所以如果他们现在还活着的话，那他们那时候肯定还没出生。
——这句好别扭啊。。
好多英文民间故事都是这样的套环式的，呵呵，孩子觉得好玩。
HERE once lived a Munachar and a Manachar, a long time ago, and it is a long time since it was, and if they were alive now they would not be alive then. They went out together to pick raspberries, and as many as Munachar used to pick Manachar used to eat. Munachar said he must go look for a rod to make a gad to hang Manachar, who ate his raspberries every one; and he came to the rod. "What news the day?" said the rod. "It is my own news that I'm seeking. Going looking for a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
很久很久之前，这里曾经住着穆那查和玛娜查。当然啦，因为那是很久很久之前的事情了，所以如果他们能够活到现在的话，那他们肯定不是那时候出生的。他们一起出门采树莓，大部分时间穆那查负责摘，玛娜查负责吃。穆那查说他一定得找根木棒把玛娜查吊起来，因为她把他的树莓全都吃光了，于是他就到了木棒那里。“今天有什么新鲜事儿吗？”木棒问。“我在找东西，这就是我的一点儿新鲜事。我在找一根木棒，把木棒做成尖头棒，好把玛娜查吊起来，这个家伙吃掉了我所有的树莓。”
"You will not get me," said the rod, "until you get an axe to cut me." He came to the axe. "What news to-day?" said the axe. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for an axe, an axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
“那你还不能带走我，”木棒说，“除非你找把斧头把我砍下来。”于是穆那查到了斧头那里。“今天有什么新鲜事儿吗？”斧头问。“我在找东西，这就是我的一点儿新鲜事。我在找一把斧头砍木棒，把木棒做成尖头棒，好把玛娜查吊起来，这个家伙吃掉了我所有的树莓。”
"You will not get me, said the axe, "until you get a [84] flag to edge me." He came to the flag. "What news to-day?" says the flag. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for a flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
“那你还不能带走我，”斧头说，“除非你找一束磨刀石把我磨锋利。”于是穆那查到了磨刀石那里。“今天有什么新鲜事儿吗？”磨刀石问。“我在找东西，这就是我的一点儿新鲜事。我在找一块磨刀石，好把斧头磨锋利，然后用斧头砍木棒，把木棒做成尖头棒，好把玛娜查吊起来，这个家伙吃掉了我所有的树莓。”
"You will not get me," says the flag, "till you get water to wet me." He came to the water. "What news to-day?" says the water. "It's my
own news that I'm seeking. Going looking for water, water to wet flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
“那你还不能带走我，”磨刀石说，“除非你给我浇点水。”于是穆那查到了水那里。“今天有什么新鲜事儿吗？”水问。“我在找东西，这就是我的一点儿新鲜事。我在找水，好去给磨刀石浇点水，用它把斧头磨锋利，然后用斧头砍木棒，把木棒做成尖头棒，好把玛娜查吊起来，这个家伙吃掉了我所有的树莓。”
"You will not get me," said the water, "until you get a deer who will swim me." He came to the deer. "What news to-day?" says the deer. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for a deer, deer to swim water, water to wet flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
“那你还不能带走我，”水说，“除非你让一只鹿来我这儿游泳。”于是穆那查到了小鹿那里。“今天有什么新鲜事儿吗？”小鹿问。“我在找东西，这就是我的一点儿新鲜事。我在找一只鹿，让鹿去水里游泳，这样水就能去浇湿磨刀石，再用磨刀石磨斧头，然后用斧头砍木棒，把木棒做成尖头棒，好把玛娜查吊起来，这个家伙吃掉了我所有的树莓。”
"You will not get me," said the deer, "until you get a hound who will hunt me." He came to the hound. "What news to-day?" says the hound. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for a hound, hound to hunt deer, deer to swim water, water to wet flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
“那你还不能带走我，”小鹿说，“除非你让一只猎狗来追我。”于是穆那查到了猎狗那里。“今天有什么新鲜事儿吗？”猎狗问。“我在找东西，这就是我的一点儿新鲜事。我在找一只猎狗，好去追鹿，然后让鹿去水里游泳，这样水就能去浇湿磨刀石，再用磨刀石磨斧头，然后用斧头砍木棒，把木棒做成尖头棒，好把玛娜查吊起来，这个家伙吃掉了我所有的树莓。”
