The Boy And The Pillow 男孩与枕头
The Boy And The Pillow
男孩与枕头
A wise father wanted to teach his young son a lesson. "Here is a pillow covered in silk brocade and stuffed with the rarest goose down in the land," he said. "Go to town and see what it will fetch."
一个有智慧的父亲想要给他的年轻儿子上一课。「这是一个表面丝锦织花，里头充填着世上最稀有的鹅绒的枕头。」他说道，「拿到城里去，看看它能沽到什么。」
First the boy went to the marketplace, where he saw a wealthy feather merchant. "What will you give me for this pillow?" he asked. The merchant narrowed his eyes. "I will give you fifty gold ducats, for I see that this is a rare treasure indeed."
男孩首先到市集去，在那里遇见了一位富有的羽毛商人。「你愿意给我什么来换这个枕头呢？」他问道。商人将眼睛眯成一条小缝，「我愿意给你五十个金币，因为我看到的是个稀世珍宝。」
The boy thanked him and went on. Next he saw a farmer's wife peddling vegetables by the side of the road. "What will you give me for this pillow?" he asked. She felt it and exclaimed, "How soft it is! I'll give you one piece of silver, for I long to lay my weary head on such a pillow."
男孩谢谢他，继续往下走。接下来，他遇到了一位在路边叫卖青菜的农妇。「你愿意给我什么来换这个枕头呢？」他问道。她试了试这个枕头，惊呼道：「多么柔软啊！我愿意给你一块银币，因为我渴望这样的枕头，好让我疲倦的头能够依靠，已经好久了！」
The boy thanked her and walked on. Finally he saw a young peasant girl washing the steps of a church. "What will you give me for this pillow?" he asked. Looking at him with a strange smile, she replied, "I'll give you a penny, for I can see that your pillow is hard compared to these stones." Without hesitation, the boy laid the pillow at her feet.
男孩谢谢她，继续往下走。最后，他看到了一个年轻的乡下少女，在教堂前洗刷阶梯。「你愿意给我什么来换这个枕头呢？」他问道。她带着一丝诡异的微笑回望他，回答道：「我给你一便士，因为我眼中所见到的枕头，比这些石头还要硬。」毫不迟疑地，男孩将枕头平放在她跟前。
When he got home, he said to his father, "I have gotten the best price for your pillow." And he held out the penny.
当他回家后，他告诉父亲，「我为你的枕头卖到了一个最好的价钱。」他拿出一便士。
"What?" his father exclaimed. "That pillow was worth a hundred gold ducats at least."
「什么？」他父亲惊叫，「这枕头至少价值一百个金币。」
"That's what a wealthy merchant saw," the boy said, "but being greedy, he offered me fifty. I got a better offer than that. A farmer's wife offered me one piece of silver."
「这正是那位富有的商人所见到的，」男孩回答道，「然而出于贪婪，他只愿给我五十个金币。我得到了一笔比这更好的交易。一位农妇出价一块银币。」
"Are you mad?" his father said. "When is one piece of silver worth more than fifty gold ducats?"
「你疯了吗？」父亲说道，「什么时候一块银币会比五十个金币更有价值了？」
"When it's offered out of love," the boy replied. "If she had given me more, she wouldn't have been able to feed her children. Yet I got a better offer than that. I saw a peasant girl washing the steps of a church who offered me this penny."
「当它是出于爱而给予，」男孩回答道，「她若给我比这还多，她就没有办法喂养她的孩子们了。但我还得到了比这更好的交易。我见到一位在教堂洗刷阶梯的乡下少女，她愿意出价一便士。」
"You have lost your wits completely," his father said, shaking his head. "When is a penny worth more than one piece of silver?"
「你一定完全失去理智，」父亲摇着头说道，「什么时候一便士会比一块银币更有价值了？」
"When it's offered out of devotion," the boy replied. "For she was laboring for her Lord, and the steps of His house seemed softer than any pillow. Poorer than the poorest, she still had time for God. And that is why I offered her the pillow."
「当它是出于奉献而给予，」男孩回答道，「她受雇于上帝，他房舍前的阶梯，比任何枕头都柔软。即使比最贫穷的人还要更贫穷，她仍然有时间留给上帝。这是我为何把枕头给她的原因。」
At this the wise father smiled and embraced his son, and with a tear in his eye he murmured, "You have learned well."
