willThe flounder swam up and said, "What does she want then?"
那条比目鱼果真朝他游了过来，问道，「她想要甚么呀？」
"Oh," said the man, "I did catch you, and now my wife says that I really should have asked for something. She doesn't want to live in a filthy shack any longer. She would like to have a cottage."「嗨，」渔夫说，「刚才我把你逮住了，我老婆说，我应该向你提出一个愿望。她不想再住在那个小屋子里了，她想要一幢小别墅。」
"Go home," said the flounder. "She already has it."
「回去吧，」比目鱼说，「她已经有一幢小别墅啦。」
The man went home, and his wife was standing in the door of a cottage, and she said to him, "Come in. See, now isn't this much better?" 渔夫便回家去了，他妻子已不再住在那个破破烂烂的渔舍里，原地上已矗立起一幢小别墅，她正坐在门前的一条长凳上。妻子一见丈夫回来了，就拉着他的手说：「快进来看一看。现在不是好多了吗？」
There was a little front yard, and a beautiful little parlor, and a bedroom where their bed was standing, and a kitchen, and a dining room. Everything was beautifully furnished and supplied with tin and brass utensils, just as it should be. And outside there was a little yard with chickens and ducks and a garden with vegetables and fruit. 随即，他们进了屋。小别墅里有一间小前厅，一间漂亮的小客厅，一间乾乾净净的卧室、卧室里摆放着一张床还有一间厨房和食物贮藏室，里面摆放着必备的傢俱，锡制铜制的餐具一应俱全。还有一个养着鸡鸭的小院子，和一片长满蔬菜水果的小园子。
"Look," said the woman. "Isn't this nice?"
「瞧，」妻子说，「不漂亮吗？」
"Yes," said the man. "This is quite enough. We can live here very well."「漂亮。」丈夫回答说，「咱们就住在这儿，快快乐乐地过日子吧。」
"We will think about that," said the woman.
「这个嘛，咱们还要想一想，」妻子说。
Then they ate something and went to bed.
他们随后吃了晚饭，就上床休息了。
Everything went well for a week or two, and then the woman said, "Listen, husband. This cottage is too small. The yard and the garden are too little. The flounder could have given us a larger house. I would like to live in a large stone palace. Go back to the flounder and tell him to give us a palace." 他们就这样生活了一两个星期。有一天，妻子突然时：「听着，当家的，这房子太小了，院子和园子也太小了。那条比目鱼可以送咱们一幢更大一些的。我要住在一座石头建造的大宫殿里。快去找比目鱼，叫他送咱们一座宫殿。」
"Oh, wife," said the man, "the cottage is good enough. Why would we want to live in a palace?" 「唉，老婆，」丈夫说，「这别墅不是够好的了嘛？咱们干嘛非得要住在宫殿里呢？」
"I know why," said the woman. "Now you just go. The flounder can do that." 「胡说，」妻子回答说，「你只管去找比目鱼好啦，他会完全满足咱们的愿望的。」
"Now, wife, the flounder has just given us the cottage. I don't want to go back so soon. It may make the flounder angry." 「不行啊，老婆，」丈夫说，「比目鱼刚刚送给咱们一幢别墅，我实在不想再去找他，他会不高兴的。」
"Just go," said the woman. "He can do it, and he won't mind doing it. Just go." 「去吧，快去吧，」妻子大声说，「他办得到，也乐意这么办。快去吧。」
