英文原文

【英文原文】

摘要：在加利福尼亚的卡拉维拉斯县，有个人名叫吉姆•斯迈里。他好打赌，见什么赌什么。要是有人跟他说“早上好”，他会说，这天早上不怎么样，不信就打个赌。

In Calaveras, California, there lived a man whose name was Jim Smiley. Jim enjoyed betting so much that he would bet on anything. If anyone said good morning to him, he would bet them that it was not a good morning. Whenever there was a horse race or a chicken fight, Jim would bet on it. He didn’t care which side he bet on, as long as he had a bet.

One day, Jim showed a frog to a stranger who had just arrived in Calaveras, and bet the stranger forty dollars that the frog can jump farther and faster than any other in Calaveras County. The stranger said he didn’t see anything about the frog different from any other, and if he had a frog he would bet Jim. Jim left his frog with the stranger and go out to find a frog for the stranger. Meanwhile, the stranger took out a bag of gunshot, forcing the frog’s mouth open and poured the shot into it.

Soon Jim returned with a frog for the stranger.The two frogs were put on the floor, and then each man gave his frog a push. The stranger’s frog hopped off smartly. But Jim’s frog just sat there, unable to move an inch. Jim had no choice. He gave forty dollars to the stranger, who took the money and started away. Jim picked up his frog, and found it extremely heavy. He turned it upside down, and the gunshot came out. He knew he had been fooled and, like a mad man, started running after the stranger.

As he ran, he passed one of his friends, who asked him where he was going.

"To catch a thief!" shouted Jim. "No matter how fast he may run, I'll catch him. I'll bet you five dollars!"

中文译文

【中文译文】

在加利福尼亚的卡拉维拉斯县，有个人名叫吉姆•斯迈里。他好打赌，见什么赌什么。要是有人跟他说“早上好”，他会说，这天早上不怎么样，不信就打个赌。只要有赛马和斗鸡，他都要去赌。在哪一边下注他不在乎，有机会赌就行。

有一天，吉姆见到一个来到卡拉维拉斯县的陌生人，就把自己的一只青蛙给他看，说这是卡拉维拉斯全县跳得最快最远的青蛙，不信就打个赌，赌40块钱。陌生人说他看不出那只蛙有什么非凡之处，如果他手头有一只蛙，就赌一赌。听了这话，吉姆就把自己的青蛙交给陌生人看管，出去为陌生人找一只蛙来。他不在的时候，陌生人掏出一口袋铅弹，掰开青蛙嘴，把铅弹灌了进去。

不久吉姆就给陌生人带了一只青蛙回来。两只青蛙在地上摆好，然后各人将各自的青蛙轻轻一推。陌生人的青蛙一下子就跳起来，跳得好快好远。但吉姆的蛙却呆在那里纹丝不动，像钉在地上似的。吉姆无奈，只得交出40块钱。陌生人拿了钱就走了。吉姆把自己的蛙拿起来，觉得沉甸甸的。他把蛙倒提起来一抖，铅弹掉了出来。他知道自己上了当，就像疯子似的去追陌生人。

正跑着，一个朋友瞧见他，不问他风风火火地去干什么。

“去抓贼！”他吼道，“无论他跑得有多快，我都要追上他。不信打5块钱的赌！”

题外话：这个故事曾在美国西部流传，马克•吐温听到后，把他写了下来，题为《卡拉维拉斯县大名鼎鼎的跳蛙》，竟成为他的成名作。要想体味故事的幽默，还得读一读全文。