The merchant
商人
Imagine, mother,
that you are to stay at home and I am to travel into strange lands.
妈妈，我们想象一下，你待在家里，我到异地去旅游。
Imagine that my
boat is ready at the landing fully laden.
想象一下，我的船已经装得满满的在码头上准备出发。
Now think well,
mother, before you say what I shall bring for you when I come back.
妈妈，你现在好好想想，我应该带些什么回来给你？
Mother, do you
want heaps and heaps of gold?
妈妈，你要一大堆一大堆的黄金吗？
There, by the
banks of golden stream, fields are full of golden harvest. And in the shade of
the forest path the golden champa flowers drop on the ground.
在金河的两岸，田野里全都是金色的稻穗。 在林阴的路上，金色的花一朵朵地落在地上。
I will gather
them all for you in many hundred baskets.
我为你把它们全都收拾起来，放在几百个篮尔里。
Mother, do you
want pearls big as the raindrops of autumn?
妈妈，你想要秋天雨点般大的珍珠吗？
I shall cross to
the pearl island shore. There in the early morning light pearls. There in the
early morning light pearls tremble on the medow flowers, pearls drop on the
grass, and pearls ar e scattered on the sand in spray by the wild sea-waves.
我要渡海到珍珠岛的岸上去。 那个地方，清晨的曙光里，珠子在野花上颤动，珠子落在绿草上，珠子被汹狂的海浪一大把一大把地撒在沙滩上。
My brother shall
have a pair of horses with wings to fly among the clouds.
我的哥哥应该要拥有一对有翅膀的马，可以在云端飞翔。
For father I
shall bring a magic pen that, without his knowing, will write of itself.
爸爸呢，我要给他带一枝有魔法的笔，可以在你不知道的情况下帮他写作。
For you, mother,
I must have the casket and jewel that cost seven kings their kingdoms.
你呢，妈妈，我一定要把价值七个国家的首饰箱和珠宝送给你。