"You will not get me," said the hound, "until you get a bit of butter to put in my claw." He came to the butter. "What news to-day?" says the butter. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for butter, butter to go in claw of hound, hound to hunt deer, deer to swim water, water to wet flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod [85] to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
“那你还不能带走我，”猎狗说，“除非你拿一块黄油放在我的爪子里。”于是穆那查到了黄油那里。“今天有什么新鲜事儿吗？”黄油问。“我在找东西，这就是我的一点儿新鲜事。我在找黄油，把黄油放到猎狗的爪子里，好让它去追鹿，然后让鹿去水里游泳，这样水就能去浇湿磨刀石，再用磨刀石磨斧头，然后用斧头砍木棒，把木棒做成尖头棒，好把玛娜查吊起来，这个家伙吃掉了我所有的树莓。”
"You will not get me," said the butter, "until you get a cat who shall scrape me." He came to the cat. "What news to-day?" said the cat. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for a cat, cat to scrape butter, butter to go in claw of hound, hound to hunt deer, deer to swim water, water to wet flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
“那你还不能带走我，”黄油说，“除非你找只猫咪来刮我一下。”于是穆那查到了猫咪那里。“今天有什么新鲜事儿吗？”猫咪问。“我在找东西，这就是我的一点儿新鲜事。我在找猫咪，让猫咪刮刮黄油，把黄油放到猎狗的爪子里，好让它去追鹿，然后让鹿去水里游泳，这样水就能去浇湿磨刀石，再用磨刀石磨斧头，然后用斧头砍木棒，把木棒做成尖头棒，好把玛娜查吊起来，这个家伙吃掉了我所有的树莓。”
"You will not get me," said the cat, "until you will get milk which you will give me." He came to the cow. "What news to-day?" said the cow. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for a cow, cow to give me milk, milk I will give to the cat, cat to scrape butter, butter to go in claw of hound, hound to hunt deer, deer to swim water, water to wet flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
“那你还不能带走我，”猫咪说，“除非你给我点牛奶。”于是穆那查到了奶牛那里。“今天有什么新鲜事儿吗？”奶牛问。“我在找东西，这就是我的一点儿新鲜事。我在找奶牛，好给我点牛奶，我把牛奶给猫咪，这样它就会刮刮黄油，我再把黄油放到猎狗的爪子里，好让它去追鹿，然后让鹿去水里游泳，这样水就能去浇湿磨刀石，再用磨刀石磨斧头，然后用斧头砍木棒，把木棒做成尖头棒，好把玛娜查吊起来，这个家伙吃掉了我所有的树莓。”
"You will not get any milk from me," said the cow, "until you bring me a whisp of straw from those threshers yonder." He came to the threshers. "What news to-day?" said the threshers. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for a whisp of straw from ye to give to the cow, the cow to give me milk, milk I will give to the cat, cat to scrape butter, butter to go in claw of hound, hound to hunt deer, deer to swim water, water to wet flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
“那你还不能从我这儿拿牛奶，”奶牛说，“除非你从那边的脱粒机那儿拿一捆稻草来。”于是穆那查到了脱粒机那里。“今天有什么新鲜事儿吗？”脱粒机问。“我在找东西，这就是我的一点儿新鲜事。我想在你这儿拿捆稻草给奶牛，好让它给我点牛奶，我把牛奶给猫咪，这样它就会刮刮黄油，我再把黄油放到猎狗的爪子里，好让它去追鹿，然后让鹿去水里游泳，这样水就能去浇湿磨刀石，再用磨刀石磨斧头，然后用斧头砍木棒，把木棒做成尖头棒，好把玛娜查吊起来，这个家伙吃掉了我所有的树莓。”
"You will not get any whisp of straw from us," said the [86] threshers, "until you bring us the makings of a cake from the miller over yonder." He came to the miller. "What news to-day?" said the miller. "It's my own news I'm seeking. Going looking for the makings of a cake which I will give to the threshers, the threshers to give me a whisp of straw, the whisp of straw I will give to the cow, the cow to give me milk, milk I will give to the cat, cat to scrape butter, butter to go in claw of hound, hound to hunt deer, deer to swim water, water to wet flag, flag to edge axe, axe to cut a rod, a rod to make a gad, a gad to hang Manachar, who ate my raspberries every one."
