Near the coffincoffin n.棺材stood a table on which were four candles(candle n.蜡烛)，four loaves(loaves n.大块烤过的食物，块)of bread，and four bottles of wine，and when this provision came to an end，he would have to die of hunger.And now he sat there full of pain and grief，ate every day only a little piece of bread，drank only a mouthful of wine，and neverthelessneverthe(less adv.仍然，不过)saw death daily drawing nearer.Whilst he thus gazed before him，he saw a snake creep out of a corner of the vault and approach the dead body.And as he thought it came to gnaw atgnaw (at v.啃，咬，侵蚀)it，he drew his sword(sword n.剑)and said，“As long as I live，you shall not touch her.”and hewered the snake in three pieces.After a time a second snake crept out of the hole，and when it saw the other lying dead and cut in pieces，it went back，but soon came again with three green leaves in its mouth.Then it took the three pieces of the snake，laid them together，as they fitted，and placed one of the leaves on each wound.Immediately the severed parts joined themselves together，the snake moved，and became alive again，and both of them hastened(hasten v.催促，赶紧，促进，加速)away together.The leaves were left lying on the ground，and a desire came into the mind of the unhappy man who had been watching all this，to know if the wondrous(wondrous adj.令人惊奇的，非常的)power of the leaves which had brought the snake to life again，could not likewise be of service to a human being.So he picked up the leaves and laid one of them on the mouth of his dead wife，and the two others on her eyes.And hardly had he done this than the blood stirred(stir vi.走动，传播，流行)in her veins，rose into her pale face，and colored it again.Then she drew breath，opened her eyes，and said，“Ah，God，where am I.”“You are with me，dear wife.”he answered，and told her how everything had happened，and how he had brought her back again to life.Then he gave her some wine and bread，and when she had regained her strength，he raised her up and they went to the door and knocked，and called so loudly that the sentries heard it，and told the king.The king came down himself and opened the door，and there he found both strong and well，and rejoiced(rejoice v.(使)欣喜，(使)高兴，喜悦)with them that now all sorrow was over.The young king，however，took the three snakeleaves with him，gave them to a servant and said，“Keep them for me carefully，and carry them constantly about you.Who knows in what trouble they may yet be of service to us.”
在灵柩旁放着张桌子，桌上摆着四根蜡烛，四个长面包和四瓶酒。当吃完准备的这些东西，他就会挨饿而死。眼下他坐在那儿，又难过，又伤心。他每天只吃一丁点儿面包，只喝一小口酒，但只能眼睁睁看着死亡一天天逼近。他正这么坐着发呆，忽见从墓穴的角落里爬出一条蛇来，渐渐接近了尸体。他以为蛇要去咬它，便拔出剑来说：“只要我还活着，你休想碰她一下。”说完就把蛇砍成了三截。一会儿，角落里又爬出第二条蛇来。一见第一条蛇死了，并被砍成了几段，它便爬回去，但很快又爬回来，嘴里却衔着三片绿色的叶子。随后，它把死蛇的三段按原样拼拢，在每一处伤口上盖一片绿叶。不一会儿，那断蛇便接好了，重新活动起来，接着，两条蛇一起逃掉啦。那三片叶子留在地上。目睹了整个情形的不幸青年突然产生一个想法：这些曾使蛇活起来的叶子的魔力，是不是也能帮助死人复活呢。于是，他从地上拾起它们，把一片盖在死者的嘴上，另外两片盖在她的双眼上。他刚一放完，血液就开始在她血管里流动，慢慢涌上她的头部，她苍白的脸颊又变得红润了。接着她有了呼吸，眼睛也张开来，问：“唉，上帝，我这是在哪儿呀？”“你在我身边，亲爱的妻子！”年轻王婿回答，并给她讲了全部的经过，以及他是怎样帮她死而复生的。随后，他递给她一点酒和面包，她恢复了体力，便从灵柩中爬出来，两人走到墓门前，又是打门又是叫喊，卫兵们听见便去报告了老国王。老国王亲自走下去打开墓门，发现他俩健康而富有生气地在一起，也是喜出望外，庆幸一切危难已成过去。年轻的王婿带出了那三片蛇叶，把它们交给自己的侍从，说：“仔细替我保管好，时刻带在身上，如果我们将来还会遭遇什么不幸，用得着它们的帮助呢。”
But a change had taken place in his wife.After she had been restored to life，it seemed as if all love for her husband had gone out of her heart.After some time，when he wanted to make a voyage over the sea，to visit his old father，and they had gone on board a ship，she forgot the great love and fidelity which he had shown her，and which had been the means of rescuing her from death，and conceived(conceive vt.构思，以为，持有)a wicked inclination(inclination n.倾斜，弯曲，倾度，倾向，爱好)for the skipper(skipper n.船长).And once when the young king lay there asleep，she called in the skipper and seized the sleeper by the head，and the skipper took him by the feet，and thus they threw him down into the sea.When the shameful deed was done，she said，“Now let us return home，and say that he died on the way.I will extol(extol v.赞美)and praise you so to my father that he will marry me to you，and make you the heir(heir n.继承人，后嗣)to his crown.”But the faithful servant who had seen all that they did，unseen by them，unfastened a little boat from the ship，got into it，sailed after his master，and let the traitors(traitor n.叛逆者，叛国者)go on their way.He fished up the dead body，and by the help of the three snakeleaves which he carried about with him，and laid on the eyes and mouth，he fortunately brought the young king back to life.
