Caps for Sale

Caps for sale. A tale of a peddler, some monkeys, and their monkey business. Told and illustrated by Esfer Slobodkina.

卖帽子啦。这是一个关于小贩、一群猴子和他们的恶作剧的故事。 埃斯费尔·斯洛博德金娜 撰文并绘图。

Once there was a peddler who sold caps, but he was not like an ordinary peddler carrying his wares on his back. He carried them on top of his head. First he had on his own checked cap, then a bunch of gray caps, then a bunch of brown caps, then a bunch of blue caps, and on the very top a bunch of red caps.

从前有个卖帽子的小贩，他和普通的小贩可不一样 不会把货物背在背上。他把帽子都顶在头上。首先他 戴着自己的格子便帽，上面是一摞灰帽子，再上面是一摞棕帽子， 接着是一摞蓝帽子，最顶上的是一摞红帽子。

He walked up and down the streets, holding himself very straight so as not to upset his caps. As he went along, he called, Caps! Caps for sale! 50 cents a cap!

他在街上走来走去，腰杆挺得直直的，生怕碰掉头上的帽子。 他一边走，一边吆喝： 帽子！卖帽子啦！一顶只要五十分！

One morning he couldn't sell any caps. He walked up the street and he walked down the street calling, Caps! Caps for sale! 50 cents a cap! But nobody wanted any caps that morning. Nobody wanted even a red cap. He began to feel very hungry, but he had no money for lunch. I think I'll go for a walk in the country, said he. And he walked out of town slowly, slowly so as not to upset his caps.

有天早上，他一顶帽子都没卖出去。 他走街串巷，吆喝着： 帽子！卖帽子啦！一顶只要五十分！ 可那天早上没人想买帽子。 就连红帽子都没人要。 他饿得不行，可又没钱买午饭。 “我去郊外走走吧。”他说。 于是他慢慢悠悠地走出镇子，生怕碰掉头上的帽子。

He walked for a long time until he came to a great big tree. That's a nice place for a rest, thought he, and he sat down very slowly under the tree and leaned back little by little against the tree trunk so as not to disturb the caps on his head. Then he put up his hand to feel if they were straight. First his own checked cap, then the gray caps, then the brown caps, then the blue caps, then the red caps on the very top.

他走了好久，终于来到一棵参天大树下。 “这地方休息真不错。”他想着，慢悠悠地坐到树下 一点点靠向树干，生怕弄乱头上的帽子。 接着他抬手摸了摸，确认帽子都戴得稳稳的。 先是自己的格子便帽，然后是灰帽子、棕帽子、蓝帽子，最顶上的是红帽子。

They were all there. So he went to sleep. He slept for a long time.

帽子都在呢。 于是他睡着了。 他睡了好长时间。