Принцът и просякът

在古老的伦敦城，

In the ancient city of London,

十六世纪第二个二十五年间的某个秋日，

on a certain autumn day in the second quarter of the sixteenth century,

一户姓康第的穷人家生了个男孩，

a boy was born to a poor family of the name of Canty,

这家人并不想要他。

who did not want him.

同一天，另一个英国孩子降生在一户姓都铎的富贵人家，

On the same day another English child was born to a rich family of the name of Tudor,

这家人可是真心想要他。

who did want him.

全英国也都想要他。

All England wanted him too.

英国盼他盼了那么久，

England had so longed for him,

对他寄予了那么多希望，

and hoped for him,

又为他向上帝祈求了那么多回，

and prayed God for him,

以至于

that,

如今他真的来了，

now that he was really come,

人们简直欢喜得发了狂。

the people went nearly mad for joy.

连仅有一面之交的人也互相拥抱、亲吻，喜极而泣。

Mere acquaintances hugged and kissed each other and cried.

人人都放下了活计，

Everybody took a holiday,

无论贵贱，

and high and low,

不分贫富，

rich and poor,

都在宴饮、跳舞、唱歌，

feasted and danced and sang,

喝得醉意醺醺；

and got very mellow;

如此一连闹了好几天好几夜。

and they kept this up for days and nights together.

白天，

By day,

伦敦的景象十分壮观，

London was a sight to see,

每一座阳台、每一个屋顶上都飘扬着鲜艳的旗帜，

with gay banners waving from every balcony and housetop,

华丽的游行队伍在街上行进。

and splendid pageants marching along.

夜里，

By night,

又是一番壮观的景象，

it was again a sight to see,

每个街角都燃着熊熊的篝火，

with its great bonfires at every corner,

成群的狂欢者围着篝火尽情作乐。

and its troops of revellers making merry around them.

全英国谈论的只有这个新生的婴儿——

There was no talk in all England but of the new baby,

爱德华·都铎，

Edward Tudor,

威尔士亲王，

Prince of Wales,

他躺在绫罗绸缎之中，

who lay lapped in silks and satins,

对这一切喧闹浑然不觉，

unconscious of all this fuss,

也不知道有那么多王公贵妇在照料他、守护他——

and not knowing that great lords and ladies were tending him and watching over him —

而且他也并不在乎

and not caring,

这些。

either.

可是另一个婴儿却无人谈起，

But there was no talk about the other baby,

那就是汤姆·康第，

Tom Canty,

他裹在自己那堆破布里，

lapped in his poor rags,

只有那一家穷苦人才谈起他，而他刚一降生，就以自己的存在给他们添了麻烦。

except among the family of paupers whom he had just come to trouble with his presence.