叫：妄自尊大与游手好闲生出的乞丐的非分幻想透过他们的唇齿从正午唱到正午；当第二个黄昏带来了乞丐们的月亮的狂乱的时候，谁也不曾合上他充血的眼睛，只是试图使他的同伴不能入睡；全都在大叫大嚷直到怒气冲冲，他们相互撕打扭作一堆。他们又捶又咬过了一整夜；他们又捶又吱直到天光大亮；他们又捶又咬过了那一整日，直到过了又一个晚上，或者假如说他们稍事休息，他们就蹲坐下来咒骂指斥，当年迈的癸尔前来站立在这三人面前来结束这童话时，他们浑身是血混合着虱子。“时间到了。”他喊，三个人全都盯着他，瞪着充血的双眼。
“时间到了。”他喊，三个人跌倒在尘埃，打起了鼾。
The Country Squire
In a small pretty village in Nottingham shire there formerly lived a respectable respectable Squire，who excelled all his friends in amusementsamusement athletic，and whose manner of living was far from asceticascetic ．A wife he had taken for better or worse，whose temper had proved an intolerantintolerant curse；but at length，to his great and unspeakable joy，she died when presenting a fine little boy．Strange fancies men have；—the father designed to watch o’er the dawn of his son’s youthful mind，—that，only approached by the masculine gender，no room should be left him for feelings more tender．“Had I ne’er seen a woman.”he often would sigh，“What Squire in the country so happy as I！”The boy was intelligent，active，and bright，and took in his studies uncommon delight；no juvenile juvenile folliesfollies distracted his mind；no visions of bright eyes，or damselsdamsel unkind，and those fair demisisterly beings so gay，yclept “pretty cousins，ne’er popped in his way；till at length this remarkably singular son could number of years that had passed twentyone．”
Now the father had settled，his promising son should his studies conclude when he reached twentyone；and he went，with a heart beating high with emotion，to launch the young man on life’s turbulentturbulent ocean．As they entered the town，a young maiden tripped by，with a cheek like a rose，and a light laughing eye．“O father，what’s that？”cried the youth with delight，as this vision of loveliness burst on his sight．“O，that，”cried the cautious and politic Squire，who did not they outh’s ardent glances admire，“is only a thing called a Goose，my dear son；we shall see many more ere our visit is done．”
Blooming damsels now passed with their butter and cheese，whose beauty might even an anchorite anchorite please：“Merely geese！”said the Squire，“don’t mind them，my dear；there are many things better worth looking at here．”As onwards they passed，every step brought to view some spectacle equally curious and new；and the joy of the youth hardly knew any bounds，at the roped walkers，tumblers，and merry goroundsgoround ．
As soon as the tour of the town was completed，the father solved that the boy should be treated；so，pausing an instant，he said，“My dear son，a new era today in your life has begun；now of all this bright scene and the gayeties gayety in it，choose whatever you like，it is yours from this minute．”“Choose whatever I like？”cried the youthful recluserecluse ．“O，thank you，dear father，then give me—a goose.”
乡绅
从前，在诺丁汉郡的一个美丽的小村庄里住着一位可敬的绅士。他玩起体育竞技游戏来比所有的朋友都高强，过的日子绝不是苦行僧式的。不管是福是祸，他娶了个妻。结果她脾气奇坏，成了个难以忍受的灾星。终于，她在产下一玲珑佳儿后死去，乡绅先生的万分欣喜自是不可言传。人不时会突发奇想。这位父亲决定亲自督察儿子年幼的头脑的启蒙，务必使他接触的都是男性，绝不留下余地萌生更温柔的感情。“倘我从不曾见过女人，”他常常叹息道，“全国的乡绅里谁人能有我快活！”那男孩聪明、活泼而又通达事理，异常地喜欢学习。从不因小孩子的胡闹而分心；从没有明亮的眸子，或狠心的小妞，或被谓之“妩媚表亲”、半似姐妹的放肆尤物突然出现在他面前。到最后，这位非同寻常、出类拔萃的儿子终于度过了21个年头。
父亲决定，他的前途无量的儿子在21岁时应该结束学业。于是他满心激动地带领年轻人起航进入汹涌的人生之海。当他们进城时，正有一少女款款经过，腮如玫瑰，眼笑流波。“哦，父亲，那是什么？”当那可爱身影闯入他的眼帘时，年轻人快乐地喊道。“噢，那个，”谨慎而讲究谋略的乡绅根本不赞赏儿子热烈的目光，于是大声说，“不过区区一笨鹅而已，我亲爱的孩子，我们一路还会见到很多的。”
携奶油乳酪的如花少女络绎而过，就是隐士也会被她们的美丽打动。“不过是些笨鹅！”乡绅道，“我儿不必放在心上，此间有许多事物更值得一观呢。”他们继续前行，每一步都见到同样新奇有趣的景象，年轻人看到走绳索的，翻筋斗的，和旋转木马等等，其乐也无穷。
小城之行一结束，父亲就决定要款待儿子。于是，他停顿片刻后说，“我亲爱的儿子，今日起你的生活开始了一个新的时期。现在，在所有这炫目景象及种种赏心乐事中，选出你最喜爱的，你立刻就能得到它。”“由我任意选择？”年轻的隐居者大叫，“啊，谢谢你了，父亲，那就给我一只笨鹅吧！”