Now in came the South Wind，with a turban and a flowing Bedouin cloak.
南风到了。他头上缠着一块头巾，身上披着一件游牧人的宽斗篷。
“How cold it is here！”said he，throwing more wood on the fire.“It is easy to feel that the North Wind has arrived here before me.”
“这儿真是冷得厉害！”他说，同时加了几块木材到火里去。“人们立刻可以感觉出北风先到了。”“Why it is hot enough here to roast a bear，”said the North Wind.
“这儿真太热，人们简直可以在这儿烤一头北极熊。”北风说。
“You are a bear yourself！”said the other.
“你本人就是！”南风说。
“Do you want to be put in the sack，both of you？”said the old woman.“Sit down，now，on that stone，yonder，and tell me where you have been.”
“你想要钻到那个袋子里去吗？”老女人问。“请在那边的石头上坐下来，赶快告诉我你到什么地方去过。”
“In Africa，mother.I went out with the Hottentots，who were lionhunting in the Kaffir land，where the plains are covered with grass the color of a green olive；and here I ran races with the ostrich，but I soon outstripped (outstrip v.超过)him in swiftness.At last I came to the desert，in which lie the golden sands，looking like the bottom of the sea.Here I met a caravan caravan n.商队，旅行队，大篷车，and the travellers had just killed their last camel，to obtain water；there was very little for them，and they continued their painful journey beneath the burning sun，and over the hot sands，which stretched before them a vast，boundless (boundless adj.无限的，无边无际的)desert.Then I rolled myself in the loose sand，and whirled it in burning columns over their heads.The dromedarys stood still in terror，while the merchants drew their caftans caftan n.有腰带的长袖衣服over their heads，and threw themselves on the ground before me，as they do before Allah，their god.Then I buried them beneath a pyramid of sand，which covers them all.When I blow that away on my next visit，the sun will bleach their bones，and travellers will see that others have been there before them；otherwise，in such a wild desert，they might not believe it possible.”
“到非洲！”他回答说。“我曾在卡菲尔人的国土里和霍屯督人一块去猎过狮子！那儿平原上的草绿得跟橄榄树一样！那儿角马在跳舞。有一只鸵鸟跟我赛跑，可是我的腿比它跑得快。我走到沙漠里去，那全是黄沙——这地方的样子很像海底。我遇见一队旅行商，他们把最后一只骆驼杀掉了，为的是想得到一点点水喝，不过他们所得甚少。太阳在上面烤，沙子在下面炙。沙漠向四面展开，没有边际。于是我在松散的细沙上打了几个滚，搅起一阵像巨大圆柱的灰沙。这场舞才叫跳得好哪！你应该瞧瞧单峰骆驼呆呆地站在那儿露出一副多么沮丧的神情。商人把长袍拉到头上遮着。他倒在我的面前，好像倒在他的阿拉面前一样。他们现在被埋葬了——沙子做成的一个金字塔。以后我再把它吹散掉的时候，太阳就会把他们的白骨晒枯了。那么旅人们就将知道，这儿以前曾经有人来过。否则谁也不会相信，在沙漠中会有人来过。”
“So you have done nothing but evil！”said the mother.“Into the sack with you；”and，before he was aware，she had seized the South Wind round the body，and popped him into the bag.He rolled about on the floor，till she sat herself upon him to keep him still.
“所以你除了坏事以外，什么事情都没有做！”妈妈说。“钻进那个袋子里去！”她已经把南风拦腰抱住，在他还没有发觉以前，装进袋子里去。他在地上打着滚，不过她已经坐在袋子上，所以他也只好不出声了。
“These boys of yours are very lively！”said the prince.
“他们倒是很活泼的！”王子说。
“Yes，”she replied，“but I know how to correct them，when necessary；and here comes the fourth.”In came the East Wind，dressed like a Chinese.
“一点也不错，”她回答说，“而且我还知道怎样管教他们呢！现在老四回来了！”这是东风，他穿着一套中国人的衣服。
“Oh，you come from that quarter，do you？”said she；“I thought you had been to the garden of paradise.”
“哦！你是从哪个地区来的？”妈妈问。“我相信你到天国花园里去过。”
“I am going there tomorrow，”he replied；“I have not been there for a hundred years.I have just come from China，where I danced round the porcelain tower till all the bells jingled again.In the streets an official flogging was taking place，and bamboo canes were being broken on the shoulders of men of every high position，from the first to the ninth grade.They cried，‘Many thanks，my fatherly benefactor’；but I am sure the words did not come from their hearts，so I rang the bells till they sounded，‘ding，dingdong’.”
“我明天才到那儿去，”东风说。“自我上次去过以后，明天恰恰是100年。我现在是从中国来的——我在瓷塔四周跳了一阵舞，把所有的钟都弄得叮当叮当地响起来！官员们在街上挨打；竹条子把他们的肩打裂了，而他们却都是一品到九品的官啦。‘感谢恩主！’他们都说。不过这不是他们心中的话。于是我摇着铃，唱：‘丁，当，锵！’”
“You are a wild boy，”said the old woman；“it is well for you that you are going tomorrow to the garden of paradise；you always get improved in your education there.Drink deeply from the fountain of wisdom while you are there，and bring home a bottleful for me.”
“你太调皮了！”老女人说。“你明天到天国花园去走走也好；这可以教育你，对你有好处。好好地在智慧泉里喝几口水吧，也带给我一小瓶。”
“That I will，”said the East Wind；“but why have you put my brother South in a bag？Let him out；for I want him to tell me about the phoenixbird.The princess always wants to hear of this bird when I pay her my visit every hundred years.If you will open the sack，sweetest mother，I will give you two pocketfuls (pocketful n.满袋，一袋之量)of tea，green and fresh as when I gathered it from the spot where it grew.”
“这个没问题，”东风说。“不过你为什么把我的弟兄南风关在袋子里呢？把他放出来呀！他可以给我讲凤凰的故事听，因为天国花园的那位公主，每当我过了一个世纪去拜望她的时候，她总是爱听凤凰的故事。请把袋子打开吧！这样你才是我最甜蜜的妈妈呀，我将送给你两包我从产地采下的又绿又新鲜的茶！”
“Well，for the sake of the tea，and because you are my own boy，I will open the bag.”
“唔，为了这茶的缘故，也因为你是我喜欢的一个孩子，我就把袋子打开吧！”
She did so，and the South Wind crept out，looking quite cast down，because the prince had seen his disgrace disgrace n.耻辱，失宠，丢脸的人(或事)v.玷污.
南风爬了出来，不过他的神气很沮丧，因为这位陌生的王子看到了他受惩罚。
“There is a palmleaf for the princess.”he said.“The old phoenix，the only one in the world，gave it to me himself.He has scratched on it with his beak the whole of his history during the hundred years he has lived.She can there read how the old phoenix (phoenix n.凤凰，长生鸟，完人，完美之物)set fire to his own nest，and sat upon it while it was burning，like a Hindoo widow.The dry twigs around the nest crackled and smoked till the flames burst forth and consumed (consume vt.消耗，消费，消灭，大吃大喝，吸引vi.消灭，毁灭)the phoenix to ashes.Amidst the fire lay an egg，red hot，which presently burst with a loud report，and out flew a young bird.He is the only phoenix in the world，and the king over all the other birds.He has bitten a hole in the leaf which I give you，and that is his greeting to the princess.”