I put a penny in my pocket,
and in a little time
that penny in my pocket
had grown into a dime!
我在口袋放進一毛錢
然後時間過去
口袋裡的一毛錢
長成了十分錢
And in a little longer,
a quarter jingled out.
I put the quarter in the teapot,
and I waited 'til the teapot
had a dollar in the spout!
然後時間過去
二十五分掉出來
我把它放進茶壺
然後等待一元
從壺嘴滾出來
I put the dollar in my mattress,
and had some pleasant dreams
'til suddenly my mattress
was bursting at the seams!
我把一元藏進床墊
睡了安穩的一覺
直到突然間那床墊
錢都快要衝破縫線
And that's how I acquired,
the wealth I now possess!
That little penny was the secret
of my success!
這就是我如何賺到
我現在有的財富
我成功的秘密
就是靠那一毛錢
I had a penny in my pocket,
and not another soon!
And with my only shirttail,
I shined a rich man's shoe!
我在口袋放入一毛錢
卻苦等不到下一毛
我有的只有我的衣角
我拿他幫有錢人擦鞋
He threw me down a nickel,
admiring my skill!
I gave the nickel to a blind man,
and the blind man left me all his meager
savings in his will!
他丟給我一枚鎳幣
來獎賞我的技術
我把鎳幣賞給一個瞎子
瞎子把他所有積蓄
寫在遺屬留給我
I bought myself a wagon,
for hauling lots of ice.
They cut the ice to ice cubes,
and got a higher price!
我幫自己買了一台拉車
拖著冰到處兜賣
把冰都切成冰塊
售價又高過原來
I shaved the ice to ices,
for still a higher fee!
A big tycoon said very enterprising
in your organizing,
son you must come work for me!
我把冰塊挫開
賺了更多錢來
一個大富翁說
你的頭腦很有商業邏輯
孩子來為我工作
On route to work next morning,
I helped a lady cross.
The lady was, you guessed it:
The mother of the boss!
隔天上班路上
我幫一個太太過馬路
結果那位太太你猜
居然是老闆的母親
The boss said, "you're promoted,
I need you at my side!"
And then I met the boss' daughter,
and I wed the boss' daughter
and quite suddenly she died!
老闆說「你升職了!」
「今後都待在我身邊」
然後我遇到她的女兒
然後她又死得很快
I bought myself an acre,
a silo, and a steed!
All Yonkers started buying
my grain and hay and feed!
於是我買了一畝地
一個穀倉和馬匹
做起楊克郡的生意
賣穀賣稻賣飼料
And now I've half a million!
But proudly I confess,
that in my pocket is that penny!
Yes, that shiny little penny,
that's the secret of my success!
現在我是個半百富翁
但我很驕傲地承認
我的口袋還是那一毛錢
是那閃亮的一毛錢
就是我成功的秘密