Once upon a time, there was a poor fisherman who lived with his wife in a small hut by the sea.
从前，有一个贫穷的渔夫和他的妻子住在海边的一间小破屋里。
One day, while fishing, he caught a magical flounder that could talk.
有一天，他在捕鱼时抓到了一条会说话的神奇比目鱼。
"Please let me go," begged the flounder, "I am not an ordinary fish. I am an enchanted prince."
“请放了我，”比目鱼恳求道，“我不是普通的鱼，我是一位被施了魔法的王子。”
The kind-hearted fisherman let the flounder go and returned home.
善良的渔夫放走了比目鱼，然后回到了家。
When he told his wife about the fish, she scolded him.
当他把这件事告诉妻子时，她狠狠地责备了他。
"You should have asked the fish for a wish! Go back and ask it to give us a nice cottage."
“你应该向那条鱼许个愿！回去告诉它，给我们一座漂亮的小屋。”
Reluctantly, the fisherman went back to the sea and called out,
渔夫不情愿地回到了海边，大声呼喊：
"Flounder, flounder in the sea, come and grant my wife's plea."
“比目鱼啊，比目鱼，请实现我妻子的愿望吧。”
The flounder appeared and granted the wish.
比目鱼出现了，并答应了他的愿望。
The fisherman and his wife now had a beautiful cottage, and they were happy.
渔夫和他的妻子住进了一座漂亮的小屋，他们感到很幸福。
But soon, the wife became dissatisfied.
但很快，妻子变得不满足了。
"This cottage is not enough. Go back and ask the fish to make us rich and give us a grand castle."
“这小屋不够好。回去告诉鱼，让我们变得富有，还要一座豪华的城堡。”
The fisherman returned to the sea and called for the flounder.
渔夫再次回到海边，呼唤比目鱼。
The flounder granted the wish, and they moved into a grand castle.
比目鱼答应了，他们搬进了一座豪华的城堡。
For a while, the wife was happy, but her greed grew again.
过了一段时间，妻子又变得贪心了。
"Go back and ask the fish to make me a queen," she demanded.
“回去告诉鱼，我想当女王。”她命令道。
The fisherman, unwilling but obedient, went to the sea and called the flounder.
渔夫虽然不愿意，但还是顺从地去了海边。
The sea was darker now, and the waves were rougher.
此时海水变得更暗，波浪也更加汹涌。
The flounder granted the wish, and his wife became a queen.
比目鱼满足了愿望，他的妻子成了女王。
She ruled the kingdom, but her greed still wasn't satisfied.
她统治着王国，但她的贪婪并没有停止。
"Go back and tell the fish I want to be the emperor!" she commanded.
“回去告诉鱼，我想当皇帝！”她命令道。
The fisherman returned to the sea once more.
渔夫又一次回到了海边。
The sea was now dark and stormy, and the fisherman was afraid.
海水变得黑暗而风暴肆虐，渔夫感到害怕。
The flounder granted the wish, and his wife became the emperor.
比目鱼满足了愿望，他的妻子成了皇帝。
But even as an emperor, she wanted more.
但即使当了皇帝，她仍然想要更多。
"Go back and tell the fish I want to be like God!" she ordered.
“回去告诉鱼，我想成为神！”她命令道。
The fisherman was terrified but obeyed.
渔夫吓坏了，但还是服从了她的要求。
When he called for the flounder, the sea was black and raging.
当他呼唤比目鱼时，海水漆黑且怒涛翻滚。
The flounder listened and said, "Go home. Your wife now has what she deserves."
比目鱼听完后说：“回家吧，你的妻子得到了她应得的结局。”
The fisherman returned to find their grand castle gone.
渔夫回到家发现豪华的城堡消失了。
His wife was sitting in their old, broken-down hut by the sea.
他的妻子坐在海边破旧的小屋里。
And so they lived as they had before, poor and humble.
他们又回到了从前，过着贫穷而卑微的生活。
