It was not long before the youth was the most famous physician in the whole world. He had only to look at the patient and he knew his condition at once， whether he would recover， or must needs die. So they said of him， and from far and wide people came to him， sent for him when they had anyone ill， and gave him so much money that he soon became a rich man. Now it so befell that the king became ill， and the physician was summoned（summon v.召集， 召唤， 号召， 鼓起， 振作）， and was to say if recovery were possible. But when he came to the bed， Death was standing by the feet of the sick man， and the herb did not grow which could save him. “If I could but cheat Death for once，” thought the physician， “he is sure to take it ill if I do but， as I am his godson， he will shut one eye， I will risk it.” He therefore took up the sick man， and laid him the other way， so that now death was standing by his head. Then he gave the king some of the herbs， and he recovered and grew healthy again. But death came to the physician， looking very black and angry， threatened him with his finger， and said， “You have betrayed me， this time I will pardonpardon vt.原谅， 宽恕 it， as you are my godson， but if you venture（venture v.冒险， 冒昧， 斗胆， 胆敢(谦语)） it again， it will cost you your neck， for I will take you yourself away with me.”
不久，小伙子果然成了全世界最有名的医生。人们都说：“他只需看一下病人，就知道，病人是能康复，还是一定会死。”于是，四面八方的人都来接他去看病，给了他许多钱，使他很快成为一个富翁。这时候，国王正巧生了病，派人来接他去，要他讲国王能不能康复。可当他走到病榻前，死神呢已经站在病人的脚边上，也就是说国王已没治了。谁料这时小伙子却在心里嘀咕：“要是我欺骗一回死神呢，他自然很不高兴。不过，我是他教子，他大概会睁一只眼，闭一只眼。我要大胆试一次！”他扶起病人，让他换了个位置，这样死神就站在国王的头旁边了。随后他给国王服了一点药草，他便渐渐好起来，最后又恢复了健康。死神去医生那儿，阴沉着脸，用他的手指指着威胁他说：“你小子骗了我！这一次我原谅你，因为你是我的教子，可你再这么做，我就要你的命，把你一起抓走！”
Soon afterwards the king"s daughter fell into a severe illness. She was his only child， and he wept day and night， so that he began to lose the sight of his eyes， and he caused it to be made known that whosoever rescued her from death should be her husband and inherit（inherit vt.继承， 遗传而得） the crown. When the physician came to the sick girl"s bed， he saw death by her feet. He ought to have remembered the warning given by his godfather， but he was so infatuated（infatuate v.冲昏头脑） by the great beauty of the king"s daughter， and the happiness of becoming her husband， that he flung all thought to the winds. He did not see that death was casting angry glances on him， that he was raising his hand in the air， and threatening him with his withered fist. He raised up the sick girl， and placed her head where her feet had lain. Then he gave her some of the herb， and instantly her cheeks flushed red， and life stirred afresh（afresh adv.重新， 再度） in her.
不久以后，国王的女儿患了重病。她是他的独生孩子，国王因此没日没夜地哭啊哭啊，哭得眼睛都瞎了。他于是告示天下，谁要治好公主，谁就可以娶她做妻子，并且继承王位。医生走到病人的床前，看见死神站在她的脚旁边。他本该想一想教父的警告，可是公主的无比美丽和做她丈夫的幸福，使他昏了头脑，把教父的话忘记得干干净净。他看不见死神向他投来愤怒的目光，举起手臂，晃着瘦骨嶙峋的拳头在威胁他。他扶起病人，将她的头脚又对调过来。随后他给她服药草，她的脸颊马上便泛起红色，生命重新复苏了。
When Death saw that for a second time his own property had been misused， he walked up to the physician with long strides， and said， “All is over with you， and now the lot falls on you.” and seized him so firmly with his icecold hand， that he could not resist， and led him into a cave below the earth. There he saw how thousands and thousands of candles were burning in countless（countless adj.无数的， 数不尽的） rows， some large， some mediumsized， others small. Every instant some were extinguished（extinguish vt.熄灭， 消灭， 压制， 使黯然失色， 偿清）， and others again burnt up， so that the flames seemed to leap hither and thither in perpetualperpetual adj.永久的 change. “See，” said Death， “these are the lights of men"s lives. The large ones belong to children， the mediumsized ones to married people in their prime， the little ones belong to old people， but children and young folks likewise have often only a tiny candle.” “Show me the light of my life.” said the physician， and he thought that it would be still very tall. Death pointed to a little end which was just threatening to go out， and said， “Behold， it is there.” “Ah， dear godfather，” said the horrified（horrified adj.惊悸的， 带有恐怖感的， 惊骇的） physician， “light a new one for me， do it for love of me， that I may enjoy my life， be king， and the husband of the king"s beautiful daughter.” “I cannot.” answered Death， one must go out before a new one is lighted. Then place the old one on a new one， that will go on burning at once when the old one has come to an end， pleaded（plead： vt.为……辩护， 借口， 托称） the physician. Death behaved as if he were going to fulfill his wish， and took hold of a tall new candle， but as he desired to revenge（revenge vt.替……报仇， 复仇） himself， he purposely made a mistake in fixing it， and the little piece fell down and was extinguished. Immediately the physician fell on the ground， and now he himself was in the hands of death.
眼看自己的所有物第二次被夺走，死神气得跑到医生那儿，吼道：“你小子完啦，现在就轮到了你！”说着伸出他那冰冷的手来一把抓住教子，叫他劝弹不得，随后就把他拽进了脚底下地狱里。在那儿，他看见千千万万朵烛光，一长排一长排地燃烧着不见头尾，有一些大，有一些小一点，还有一些很小很小。每一瞬间都有一些熄灭掉，另一些又重新燃烧起来，于是，看上去就像那些火苗在不断替换，在不断地跳过来蹦过去。“你瞧，”死神对他说，“这就是人类的生命之光。大的属于孩子，小一些的属于结了婚的中年男女，最小的属于老年人。不过，经常有些孩子和青年也只有一朵小小的生命之火。”“请让我看看我的生命之火吧。”医生说，他以为它的一定还挺大呢。死神指了指一点儿即将全熄灭的小蜡烛头，回答：“瞧吧，这就是。”“哎呀，亲爱的教父，”医生吓坏了说，“请给我点一支新的好吗？让我去享受我的生命，去当国王，做美丽的公主的丈夫！”“我办不到，”死神回答，“在点新的之前，必须有旧的熄掉。”“那就把旧的接在新的上，让旧的没烧完新的立刻燃起来吧！”医生请求。死神做出满足他的愿望的样子，拿起一支没动过的大蜡烛；其实呢，却存心报复，在接蜡烛时故意失手，让小蜡烛头儿翻倒在地，熄灭了。突然医生倒在地上，现在他自己也落进了死神之手。