公主的水泡项链

There once was a princess who lived in a palace and had all kinds of pearls, agates and other gems. Being an only daughter, she was pampered by the king and queen, and was never in need of anything.
有一位公主，在宫中里面拥有各种珍珠、玛瑙、宝石，国王和皇后把她宠坏了，因为她是唯一的公主，因此什么都不缺少。
One day, as she was watching the rain from her balcony, the raindrops hit the surface of the nearby lake, creating myriads of bubbles that glittered in beautiful colors when illuminated by the sunbeams. Enchanted by this spectacle, the princess said to the king, "I want a necklace made of these bubbles!"
"That cannot be! If you want pearls, I can get you bigger ones. All right?" said the king.
"No! No!" exclaimed the princess.
"If you will settle for diamonds, I can also give you plenty," said the king. But the princess refused to be compromised.
有一天，她在楼上看到外面下雨，雨下在湖面上时，激起很多泡泡出来，泡泡冒出来的时候，又正好有一点太阳光照射过来，当阳光照在湖面上，有很多漂亮的颜色在闪闪发亮，公主看到以后就跟国王说：「我要那些泡泡当项链！」国王说：「不行， 要珍珠的话，我有更大的可以给 ，好不好？」公主说：「不要！不要！」国王又说：「如果 要钻石我也可以送 很多！」可是公主就是不答应。
You know there's no way you can coax such spoiled children, and being at a complete loss, the king summoned his officials, but no one could offer a solution. No one knew how to satisfy the princess's adamant demand for the bubbles. She then cried loudly and made a big fuss, refusing to eat or drink. Very soon, she became emaciated and fell ill. Everyone was at their wits' end. Not even the best doctor in the country could cure her. As a last resort, the king issued a public decree, stating, "Whoever can cure the princess will receive half of His Majesty's kingdom."
你们知道那些被宠坏的小孩，叫他们做什么都不行。国王没办法，只好召集百官来帮忙，百官也没办法，没人知道该怎样做才能够满足公主，因为她坚决不要其他任何东西，只要那些水珠泡泡而已。公主在那里哭闹，不吃饭，茶水也不喝，很快就瘦下来，然后生病了。大家都无计可施，全国最好的良医也没办法救她的病。国王只好再传令出去，张贴告示说：「谁能够治好公主的病，国王将把一半的山河赐给他。」
Then one day, an old man came forward with a solution and the king let him in to see the princess. When the old man told the princess that he could realize her wish by making her a bubble necklace, she jumped up in delight and her illness vanished immediately. Then the old man said, "I am old and my eyes are failing me. I cannot see which bubble is more beautiful. Would Your Highness please go down and bring me the beautiful bubbles so that I can string them into a necklace for you?"
有一天，一个老人表示他有办法，国王就让他进来看公主。他跟公主说有办法可以满足她的要求，将水珠泡泡串成项链送给她。公主一听，高兴地跳了起来，病立刻痊愈了。然后老人就说：「不过，我因为老了，眼睛看不清楚，不晓得哪一个水泡比较漂亮，请公主您自己下去选一个漂亮的给我，我就把它串起来送给你，好不好？」
The two of them - the old man and the child thus beguiled - went together to the lakeside. The princess tried in vain to hold the bubbles in her hands, while, afraid to laugh out loud (laughter), the palace maids by their side snickered stealthily. Embarrassed, the princess said to the king, "Father, I don't want these bubbles anymore. I'm content with pearls and diamonds. I cannot hold these bubbles." Looking at his lovely daughter, the king replied, "You're right! They are merely bubbles." They then returned to the palace, with the princess fully cured.

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