Soon afterwards the emperor sent another honest courtier to the weavers to see how they were getting on,and if the cloth was nearly finished. Like the old minister,he looked and looked but could see nothing,as there was nothing to be seen.
过了不久,另一位诚实的官员被皇帝派去看看,布是不是很快就可以织好了。他的运气并不比头一位大臣的好:他看了又看,但是那两架空空的织机上还是一点儿也没有,他什么东西也看不出来。
“Is it not a beautiful piece of cloth?” asked the two swindlers,showing and explaining the magnificent pattern,which,however,did not exist.
两个骗子问,“您看这缎布美不美?”他们指着一些美丽的花纹,并且还作了一些解释。事实上什么花纹都没有。
“I am not stupid.” said the man. “It is therefore my good appointment for which I am not fit. It is very strange,but I must not let any one know it;” and he praised the cloth,which he did not see,and expressed his joy at the beautiful colours and the fine pattern. “It is very excellent.” he said to the emperor.
“我并不愚蠢!”这位官员想。“这也许是因为现在这样好的官职我不配担当吧?这也真够滑稽的,但是我决不能让人看出来!”所以他就把他完全没有看见的布称赞了一番,同时对他们说,他非常喜欢这些美丽的颜色和奇妙的花纹。“是的,真是太美了。”他回去禀告皇帝说。
Everybody in the whole town talked about the precious cloth. At last the emperor wished to see it himself,while it was still on the loom. With a number of courtierscourtier n.朝臣,奉承者,拍马屁的人,including the two who had already been there,he went to the two clever swindlers,who now worked as hard as they could,but without using any thread.
城里所有的人都在谈论着这缎美丽的布料。当这布还在织的时候,皇帝就很想亲自去看一次。他选了一批特别圈定的随员——其中包括已经去看过布的那两位诚实的大臣。于是,他就到那两个狡猾的骗子住的地方去。这两个家伙正用全副精神织布,然而一根线的影子也看不见。
“Is it not magnificent?” said the two old statesmen who had been there before. “Your Majesty must admire the colours and the pattern.” And then they pointed to the empty looms,for they imagined the others could see the cloth.
“您看这不漂亮吗?”那两位诚实的官员说。“陛下请看,多么美丽的花纹啊!多么美丽的色彩!”他们指着那两架空空的织机,他们以为别人一定会看得见布料的。
“What is this?” thought the emperor,“I do not see anything at all. That is terrible! Am I stupid? Am I unfit to be emperor? That would indeed be the most dreadful thing that could happen to me.”
“这是怎么一回事儿呢?”皇帝心里想。“我没有看见什么!这真荒唐!难道我是一个愚蠢的人吗?难道我不配当皇帝吗?这真是我从来没有碰见过的一件最可怕的事情啊。”
“Really,” he said,turning to the weavers,“your cloth has our most gracious approval.” And nodding contentedlycontentedly adv.满足地,安心地 he looked at the empty loom,for he did not like to say that he saw nothing. All his attendants,who were with him,looked and looked,and although they could not see anything more than the others,they said,like the emperor,“It is very beautiful.” And all advised him to wear the new magnificent clothes at a great procession which was soon to take place. “It is magnificent,beautiful,excellent.” one heard them say,everybody seemed to be delighted,and the emperor appointed the two swindlers “Imperial Court weavers”。
“啊,它真是美极了!”皇帝说。“我十二分地表示满意!”于是他点点头表示满意。他装作很仔细地看着织机的样子,因为他不愿意说出他什么也没有看见。跟着他来的全体随员也仔细地看了又看,但是他们也没有看出更多的东西。不过,他们也接着皇帝的话说:“啊,真是美极了!”他们都建议皇帝用这种新奇的、美丽的布料做成衣服,穿上这衣服亲自去参加快要举行的游行大典。“真精致!真美丽!真是好极了!”每个人都随声附和着。每个人都有说不出的快乐。皇帝赐给骗子每人一个爵士的头衔和一枚可以挂在纽扣洞上的勋章,并且还封他们为“御聘织师”。
The whole night previous to the day on which the procession was to take place,the swindlers pretended to work,and burned more than sixteen candles. People should see that they were busy to finish the emperors new suit. They pretended to take the cloth from the loom,and worked about in the air with big scissors,and sewed with needles without thread,and said at last: “The emperors new suit is ready now.”