The Monkey and the Cat

Bertrand was a monkey and Ratter was a cat. They shared the same dwelling and had the same master, and a pretty mischievous pair they were. It was impossible to intimidate them. If anything was missed or spoilt, no one thought of blaming the other people in the house. Bertrand stole all he could lay his hands upon, and as for Ratter, he gave more attention to cheese than he did to the mice.

贝特朗是一只猴子，拉特是一只猫。它们同住一处，侍奉同一个主人，是一对相当淘气的活宝。谁也吓唬不住它们。家里但凡丢了什么东西，或是什么东西坏了，没人会想到去怪罪家里的其他人。贝特朗见了什么都要顺手牵羊，而拉特呢，比起捉老鼠，他更留心的是奶酪。

One day, in the chimney corner, these two rascals sat watching some chestnuts that were roasting before the fire. How jolly it would be to steal them they thought: doubly desirable, for it would not only be joy to themselves, but an annoyance to others.

有一天，在壁炉的角落里，这两个淘气鬼坐着，盯着炉火前正在烘烤的几颗栗子。它们心想，要是能把栗子偷来该有多美啊：这可是一举两得的美事，不但自己能享用，还能惹恼别人。

"Brother," said Bertrand to Ratter, "this day you shall achieve your master-stroke: you shall snatch some chestnuts out of the fire for me. Providence has not fitted me for that sort of game. If it had, I assure you chestnuts would have a fine time."

“兄弟，”贝特朗对拉特说，“今天你可要露一手了：你去把栗子从火里抢出来给我。老天爷没让我干这种活儿的本事。要是它给了我，我敢保证，栗子的日子可就不好过了。”

No sooner said than done. Ratter delicately stirred the cinders with his paw, stretched out his claws two or three times to prepare for the stroke, and then adroitly whipped out first one, then two, then three of the chestnuts, whilst Bertrand crunched them up between his teeth. In came a servant, and there was an end of the business. Farewell, ye rogues!

说做就做。拉特小心翼翼地用爪子拨了拨炭火，伸出爪子试了两三次，做好出手的准备，然后灵巧地一把，先是一颗，接着两颗，又是三颗栗子，飞快地掏了出来，贝特朗则在一旁把栗子嚼得咯吱作响。这时一个仆人走了进来，这场买卖也就到此结束了。再见了，你们这两个无赖！

I am told that Ratter was by no means satisfied with the affair.

我听说，拉特对这件事可一点也不满意。

And princes are equally dissatisfied when, flattered to be employed in any uncomfortable concern, they burn their fingers in a distant province for the profit of some king.

而那些王公贵族们，当他们受人吹捧，被派去经手某些棘手差事时，同样也会心怀不满——他们在遥远的省份里替某位国王卖命，烫伤了自己的手指，得利的却是别人。