听到这里，这位有智慧的父亲微笑着，拥抱他的儿子，带着眼中的一滴泪水，他喃喃低语，「你学得真好。」
男孩与枕头
A wise father wanted to teach his young son a lesson. "Here is a pillow covered in silk brocade and stuffed with the rarest goose down in the land," he said. "Go to town and see what it will fetch."
一个有智慧的父亲想要给他的年轻儿子上一课。「这是一个表面丝锦织花，里头充填着世上最稀有的鹅绒的枕头。」他说道，「拿到城里去，看看它能沽到什么。」
First the boy went to the marketplace, where he saw a wealthy feather merchant. "What will you give me for this pillow?" he asked. The merchant narrowed his eyes. "I will give you fifty gold ducats, for I see that this is a rare treasure indeed."
男孩首先到市集去，在那里遇见了一位富有的羽毛商人。「你愿意给我什么来换这个枕头呢？」他问道。商人将眼睛眯成一条小缝，「我愿意给你五十个金币，因为我看到的是个稀世珍宝。」
The boy thanked him and went on. Next he saw a farmer's wife peddling vegetables by the side of the road. "What will you give me for this pillow?" he asked. She felt it and exclaimed, "How soft it is! I'll give you one piece of silver, for I long to lay my weary head on such a pillow."
男孩谢谢他，继续往下走。接下来，他遇到了一位在路边叫卖青菜的农妇。「你愿意给我什么来换这个枕头呢？」他问道。她试了试这个枕头，惊呼道：「多么柔软啊！我愿意给你一块银币，因为我渴望这样的枕头，好让我疲倦的头能够依靠，已经好久了！」
The boy thanked her and walked on. Finally he saw a young peasant girl washing the steps of a church. "What will you give me for this pillow?" he asked. Looking at him with a strange smile, she replied, "I'll give you a penny, for I can see that your pillow is hard compared to these stones." Without hesitation, the boy laid the pillow at her feet.
男孩谢谢她，继续往下走。最后，他看到了一个年轻的乡下少女，在教堂前洗刷阶梯。「你愿意给我什么来换这个枕头呢？」他问道。她带着一丝诡异的微笑回望他，回答道：「我给你一便士，因为我眼中所见到的枕头，比这些石头还要硬。」毫不迟疑地，男孩将枕头平放在她跟前。
When he got home, he said to his father, "I have gotten the best price for your pillow." And he held out the penny.
当他回家后，他告诉父亲，「我为你的枕头卖到了一个最好的价钱。」他拿出一便士。
"What?" his father exclaimed. "That pillow was worth a hundred gold ducats at least."
「什么？」他父亲惊叫，「这枕头至少价值一百个金币。」
"That's what a wealthy merchant saw," the boy said, "but being greedy, he offered me fifty. I got a better offer than that. A farmer's wife offered me one piece of silver."
「这正是那位富有的商人所见到的，」男孩回答道，「然而出于贪婪，他只愿给我五十个金币。我得到了一笔比这更好的交易。一位农妇出价一块银币。」
"Are you mad?" his father said. "When is one piece of silver worth more than fifty gold ducats?"
「你疯了吗？」父亲说道，「什么时候一块银币会比五十个金币更有价值了？」
"When it's offered out of love," the boy replied. "If she had given me more, she wouldn't have been able to feed her children. Yet I got a better offer than that. I saw a peasant girl washing the steps of a church who offered me this penny."
「当它是出于爱而给予，」男孩回答道，「她若给我比这还多，她就没有办法喂养她的孩子们了。但我还得到了比这更好的交易。我见到一位在教堂洗刷阶梯的乡下少女，她愿意出价一便士。」
"You have lost your wits completely," his father said, shaking his head. "When is a penny worth more than one piece of silver?"
「你一定完全失去理智，」父亲摇着头说道，「什么时候一便士会比一块银币更有价值了？」
"When it's offered out of devotion," the boy replied. "For she was laboring for her Lord, and the steps of His house seemed softer than any pillow. Poorer than the poorest, she still had time for God. And that is why I offered her the pillow."
「当它是出于奉献而给予，」男孩回答道，「她受雇于上帝，他房舍前的阶梯，比任何枕头都柔软。即使比最贫穷的人还要更贫穷，她仍然有时间留给上帝。这是我为何把枕头给她的原因。」
At this the wise father smiled and embraced his son, and with a tear in his eye he murmured, "You have learned well."
听到这里，这位有智慧的父亲微笑着，拥抱他的儿子，带着眼中的一滴泪水，他喃喃低语，「你学得真好。」
还没人赞这篇日记
