How Little John Joined Robin Hood

How Little John Joined Robin Hood, An English Folktale, adapted by Catherine Follett, illustrated by David Cockroft.

《小约翰加入罗宾汉》，英国民间故事，凯瑟琳·福莱特改编，大卫·科克罗夫特绘图。

Introduction When Robin Hood was a young man in England, he saw how cruelly the ruling French governors treated the people of his land after conquering it. The English king was away at war and knew nothing of what was happening to the homes and families of the common English people. The French ruled harshly. They taxed families until they starved, then stole the people's land and gave it to corrupt friends in the church. Many of Robin's friends had lost everything they had ever owned. Some had even lost their lives.

引言 年轻时的罗宾汉生活在英格兰，他亲眼看见占领英格兰的法国统治者如何残酷欺压这里的百姓。 英格兰国王出征在外，完全不知道普通民众的家园和家人正遭遇着什么。 法国统治者施行暴政。 他们横征暴敛让百姓食不果腹，还抢走民众的土地，送给教会里腐败的同伙。 罗宾汉的许多朋友已经失去了所有家产。 有些人甚至丢了性命。

Robin thought of ways to use his skills as a woodsman to help the people. He was strong and smart and he knew the countryside well. He vowed to bring justice back to the land. Since the rich stole from the common people, Robin planned to steal from the rich and return the money to the poor. He created a hideout deep inside the thick wood of Sherwood Forest, where he was safe from the lords who hunted him. He was careful to steal only from wealthy travelers who journeyed through the forest and who looked as though they could afford the loss. As his actions became known, he became very famous. English people everywhere loved him and talked about him. People came to the forest to join Robin's cause and soon a large band of loyal followers lived with him in the wood. The Merrymen, as they became known, lived entirely outdoors, hunting for their food, cooking over a fire, and sleeping under the stars. They spent their days practicing archery, wrestling, and sword -fighting until they were the strongest men in England. But none was stronger or more skilled than Robin Hood, until he met John Little.

罗宾汉想到，可以用自己林中好手的本领帮助百姓。 他身强力壮、头脑聪慧，还对乡间地形了如指掌。 他发誓要让这片土地重归公平正义。 既然富人掠夺穷人，罗宾汉就计划劫富济贫。 他在茂密的舍伍德森林深处建了藏身点，追杀他的贵族在这里找不到他。 他只抢劫路过森林的富商，这些人丢点钱财根本无关紧要。 他的事迹传开后，名声大噪。 全英格兰的百姓都爱戴他，传颂他的故事。 人们纷纷来到森林加入他的事业，很快一大群忠心追随者和他一起住在林中。 他们就是广为人知的‘快活帮’，全都住在户外，靠打猎获取食物，篝火煮饭，睡在星空下。 他们整日练习射箭、摔跤和剑术，最后成了全英格兰最强壮的一群人。 但直到遇见小约翰之前，没有人比罗宾汉更强壮、本领更高强。

John Little John Little was the tallest and strongest man who ever walked the kingdom. Unlike most men, he was not loyal to anyone, neither to the ruling lords nor to the cause of the outlaws. He was such a brave fighter that he felt safest when he was by himself. But his thinking was about to be challenged. When Robin Hood first saw him, John Little was strolling on the edge of the forest, about to cross a narrow bridge over a stream. The bridge was so narrow that only one person could cross at a time. As it happened, Robin Hood stepped on it from one side, just as John Little stepped on it from the other.

小约翰 小约翰是整个英格兰王国个子最高、力气最大的人。 和大多数人不同，他不效忠任何人，既不服从掌权的贵族，也没加入绿林好汉的事业。 他是个无比勇敢的斗士，独自一人时反而觉得最安全。 但他的想法很快就要被改变了。 罗宾汉第一次见到小约翰时，他正在森林边缘散步，准备走过小溪上的窄桥。 这座桥太窄了，一次只能过一个人。 巧的是，罗宾汉从桥的这一头上去，小约翰正好从桥的另一头上去。

Step off the bridge and let the better man cross first," called Robin Hood. Robin did not really think he was the better man, but he wanted to see what the tall man would do. He had never seen a man who looked so large and strong yet so agile and skillful. Stand back yourself, for I am the better man, cried the stranger. He was unconcerned, as he had never met anyone who could match his strength and skill. Then we have no choice but to fight for it, said Robin Hood, who loved a good fight better than he loved a good dinner. With all my heart, answered the stranger with a grin.

‘退到桥下去，让本事更大的人先过！’罗宾汉喊道。 罗宾汉其实不觉得自己本事更大，他就是想看看这个高个子会怎么做。 他从没见过这么高大强壮，还这么灵活能干的人。 你自己退开，本事更大的是我！陌生人大声喊道。 他一点都不担心，因为他从没遇见过力气和本领能和他匹敌的人。 那我们只能打一场分胜负了，罗宾汉说，他爱一场精彩的较量胜过一顿美味大餐。 我求之不得！陌生人笑着回答。

The Fight Robin Hood cut two great oak branches to serve as weapons, since it would be unfair to use his bow and arrows when the stranger didn't have any. The branches, stripped cleanly of their leaves and twigs, were solid and strong. "'The one who can knock the other off the bridge and into the water is the better man,' said Robin. They met as eagerly as two young boys wrestling for fun. What a great fight it was! They struck each other again and again with their heavy staves, but each man was so strong and skillful in dodging blows that neither could knock down the other.

决斗 罗宾汉砍了两根粗大的橡树枝当武器，因为陌生人没有弓箭，用弓箭对他不公平。 树枝被削去了所有叶子和细枝，结实又粗壮。 ‘谁把对方打下桥掉进水里，谁就是本事更大的人。’罗宾汉说。 他们像两个摔跤玩闹的小男孩一样，兴致勃勃地斗在了一起。 这场决斗打得可太精彩了！ 他们拿着沉重的木棍一次次打中对方，可两人都力大无穷又擅长躲闪，谁也没法把对方打倒。