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从前有一位权势极大的苏丹，他的王国延伸到沙漠的尽头。有一个叫做阿里的臣民喜欢取笑这位统治者。他编了许多有关苏丹和他的朝廷的笑话，他的笑话总会引来哄然大笑。 阿里因此出了名，走在街上人们都能认出他来，并且一见他就哑然失笑。 阿里的笑话广为流传，连苏丹本人都有所耳闻。苏丹觉得自己受到了侮辱，他很生气，命令侍卫把阿里抓回来。 “我要狠狠地惩罚他，惩罚他胡说八道。”苏丹一边急切地说着一边摩拳擦掌，想像着待会儿痛快地用鞭子抽打阿里。 但是阿里被带到他面前时，深深地鞠了一躬，他的前额都撞到了地上。没等苏丹开口，阿里便大声说道：“陛下！首先请允许我表达我的感激之情，感谢您满足了我最大的心愿：那就是当着您的面，亲口告诉您我是多么钦佩您的智慧，多么爱慕您英俊的仪表。我为您做了一首诗。我念给您听好吗？” 苏丹既为阿里一连串华丽的词藻所折服，又为阿里出乎意料的赞美而感到欣喜，他让阿里朗诵他的诗。事实上，阿里一个字也没写，所以他必须即兴完成这首诗，阿里做到了.他大声地将苏丹的华贵的仪容比做太阳，将苏丹的力量比作暴风雨，还将苏丹的声音比作狂风。在场的人纷纷鼓掌欢呼。苏丹更高兴了，他甚至都忘了为什么要把阿里抓回来。在这首赞美诗结束时，苏丹也鼓起掌来。 “写得好！”苏丹喊道。“你真是一个优秀的诗人，应该得到些奖赏。从这些鞍子中挑一个作为对你出色表现的回报吧。”阿里挑中一个驴鞍。谢过苏丹之后，他背着鞍匆忙跑出宫殿。当人们看到一路飞奔的阿里时，问道：“阿里，你背着驴鞍要去哪儿？” “我朗诵了一首称赞苏丹的诗，然后他赏给我一件他的袍子。” Ali and the Sultan’s Saddle Once upon a time, there lived a very powerful Sultan whose kingdom stretched to the edges of the desert. One of his subjects was called Ali, a man who enjoyed making fun of his ruler. He invented all sorts of tales about the Sultan and his court, and folk would roar with laughter at his jokes. Indeed, Ali became so well known, that people could point him out in the street and chuckled. Ali’s fun at the Sultan’s expense reached the point where the Sultan himself heard about it. Angry and insulted, he ordered the guards to bring the joker before him. “I shall punish him for his cheek,”said the Sultan eagerly ,as he rubbed his hands，thinking of the good whipping he was about to administer. But when Ali was brought before him，he bowed so low that his forehead craped the floor. Giving the Sultan no time to open his mouth，Ali said，“Sire! Please let me thank you for granting my dearest wish： to look upon you in person and tell you how greatly I admire your wisdom and handsome figure. I’ve written a poem about you. May I recite it to you?” Overwhelmed by this stream of words and delighted at Ali’s unexpected praise，the Sultan told him to recite his poem. In fact，Ali hadn’t written a single word，so he had to invent it as he went along，and this he did，loudly comparing the Sultan’s splendor to that of the sun，his strength to that of the tempest and his voice to the sound of the wind. Everyone applauded and cheered. Now quite charmed 9 the Sultan forgot why he had called Ali before him，and clapped at the end of the poem in his honor. “Well done!” he cried. “You’re a fine poet and deserve a reward. Choose one of these saddles as payment for your ability. ” Ali picked up a donkey’s saddle and, thanking the Sultan, he hurried out of the palace with the saddle on his back. When people saw him rush along，they all asked him, “Ali，where are you going with that donkey’s saddle on your back?” “I’ve just recited a poem in honor of the Sultan，and he’s given me one of his own robes as a reward!” |
