They would cheerfully have gone without their dinners any day, rather than refuse a slice of their brown loaf, a cup of new milk,
他们可以不吃饭而高高兴兴的度过任何一天，而不会拒绝把一片黑面包、一杯新鲜的牛奶
and a spoonful of honey to the weary traveler who might stop at their door.
和一勺蜂蜜给可能会停在他们家门口的疲倦的旅行者。
Their cottage stood a short distance from the village, which lay in a valley.
他们的小屋在一个山谷里，离村庄不远。
This valley, when the world was new, had probably been the bed of a lake.
起初，这个山谷可能是一个湖床。
There, fishes had glided to and fro in the depths, and the water-weeds had grown along the shore.
那里曾经有在湖水深处来回游动的鱼儿和沿岸生长的水草。
But it was now a fertile spot of fields and meadows.
但如今却是一片肥沃的农田和牧场。
Never was there a prettier or more fruitful valley.
那里再没有一个更漂亮和多产的山谷了。
The very sight of the beautiful fields and orchards with their rich crops should have made the people kind and gentle, and ready to do good to their fellow-men.
漂亮的田地和果园以及丰富的农作物，应该会使那里的人温和、善良并愿意帮助他们的同胞。
But, we are sorry to say, the men and women of this lovely valley were very selfish and hardhearted, and had no pity for the poor.
但是遗憾的是，这个秀丽山谷里的男人和女人却非常自私和冷酷，他们并不同情穷人。
You will hardly believe what I am going to tell you.
你可能不相信我将要讲述的事情。
These naughty people used to clap their hands when they saw the little boys and girls run after some poor stranger, shouting at his heels and pelting him with stones.
当看见小男孩和小女孩追赶某个可怜的陌生人，在陌生人身后大喊并向他扔石头时，这些没规矩的人经常会拍手叫好。
They kept large and fierce dogs, and whenever a stranger showed himself in the village street,
他们养着又大又凶猛的狗，无论哪一个陌生人任何时候出现在村庄的大街上，
this pack of ugly curs scampered to meet him, barking and snarling.
这群令人讨厌的恶狗就会狂吠着，咆哮着向他飞奔而去。