但是他的妻子死而复生后，却好像变成另一个人，她对自己丈夫的爱，已完全从心中消失了。一些时间以后，他过海去探望自己的老父亲，夫妇俩刚上船不久，她就忘记了丈夫对她表现的深挚的爱和忠诚，忘记了他对她的救命恩情，而可恶地迷上了那个船主。一天，年轻的王婿躺在床上睡着了，她就叫来船主，她抱住丈夫的头，船主抱住他的双脚，把他抬起来扔进了大海里。干完这可耻勾当，她对船主说：“现在咱们可以回去了，说他死在了途中。我会在我父亲面前尽量夸奖你，赞扬你，使他同意我和你结婚，并且立你为他的继承人。”王婿的忠诚侍从目睹了全部经过，从大船上偷偷放下一只小艇，自己坐上去追踪他的主人，不再管那两个叛逆驶往哪儿。他把死者从海里捞了起来，把随身带着的三片蛇叶盖在他的眼睛和嘴上，他幸运地使他活了过来。
They both rowed with all their strength day and night，and their little boat sailed so swiftly(swiftly adv.很快地，即刻)that they reached the old king before the others.He was astonished when he saw them come alone，and asked what had happened to them.When he learnt the wickedness of his daughter he said，“I cannot believe that she has behaved(behave vi.举动，举止，运转)so ill，but the truth will soon come to light.”and bade both go into a secret chamber and keep themselves hidden from everyone.Soon afterwards the great ship came sailing in，and the godless(godless adj.不信神的，不敬神的，无神论者的)woman appeared before her father with a troubled countenancecount(enance n.面容，脸色，支持).He said，“Why do you come back alone.Where is your husband.”“Ah，dear father，”she replied，“I come home again in great grief.During the voyage，my husband became suddenly ill and died，and if the good skipper had not given me his help，it would have gone ill with me.He was present at his death，and can tell you all.”The king said，“I will make the dead alive again，and opened the chamber，and bade the two come out.”When the woman saw her husband，she was thunderstruckthunderstruck adj.遭雷击的，震惊的，and fell on her knees and begged for mercy.The king said，“There is no mercy.He was ready to die with you and restored you to life again，but you have murdered him in his sleep，and shall receive(receive vt.收到，接到，接收，遭到，受到，接待，接见)the reward that you deserve(deserve vt.应受，值得).”Then she was placed with her accompliceac(complice n.同谋者，帮凶)in a ship which had been pierced with holes，and sent out to sea，where they soon sank amid the waves.
他们夜以继日地拼命摇着桨，小船行驶如飞，赶在大船之前回到了老国王住的京城。看见他们独自归来，国王很吃惊，问发生了什么事。他听说女儿的罪行后说：“我不能相信她竟干得出这样卑劣的勾当，不过很快会真相大白的。”接着，他命令主仆二人藏进一间密室，在任何人面前都不露面。没过多久，大船也到了，凶险的女人带着一脸愁容，来见父亲。老国王问：“你怎么一人回来啦？你的丈夫呢？”“唉，亲爱的父亲，”她回答，“我好伤心啊！我的丈夫在途中突然得重病死了，要是没有那好心的船主给我帮助，那我就惨了。我丈夫死时他在场，可以向你讲述整个经过。”国王却说：“我想叫死去的人复活。”说着便打开密室，让那主仆二人出来。王后一见自己的丈夫，如同遭雷打了似的一下子跪了下去，请求饶恕。老国王说：“绝不能饶恕！他愿意陪着你死，使你重新获得了生命，你却趁他睡觉时害死他，你罪有应得。”随后，她和她的帮凶被押上一条凿了洞的船，赶到海上，不久就在浪涛里船沉人亡了。
