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很久以前，有个叫里谱•范•温克尔的人，他住在山脚下一个古老的小村庄里。他是个懒家伙，他的老婆很瞧不起他.不过村里的邻居和孩子们倒很喜欢他。 一天，无所事事的里谱拿着猎枪来到森林。他不敢回家面对妻子，就抱着枪躺在地上睡着了，他忠诚的狗守在他的身旁。他做了一个梦，梦里一个奇怪的小老头儿正背着一桶酒吃力地往岩石上爬。里谱过去帮他一块儿背桶，于是两人一同前行，走入了一个狭窄的山谷中。走了没多久，一群长相古怪的人来到他们跟前，而后开始畅饮桶里的酒。里谱也痛痛快快大喝了一番，然后呼呼大睡起来。 过了很久，他才醒过来，发现枪已经生锈了，狗也不见了。回到村子里的时候，他发现一切都那么奇怪，那么陌生，人们看他也都像看个陌生的疯老头儿似的。当他最终喊出他一些老朋友的名字时，却得知他们都已经去世了。 最后一个抱着孩子的妇女向他走来，证实了自己是里普的女儿后，她告诉里谱，她的父亲大约二十年前在森林里迷了路，就再也没有消息了。里谱恍然大悟，原来他在大山里睡了二十年。 A Sleep for Twenty Years A man named Rip Van Winkle lived long ago in a little old village at the foot of the mountains. He was a lazy fellow despised by his wife but well liked by the neighbors and the children of the village. One day, Rip had noting left to do but to go into the woods with his gun. He then lay down on the ground and fell asleep with his gun, afraid to go home and to meet his wife. His loyal dog stayed beside him. He dreamed a dream. He saw a strange little old man slowly toiling up the rocks with a big keg of liquor on his shoulder. Rip helped the fellow with his load and together they made their way farther up a narrow valley. Pretty soon they saw a number of queer-looking men who came to them and later began to drink the liquor eagerly. Rip himself shared liberally in the drink and fell into a deep sleep. He woke up after a long time. His gun was rusty and his dog could not be found. When he reached the village， everything looked strange and unfamiliar. He himself appeared to the people like a crazy old stranger. When he finally called out the names of some of his old friends, he was told that every one of them was dead and gone. Finally a woman with a child in her arms came up to him. She proved to be his own daughter and told him that her father had wandered off into the woods some twenty years before and had never been heard of again. Rip suddenly realized the whole truth that he had slept twenty years in the mountains. |
