泰西50轶事(一)：阿尔弗雷德国王和面饼 江铭辉 五梦网
泰西50轶事(Fifty Famous Stories Retold )，是永恒的短篇故事，它收集的故事：包括浩瀚历史的著名英雄和他们的罗曼史，故事内容有勇气、毅力和情感。故事人物包括拿破仑、罗宾汉，乔治华盛顿、成吉思汗等人。这些故事都是老少咸宜的故事，我将它逐篇翻译，并配合图画，供大家欣赏。
泰西50轶事第一篇：阿尔弗雷德国王和面饼
原文及翻译如下：
King Alfred and the cakes
阿尔弗雷德国王和面饼
Many years ago there lived in England a wise and good king whose name was Alfred. No other man ever did so much. for his country as he ; and people now, all over the world, speak of him as Alfred the Great.
很多年以前，英国有一位聪明而能干的国王，他的名字叫做阿尔弗雷德(图1)。从来没有其他的人像他那样有功于国家;因而现在全世界的人们一提起他，就称他为阿尔弗雷德大帝。
图1：阿尔弗雷德大帝像
In those days a king did not have a very easy life . There was war almost all the time, and no one else could lead his army into battle so well as he. And so, between ruling and fighting , he had a busy time of it indeed.
在那个恃代，一个国王是不能有安逸的生活。几乎有天天战争发生，但没有任何人能像他那样能干，领导军队作战。因此在既要统冶又要作战的情况下，他的确非常忙碌。
A fierce, rude people , called the Danes , had come from over the sea, and were fighting the English. There were so many of them,. and they were so bold and strong, that for a long time they gained every battle. If they kept on, they would soon be the masters of the whole country.
那时，有一个凶猛、粗暴的民族，称为丹麦人，他们从海上渡过来，向英国挑战。他们人是这么多，而且又胆大、强壮，所以长久以来赢得每次的战争。如果他们这样继续下去，可能不久就要当全英国的主人了。
At last, after a great battle, the English army was broken up and scattered. Every man, had to save himself in the best way he could. King Alfred fled alone , in great haste , through the woods and swamps.
最后经过一场大战，英国的军队被击溃了，而且溃散。每一个人都必须尽自己所能解救目己。国王阿尔弗雷德在极匆忙中。独自穿过森林和沼泽，逃脱了。
Late in the day the king ,came to the hut of a woodcutter. He was very tired and hungry, and he begged the woodcutter's wife to give him something to eat and a place to sleep in her hut.
这天傍晚，国王来到一个樵夫的草屋，他很疲倦而且饥饿，他就乞求樵夫的妻子给他一些吃的东西和睡觉的地方。
The woman was baking some cakes upon the hearth , and she looked with pity upon the poor, ragged fellow who seemed so hungry. She had no thought that he was the. king.
那妇人正在炉边烘着一些面饼，她很同情地望着这个可怜且衣衫槛楼面露饥饿的人，但她没有想到，他就是国王。
"Yes," she said, "I will give you some super if you will watch these cakes. " I want to go out and milk the cow ; and yon must see that they do not burn while I am gone."
「好的，」她说:「如果你能看着这些面饼的话，我愿给你些晚餐。"我要到外面去挤牛乳。但是当我出去时，你要看好不要把面饼烘焦了。
King Alfred was very, willing to watch the cakes, but he had far greater things to think about . How was he going. to get his army together again ? And how was he going to drive the fierce Danes out of the land ? He forgot his hunger; he forgot the cakes; he forgot that he was in the woodcutter's hut. His mind was busy making plans for tomorrow.
阿尔弗雷德王很愿意看这些面饼，但他有更重大的事要计划着。如何去重新再聚集他的军队?如何把凶猛的丹麦人逐出领土?
他忘记了饥饿，也忘记了面饼，更忘记了他是在樵夫的草屋内，他的头脑正忙者计划明天要做的事。
In a little while the woman came back. The cakes were smoking on the hearth. They were burned to a crisp. Ah, how angry she was!
一会儿后，妇人回来了。面饼正在炉上冒着烟，而且都已烧焦脆裂了。啊！她是多么的生气?
" You lazy fellow ! " she cried. "See what you have done ! You want something to eat, but you do not want to work "
"你这懒惰的家伙! "她喊道，"看，你做了什么事!你想要东西吃，但是你却不想耍工作! "(图2)
I have been told that she even struck the king with a stick; but I can hardly believe that she was so ill-natured.
曾经有人告诉说我(作者)，她甚至于用棍子来打国王，但是我很难相信她会有那样坏的脾气。
The king must have laughed to himself at the thought of being scolded in this way; and he was so hungry that he did not mind the woman's angry words half so much as the loss of the cakes.
国王想到自己这样的被辱骂，自己必定也感到可笑，他是那么的饥饿，以致于不介意妇人的忿怒的话“白白损失大半的面饼”
I do not know whether he had anything to eat that night, or whether he had to go to bed without his supper. But it was not many days until he had gathered his men together again, and had beaten the Danes in a great battle.
我不知道那天晚上他究竟有没有吃东西，还是饿着肚子就去睡觉。但是没有几天，他又重新聚集了他的部队。而且在一次大战役中把丹麦人打败了。
阿尔弗雷德大帝简介：
阿尔弗雷德（849～899），英格兰韦塞克斯王国国王(871～899)。年轻时受过军事训练。他因作为南英格兰的盎克-鲁萨克森国王抵抗丹麦人的入侵而闻名于世，并因此成为惟一一个被授予“大帝”（the Great)名号的英格兰皇帝。他是第一个将自己命名为“盎克鲁-鲁萨克森之王”的西萨克森皇帝。他的生活细节被10世纪的威尔士学者和主教阿瑟记录下 来。他是一个善于学习的人，鼓励教育，翻译大批古典名著，并编纂《盎格鲁-撒克逊编年史》，大力完善他的国家的法律体系和军队结构。他被一些天主教徒视为圣徒，但从未得到官方认可。英国圣公会尊称他为天主教英雄，并在10月26日设立节日纪念他。他通常被描绘在英国教堂的彩色玻璃上。
为了纪念阿尔弗雷德，维多利亚女王的亲属Gleichen伯爵制作了一尊阿尔弗雷德大帝的全身雕像，并于1877年7月14日由威尔士亲王和王妃在万蒂奇广场（Wantage Market Place)揭幕。
2007年12月31日，由于受到人为破坏，雕像的右手臂和阿尔弗雷德所执的斧头被损毁。修复后的雕像在不到一年的时间里，于2008年平安夜再次遭到破坏，斧头再度被毁(图3)。
阿尔弗雷德可能也主持编写了《盎格鲁-撒克逊编年史》，以史无前例的规模记载了远至450年的大事（甚至更早，因为书中还对基督降生一事发表了评述）这部《编年史》一直由后人续编至1154年。
此外，以他名字命名的阿尔弗雷德国王学院位于绿树环绕的山地，可以俯瞰美丽的英格兰历史名城温切斯特。学院建立于1840年，具有悠久的历史。现在，学院有学生5000多人，城市中心有许多的颇具艺术情趣的博物馆，及其他文化娱乐设施，步行10分钟即可到达。从这里去驱车前往英国著名的南安普敦市仅需15分钟。