Chapter 68

　　Afterwalking a half hour, he came to a small countrycalled the Land of the BusyBees. The streets were filledwith people running to and fro about their tasks.Everyoneworked, everyone had something to do. Even if one wereto search with alantern, not one idle man or one trampcould have been found.

　　"Iunderstand," said Pinocchio at once wearily,"this is no place for me!I was not born for work."But in the meantime, he began to feel hungry, foritwas twenty-four hours since he had eaten.

　　Whatwas to be done?

　　Therewere only two means left to him in order to get abite to eat. He had either towork or to beg.

　　Hewas ashamed to beg, because his father had alwayspreached to him that beggingshould be done only by thesick or the old. He had said that the real poor inthis world,deserving of our pity and help, were only those who, eitherthroughage or sickness, had lost the means of earning theirbread with their own hands.All others should work, andif they didn't, and went hungry, so much the worsefor them.

　　Justthen a man passed by, worn out and wet with perspiration,pulling, withdifficulty, two heavy carts filled with coal.

　　Pinocchiolooked at him and, judging him by his looksto be a kind man, said to him witheyes downcast in shame:

　　"Willyou be so good as to give me a penny,for I am faint with hunger?""Notonly one penny," answered the Coal Man. "I'll giveyou four if youwill help me pull these two wagons7.""I amsurprised!" answered the Marionette, very much offended.

　　"Iwish you to know that I never have been a donkey,nor have I ever pulled a wagon6.""So much thebetter for you!" answered the Coal Man.

走了半小时，他来到一个小国，名字叫做“勤劳蜜蜂国”。街上都是有事情跑来跑去的人。他们全都干活，全都有事做。打起灯笼也找不到一个懒汉和二流子。
　　“我明白了，”这个不想干活的皮诺乔马上说，“这不是我呆的地方！我生下来可不是干活的！”
　　这时候他饿得要命，因为他已经二十四小时没吃东西了，连一碟野豌豆也没吃过。
　　怎么办？
　　他只有两个办法可以吃到东西：或者是找点活儿干干，或者是讨个子儿或者讨块面包。
　　乞讨是羞耻的事，因为他爸爸总是对他说，只有年老和残废的人才可以乞讨。在这个世界上，值得我们帮助和同情的真正穷人，只有由于年老和生病，没有办法再用自己的手劳动去挣得面包的人。其他的人都应当劳动，不劳动而挨饿，就是自讨苦吃。
　　正在这时候，街上来了一个人。他满头大汗，气也喘不过来，一个人费劲地拉着两车煤。
　　皮诺乔看看他的脸，断定他是个好人，就走过去，很不好意思地垂下眼睛，低声对他说：
　　“行行好，给我一个子儿吧，我饿得要死了！”
　　“不是给你一个，”拉煤的回答说，“而是给你四个，只要你帮我拉这两车煤回家。”
　　“叫我听了奇怪！”木偶几乎生气了说，“告诉您，我从来不当驴子，我从来不拉车！”
　　“那你最好这么办！”拉煤的人说，

6 wagon    

n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车

参考例句：

·We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。

·The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。

7wagons 

n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车

参考例句：

·The wagons were hauled by horses. 那些货车是马拉的。

·They drew their wagons into a laager and set up camp. 他们把马车围成一圈扎起营地。