花衣吹笛人

花衣吹笛人

从前，德国有一个小城叫哈默林，清清的威悉河从城边流过。

但是，市民们却一直遭受着老鼠的困扰。这里的老鼠非常厉害，它们吃掉了缸里的奶酪，吃掉了桶里的咸鱼，咬哭了摇篮里的孩子，甚至还袭击狗和猫。

最后，市民们忍无可忍，他们集合在市政府门口，大骂市政府官员：“你们真是白痴，不能为我们铲除鼠害！如果你们再不想办法，我们就叫你们滚蛋！”老百姓的呼声吓得市政府官员们浑身发抖，非常狼狈。

The Pied Piper

Once upon a time, there was a small town in Germany called Hamlin. To one side of the town flowed the clear Weser river.

The citizens of this town were constantly troubled by rats. The rats here were most formidable. They ate the cheese from its vat and ate the salted fish from the keg. They bit the children in their cradles, making them cry and even attacked cats and dogs.

Finally, the citizens could bear this no longer. They assembled outside the city hall and hurled insults at the city officials, "You are all idiots. You can't even rid us of these rats! If you don't think of a solution soon, we will send you packing." cried the citizens. The city officials trembled all over. They were in a real state.

于是，市长和政府官员们一起开会，大家呆坐了一个小时，还是想不出什么好办法。最后，市长打破了沉默，说：“我抓破了头皮，还是想不出办法，要不然我们把衣服都卖了，去买几个捕鼠器吧。”正说着，门响了，“哎呀！难道老鼠又来了吗？”大家叫了起来。

走进来的却是一个吉卜赛人，他穿着一件半红半黄的长外套，长得又高又瘦，皮肤黑黑的，蓝眼睛看上去非常机灵。他嘴边挂着笑容，感觉非常神秘。

这个人来到会议桌前，说：“我有法术能将对人类有害的动物制伏，人们都叫我花衣吹笛人。如果我为你们灭鼠成功，你们可以付给我一千块钱吗？”“一千块？太便宜了，就是五万块钱也可以呀！”市长和官员们叫了起来。

And so, the mayor and the city officials held ameeting. Everyone sat numbly for a whole hour, butno-one could think of a solution. Finally, the mayorbroke the silence. He said, "I've scratched my scalpraw, but still can't think of a solution. Why don't wesell our clothes and buy some mouse traps." Justas he was talking, there was a tap at the door. "Ah!Could it really be that the rats have come again?"everyone cried.

However, the man who came in was a gypsy. Hewas wearing a long coat, half red, half yellow. Hewas very tall and very slim. His skin was dark andhis blue eyes shone with a clever glint. The smile onhis lips was most mysterious.

The man came up to the meeting table and said,"I have a spell that can subdue all animals that area threat to men. Everyone calls me the Pied Piper.If I can rid your town of rats, will you pay me onethousand pounds?" "One thousand? That's far toocheap! For this we would pay you fifty thousand!"exclaimed the mayor and the city officials.

于是，吹笛人来到大街上，他撮起嘴唇，吹起了长笛，美妙的笛声从笛孔里飘了出来。一会儿，街上响起了轰鸣声，好像一支军队在行进，原来是老鼠们从房间里跑了出来。大老鼠、小老鼠，黑老鼠、灰老鼠，强壮的、精瘦的，各种各样的老鼠都跑了出来，它们竖起胡子，翘起尾巴，跟在吹笛人的身后。这时，吹笛人慢慢地向前走去，老鼠们也紧紧跟在后面，一边走一边跳着舞蹈。这时，吹笛人走进了威悉河里，老鼠们也奋不顾身地跳进河里，结果统统被淹死了！

And so, the Pied Piper came to the main street, rubbed his lips and started to play his pipe. A wonderful sound floated out from the bore of the pipe. After a while, a thundering sound echoed through the streets. It was almost as if an army was marching. It was the rats, no less, running out from the houses. Big rats, small rats, black rats, grey rats, brawny rats, lean rats, and all sorts of other rats came running out. They pricked their whiskers, twitched their tails and followed behind the Pied Piper. The Pied Piper walked slowly forward and the rats followed close behind, dancing as they went. The Pied Piper walked to the Weser river, and the rats, regardless of their own safety, plunged into the river. As a result, they all drowned!

哈默林的市民们全都走到街上，欢呼胜利。这时，吹笛人来到市长面前，说：“请付我一千块钱吧！”

“什么？一千块？太多了！”市长和官员们都叫了起来，“朋友，我们刚才是和你开玩笑，一千块对我们来说实在是太多了，给你五十块钱吧。”

吹笛人沉下脸来，低声地说：“我可不是开玩笑，快把钱付给我，否则，你们将听到另一首乐曲。”

“怎么？臭吹笛的，你敢要挟我？”市长说，“我可不怕，你吹吧，一直吹到你肚子疼。”

The citizens of Hamlin all walked onto the streets, and cheered in victory. The Pied Piper walked before the mayor and said, "Please pay me my one thousand pounds!"

"What? One thousand pounds? That's too much!" cried the mayor and the city officials, "My friend, just now, we were only joking with you. We really can't afford one thousand pounds. We will give you fifty pounds."

The Pied Piper's face fell and said in a low voice, "I am not joking. Pay me the money, and quickly, otherwise I will play another tune."

"What is that? You filthy musician. How dare you threaten me?" said the mayor, "I am not afraid. Blow your pipe, blow until your lungs ache."

果然，吹笛人又来到大街上，吹起了另一首乐曲，同样的美妙动听。不一会儿，又响起了一列队伍行进的声音，原来是各家的孩子都走出了家门，他们一大帮快活地又挤又推又嚷，跟着奇妙的笛声向前走。

市长和居民们惊呆了，但他们挪不动步子，喊不出声音，只能眼睁睁地看着孩子们跟着吹笛人往前走。他们走出城外，向一座山前进。当他们爬到半山腰时，一扇神奇的门打开了，吹笛人走了进去，孩子们也跟着涌了进去。等他们全部进到洞里时，大门就紧紧地关上了。

市长后悔莫及，四处找人打听吹笛人的下落，并捎去口信说，只要他能把孩子们送回来，什么金银财宝都可以给他。但是，许多年过去了，始终没有吹笛人的下落。后来，人们把吹笛人吹笛的那条大街叫做“花衣吹笛人大街”，并把这个故事刻在石柱上。现在，如果你去德国的哈默林市，还能在石柱上读到这个故事呢。

Sure enough, the Pied Piper walked onto the main street and started to play another tune, just as moving and beautiful as the first. After a short while, the sound of an army marching echoed through the streets. It was the children from every family, no less, who had ran out from their homes. They happily pushed, shoved and cried out together, following the wonderful sound of the pipe.

They emerged from the city and marched towards a mountain. When they had climbed half way up the mountain, a wondrous portal opened wide. The Pied Piper walked in, and the children followed. When they had all entered, the portal shut tightly.

The mayor regretted not paying the Pied Piper, but it was too late. He searched everywhere for news of the Pied Piper. He told everyone that if the Pied Piper would only bring the children back, he would give him all the riches he should want. However, after several years, he still had not found the whereabouts of the Pied Piper. Latterly, the citizens called the main street where the Pied Piper had played his pipe "Pied Piper Main Street", and this story was inscribed on a stone pillar. If you go to Hamlin city in Germany now, you can still read this story on the stone pillar.

formidable adj.可怕的

filthy adj.肮脏的

echoed v.随声附和（echo的过去时）

whereabouts n.下落