《笨漢傑克》，1855 年

Jack the dullard, 1855

一個古老故事的新編

在這個國家的內地深處，有一座古老的男爵府邸，府裡住著一位年邁的領主，他有兩個兒子，這兩個年輕人都自認為聰明絕頂。

AN oLd StoRY toLd ANEw

Far in the interior of the country lay an old baronial hall, and in it lived an old proprietor, who had two sons, which two young men thought themselves too clever by half.

他們想出去向國王的女兒求婚；因為這位公主已經公開宣佈，她要選那個能把話說得最動聽的年輕人做丈夫。

they wanted to go out and woo the King’s daughter; for the maiden in question had publicly announced that she would choose for her husband that youth who could arrange his words best.

於是這兩位天才為求婚準備了整整一個星期 —— 這是能給他們的最長時間了；但也足夠了，因為他們之前掌握了很多預備知識，而且大家都知道那有多有用。

So these two geniuses prepared themselves a full week for the wooing — this was the longest time that could be granted them; but it was enough, for they had had much preparatory information, and everybody knows how useful that is.

其中一個能把整本拉丁語詞典都背下來，而且還能把小鎮三年的日報內容倒背如流，事實上，他可以隨心所欲地正背或倒背。

one of them knew the whole Latin dictionary by heart, and three whole years of the daily paper of the little town into the bargain, and so well, indeed, that he could repeat it all either backwards or forwards, just as he chose.

另一個則對社團法研讀頗深，對每個社團應該知道的事情都瞭如指掌；因此他覺得自己能談論國家大事，還能在議會里插上一手。

the other was deeply read in the corporation laws, and knew by heart what every corporation ought to know; and accordingly he thought he could talk of affairs of state, and put his spoke in the wheel in the council.

而且他