King Midas!” said the stranger, looking closely at him. 迈达斯国王！” 陌生人说，仔细地看着他。

“Your own heart, I see, has not been entirely changed from flesh to gold. “我看，你的心并没有完全从肉体变成金子。

Were it so, your case would indeed be hopeless. 如果是这样，你的情况确实没有希望了。

But you have come to understand that the commonest things, such as lie within everybody's grasp, are more valuable than the riches which so many men sigh and struggle after. 但你已经明白，最普通的东西，如人人都能得到的东西，比许多人为之叹息和奋斗的财富更有价值。

Tell me now, do you really desire to rid yourself of this Golden Touch?” 现在告诉我，你真的想摆脱这种点金术吗？”

“It is hateful to me!” replied Midas. “我恨它！”迈达斯回复道。

A fly settled on his nose, but immediately fell to the floor, for it, too, had become gold. 一只苍蝇停在他的鼻子上，但马上就掉到地上，因为它也变成了金子。

Midas shuddered. 迈达斯在发抖。

“Go, then,” said the stranger, “and plunge into the river that glides past the bottom of your garden. “去吧，”陌生人说，“跳进流过花园底部的河里。

Take likewise a vase of the same water, and sprinkle it over any object that you may desire to change back again I from gold into its former substance. 你也要拿一瓶水来，倒在你所要换的器皿上，或要变回原状的器皿上。

If you do this in earnestness and sincerity, it may possibly undo the mischief which your greed for gold has caused.” 如果你是真心诚意地做这件事，它可能会消除你对黄金的贪婪所造成的危害。”

King Midas bowed low; and when he lifted his head, the stranger had vanished. 迈达斯国王深深地鞠了一躬;当他抬起头来时，那个陌生人已经不见了。

You will easily believe that Midas lost no time in snatching up a great earthen pitcher (but, alas! it was no longer earthen after he touched it) and in hastening to the riverside. 你会很容易相信迈达斯很快就抓到了一个大陶罐(但是，唉!他摸了摸它，发现它已经不再是泥土了)，便急忙跑到河边。

As he hurried along forcing his way through the shrubbery, it was marvelous to see how the leaves turned yellow behind him, as if the autumn had been there, and nowhere else. 当他匆匆穿过灌木丛时，看到身后的树叶变黄了，真是不可思议，仿佛这里的秋天早就来了。

On reaching the river's brink, he plunged headlong in, without waiting so much as to pull off his shoes. 一到河边，他就一头扎进水里，连鞋都没脱。

“Poof! poof! poof!” snorted King Midas, as his head came up out of the water. “噗!噗!噗!”迈达斯国王哼了一声，他的头露出了水面。

“Well, this is really a refreshing bath, and I think it must have quite washed away the Golden Touch. “嗯，这的确是一个清爽的沐浴，我想它一定洗掉了点金术。

And now for filling my pitcher!” 现在轮到你给我的水壶灌满水了!”