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LESSON 19 Observation
第十九课 观察
A dervish was journeying alone in a desert, when two merchants suddenly met him.
一个僧侣正在沙漠中独自前行，这时候他碰见了两个商人。
"You have lost a camel," said he to the merchants.
“你们丢了一头骆驼。”他对商人们说。
"Indeed we have," they replied.
“是啊，的确是这样。”商人们回答说。
"Was he not blind in his right eye, and lame in his left leg?" said the dervish.
僧侣问道：“这头骆驼是不是右眼瞎了，左腿跛了？”
"He was," replied the merchants.
“是的，”商人们回答。
"And was he not loaded with honey on one side, and with wheat on the other?"
“它是不是一边驮着蜂蜜，另一边驮着稻谷？”
"Most certainly he was," they replied; "and, as you have seen him so lately,
“没错，就是这样的。”他们回答说，“你最近见到过它，
and marked him so particularly, you can in all probability conducts to him."
这么准确地描述出它的样子，你一定可以告诉我们去哪儿能找到它吧。”
"My friends," said the dervish, "I have never seen your camel, nor ever heard of him, but from you!"
“我亲爱的朋友，”僧侣说，“我其实根本就没见过你们的骆驼，甚至根本没听说过它，我是从你们身上看出来的。”
"A pretty story, truly," said the merchants; "but where are the jewels which formed a part of his burthen?"
“真是个有趣的故事啊！”商人们说道，“那么，它包袱里的那些珠宝到哪里去了？”
"I have seen neither your camel nor your jewels," repeated the dervish.
“我既没有见过你们的骆驼，也没见过那些珠宝。”僧侣又强调道。
On this, they seized his person, and forthwith hurried him before the cadi;
他这么说的时候，商人们忽然抓住他，然后立刻把他押到了法官面前。
but, on the strictest search, nothing could be found upon him, nor could any evidence whatever be adduced,
不过，经过严格地搜查，
to convict him either of falsehood or of theft.
也没有找出任何说谎或盗窃的蛛丝马迹。
