鞋匠与银行家(The Cobbler And The Banker)

一个鞋匠每天都在自己的歌声中度过。无论是你看到他，还是听到他的歌声，都会是你觉得很愉快。他非常满意这份职业，甚至觉得这种满足感要胜于当上古希腊的七贤人。

与之相反，他的邻居却是个腰缠万贯的银行家，他不但很少唱歌，就连睡眠也很少。白天，他会偶尔打个盹，鞋匠的歌声时常会把他从睡梦中唤醒。于是，银行家便痛苦地抱怨上帝，为何不把睡眠也变成一种类似食品或者饮料那样都可以买卖的东西呢。

一次，银行家派人把那位鞋匠请来，问道：“葛列格里师傅，我亲爱的朋友，你一年能挣多少钱啊？”

快乐的鞋匠笑着回答：“您是问我一年能挣多少吗？先生？我啊，只是这么一天天地生活着；一日三餐，不管怎样我都会设法撑到年底的，这就是我一年所挣到的钱。”

“那么，朋友，你一天能挣多少啊？”

“有时多些，有时少些；但最糟糕的是，一年之中总会有些日子是不允许我们做生意的；这种入不敷出的日子，就叫人无法忍受了。”

银行家因为鞋匠的直率而感到高兴。他说道：“我要让你今后想要什么就有什么，这五百先令送给你吧，你小心收好，有需要的时候就拿出来用。”

鞋匠这会儿仿佛看到了人类有史以来的全部财富。回到家后，他便把那些钱藏了起来，同时，也葬送了自己的快乐。他不再去唱歌了；从他得到那痛苦的根源之时起，他的嗓子就哑了，睡眠也远离了他；担心、怀疑、惊恐取代了他过去的一切；白天，他的眼睛不敢离开埋藏钱币的地方；晚上，如果有迷路的小猫弄出一点声响，他都会怀疑是有人来偷他的钱。

最终，鞋匠又来到富贵的邻居家，说道：“把你的钱都还给你，我还是要从前的自己，把我的睡眠和歌声都还给我吧。”

The Cobbler And The Banker

A cobbler passed his time in singing from morning till night; it was wonderful to see, wonderful to hear him; he was more satisfied in making shoes than anyone else.

His neighbor, on the contrary, who was rolling in wealth, sang but little, and slept less. He was a banker; when by chance he fell into a sleep at day-break, the cobbler awoke him with his song. The banker complained sadly that God had not made sleep a saleable product, like foods or drinks.

Then he visited the cobbler and asked him, “How much a year do you earn, Master Gregory?” 

“How much a year, sir?” said the merry cobbler laughing, “I never count my income in that way, l iving as what I like from one day to another; somehow I m anage to make the ends meet throughout the year; each day brings its meals.” 

“Well then! How much a day do you earn, my friend?” asked the banker continuously.

“Sometimes more, sometimes less; but the worst of it is that a number of days occur in the year on which we are forbidden to work, so we won’t earn any money during these days, without which our earnings would be better.” 

The banker, who was laughing at the cobbler’s simplicity, said that “In the future, I wil l satisfy what you want. Take the hundred coins, preserve them carefully, and make use of them in time of need.” 

The cobbler was very delighted and fancied that he possessed all the wealth which the earth had produced in the past century for the use of mankind.

Returning home, he buried his money and his happiness at the same time. No more singing; he lost his voice. The banker could now have a sound sleep. However, at that moment, the cobbler realized that what he acquired now was the source of sorrow. Sleep broke up with him; and cares, suspicions, and false alarms took its place.

All day, his eye wandered in the direction of the treasure, even at night, if some naughty cats made noises, he would think somebody was robbing him.

At last, the poor man ran to the house of his rich neighbor; “Give me back,” said he, “sleep and my voice, and take your hundred coins.”