THE DISCONTENTED MILLER
1.WHANG，the miller，was naturally avaricious；nobody loved money better than he，or more respected those who had it.When people would talk of a rich man in company，Whang would say，“I know him very well；he and I have been long acquainted；he and I are intimate.”But，if ever a poor man was mentioned，he had not the least knowledge of the man；he might be very well，for aught he knew；but he was not fond of making many acquaintances，and loved to choose his company.
2.Whang，however，with all his eagerness for riches，was poor.He had nothing but the profits of his mill to support him；but，though these were small，they were certain；while it stood and went，he was sure of eating；and his frugality was such that he every day laid some money by，which he would at intervals count and contemplate with much satisfaction.Yet still his acquisitions were not equal to his desires，he only found himself above want，whereas he desired to be possessed of affluence.
3.One day，as he was indulging these wishes，he was informed that a neighbor of his had found a pan of money under ground，having dreamed of it three nights running before.These tidings were daggers to the heart of poor Whang.“Here am I，”says he，“toiling and moiling from morning till night for a few paltry farthings，while neighbor Thanks only goes quietly to bed and dreams himself into thousands before morning.O，that I could dream like him！With what pleasure would I dig round the pan！How slyly would I carry it home！not evenmy wife should see me：and then，O，the pleasure of thrusting one’s hand into a heap of gold up to the elbow！”
4.Such reflections only served to make the miller unhappy；he discontinued his former assiduity；he was quite disgusted with small gains，and his customers began to forsake him.Every day he repeated the wish，and every night laid himself down in order to dream.Fortune，that was for a long time unkind，at last，however，seemed to smile on his distresses，and indulged him with the wished for vision.He dreamed that under a certain part of the foundation of his mill there was concealed a monstrous pan of gold and diamonds，buried deep in the ground，and covered with a large fiat stone.
5.He concealed his good luck from every person，as is usual in money dreams，in order to have the vision repeated the two succeeding nights，by which he should be certain of its truth.His wishes in this，also，were answered；he still dreamed of the same pan of money in the very same place.Now，therefore，it was past a doubt；so，getting up early the third morning，he repaired alone，with a mattock in his hand，to the mill，and began to undermine that part of the wall to which the vision directed him.
6.The first omen of success that he met was a broken ring；digging still deeper，he turned up a house-tile，quite new and entire.At last，after much digging，he came to a broad flat stone，but then so large that it was beyond man‘s strength to remove it.“Here！”cried he，in raptures，to himself；“here it is；under this stone there is room for a very large pan of diamonds，indeed.I must e’en go home to my wife，and tell her the whole affair，and get her to assist me in turning it up.”
7.Away，therefore，he goes，and acquaints his wife with every circumstance of their good fortune.Her raptures on this occasion may easily be imagined.She flew round his neck and embraced him in an ecstasy of joy；but these transports，however，did not allay their eagerness to know the exact sum；returning，therefore，together to the same place where Whang had been digging，there they found-not，indeed，the expected treasure-but the mill，their only support，undermined and fallen.
（FROM GOLDSMITH ）
中文阅读
1.有个磨坊主名叫旺格，他天性贪财，比世界上所有人都爱钱，而且特别尊敬那些有钱人。每当大家在一起谈论哪个有钱人时，旺格就会和他们说：“我认识他，我们很早就认识了，我和他关系非常好。”可是一旦大家谈论的是一个穷苦人，他便对这个人一无所知了。他可能还算不错，亦未可知，但是他不喜欢交太多朋友，而且他喜欢有选择地交友。
2.对财富如饥似渴的旺格，自己却是个穷人。他一无所有，只能靠一间磨坊的利润来糊口。尽管磨坊利润很小，但是收入却很稳定。只要磨坊一日在运转，他就有饭可吃。而且他俭省到了这样的程度，以至于每天都会放一点钱在身边，隔一会儿就去数一数，然后满意地看着这些钱陷入沉思。他的熟人也并不都合他胃口，不过他总觉得自己的需求很高，因此总是妄想着自己拥有很多财富。
3.有一天，他正沉溺于自己的奢望的时候，有人告诉他，他的一个邻居从地下挖出了一大锅的钱，听说这家伙三天前做了这样一个梦然后就挖出来了。这个消息像一把剑一样戳中了旺格的心。他说：“我在这里每天辛辛苦苦地从早到晚苦熬苦干，就只能挣这么一丁点儿，而邻居只是晚上静静地睡了一觉，做了个梦，就得到了这么多。哦，要是我也能像他一样该有多好！要是我也挖到一大锅钱的话，我会多么高兴啊！到时候我会巧妙地把钱带回家，连我太太也不会发现的！啊，到时候把手伸到钱堆里，能到胳膊肘这么深，那得多高兴啊！”
4.这想法让磨坊主很不高兴。他不满于自己过去的勤奋，他讨厌这样一点一点地进账，而原来的客户却在流失。每天白天他都在重复说着自己的愿望，一到晚上就躺下来让自己做梦。长时间对他不好的财富终于向痛苦的他微笑了，让他享受梦想成真的乐趣了。他梦到在他磨坊地基的某个地方藏匿着大量黄金和钻石。这些东西埋得很深，在一块平坦的大石头下面压着。
5.他没有把这件好事和任何人说，而是继续做着发财梦，想确认这个梦是不是真的。接下来的两天里他重复做着这个梦，这让他确定了这是真的，他所梦见的也是同样的东西藏在同样的地方。打消了这个疑虑后，于是，第三天早晨，他独自带着修好的鹤嘴锄来到磨坊，按照梦里的位置，开始打掉磨坊的一部分墙。
6.第一个证明梦境准确的物品被他挖了出来--一个坏了的耳环，继续往下挖，他挖到了一块房瓦，这块瓦相当完整和崭新。最后，又往深挖了一会儿后，他发现了那块平坦的大石头，但是这块石头太大了，他自己根本无法把它搬走。“就是这里了！”他兴奋地叫道，“就是这里了，这块石头下面肯定够装一大锅钻石。我必须马上回家把这件事告诉太太，让她来帮我把石头搬走。”
7.他马上回到家，把这件大好事原原本本告诉给了他的太太。他太太的喜悦之情可想而知。她欣喜若狂地冲上前去，搂着丈夫的脖子，拥抱着丈夫，但这样却丝毫不能减弱他们对宝藏数量猜想的热情。于是他们一起回到旺格挖宝的地方，然而他们发现的不是他们期望的宝物--而是看到他们唯一的生计来源--被挖掘的、倒塌的磨坊。
（哥德史密斯）