“那你还不能从我这儿拿稻草，”脱粒机说，“除非你从磨坊主那儿拿块做好的蛋糕给我们。”于是穆那查到了磨坊主那里。“今天有什么新鲜事儿吗？”磨坊主问。“我在找东西，这就是我的一点儿新鲜事。我想在你这儿拿块蛋糕给脱粒机，这样脱粒机就会给我一捆稻草，我把稻草给奶牛，好让它给我点牛奶，我把牛奶给猫咪，这样它就会刮刮黄油，我再把黄油放到猎狗的爪子里，好让它去追鹿，然后让鹿去水里游泳，这样水就能去浇湿磨刀石，再用磨刀石磨斧头，然后用斧头砍木棒，把木棒做成尖头棒，好把玛娜查吊起来，这个家伙吃掉了我所有的树莓。”
"You will not get any makings of a cake from me," said the miller, "till you bring me the full of that sieve of water from the river over there."
“你不能从我这儿拿蛋糕，”磨坊主说，“除非你从河边盛满一筛子水给我。”
He took the sieve in his hand and went over to the river, but as often as ever he would stoop and fill it with water, the moment he raised it the water would run out of it again, and sure, if he had been there from that day till this, he never could have filled it. A crow went flying by him, over his head. "Daub! daub!" said the crow. "My blessings on ye, then," said Munachar, "but it's the good advice you have," and he took the red clay and the daub that was by the brink, and he rubbed it to the bottom of the sieve, until all the holes were filled, and then the sieve held the water, and he brought the water to the miller, and the miller gave him the makings of a cake, and he gave the makings of the cake to the threshers, and the threshers gave him a whisp of straw, and he gave the whisp of straw to the cow, and the cow gave him milk, the milk he gave to the cat, the cat scraped the butter, the butter went into the claw of the hound, the hound hunted the deer, the deer [87] swam the water, the water wet the flag, the flag sharpened the axe, the axe cut the rod, and the rod made a gad, and when he had it ready to hang Manachar he found that Manachar had BURST.
他拿着筛子去了河边，虽然他无数次弯下腰去用筛子盛满水，但他一把筛子拿出水面，水就都漏下去了。的确，如果他一直在那儿用筛子盛水，他永远都不会盛满的。一只乌鸦从他身边飞过，落到了他头上。“抹一抹！抹一抹！”乌鸦叫着。“祝你好运，嗯。”穆那查说，“不过你的确给了我一个好主意。”于是他从筛子边沿开始，用红粘土仔仔细细抹了一个遍，又把粘土在筛子底上反复摩擦，直到他把筛子的洞都填满为止。之后他就用筛子盛满了水，把水给了磨坊主，磨坊主便给了他一块蛋糕，他把蛋糕给了脱粒机，脱粒机给了他一捆稻草，他把稻草给了奶牛，奶牛给了他牛奶，他把牛奶给了猫咪，猫咪在黄油上划了一下，黄油便钻进了猎狗的爪子，猎狗去追了小鹿，小鹿在水里畅快地游了泳，水浇湿了磨刀石，磨刀石磨利了斧头，斧头砍下了木棒，木棒被削成了尖木棒，当穆那查准备好去把玛娜查吊起来的时候，他发现玛娜查已经像吃得像气球一样炸了。