雙語故事:美味的石頭湯

Many years ago three soldiers, hungry and weary of battle, came upon a small village. The villagers, suffering a meager harvest and the many years of war, quickly hid what little they had to eat and met the three at the village square, wringing their hands and bemoaning the lack of anything to eat.

很多年前，有三個士兵，他們從戰場回來既飢餓又疲倦，這時他們來到了一個小村莊。然而由於糧食遭遇欠收和連年的戰爭，村民們迅速的將它們的一小點糧食藏了起來，並在村子的廣場中接待了士兵們，搓着雙手，哀嘆着他們是多麼缺少食物。

The soldiers spoke quietly among themselves and the first soldier then turned to the village elders. "Your tired fields have left you nothing to share, so we will share what little we have: the secret of how to make soup from stones."

士兵們平靜地與村民們交談着，第一個士兵對村莊的長老說道：“既然你們的土地收成不好，不能分給我們點吃的，那麼我們將會與你們分享我們所有的：如何用石頭做一道好湯的祕密。”

Naturally the villagers were intrigued and soon a fire was put to the town's greatest kettle as the soldiers dropped in three smooth stones. "Now this will be a fine soup", said the second soldier; "but a pinch of salt and some parsley would make it wonderful!" Up jumped a villager, crying "What luck! I've just remembered where some's been left!" And off she ran, returning with an apronful of parsley and a turnip. As the kettle boiled on, the memory of the village improved: soon barley, carrots, beef and cream had found their way into the great pot.

自然啦，村民們都十分好奇，很快他們就升起了火，架起了城裏最大的一口鍋，士兵們將三顆光滑的石子丟到了鍋裏。“這將是一鍋好湯”第二個士兵說；“不過如果有一撮鹽和一些歐芹那就更棒啦！”一個村民跳了起來，喊道“多幸運啊！我剛剛想起來家裏還剩下些呢！”於是她跑回家，帶着滿滿一圍裙的歐芹和一根蘿蔔回來了。隨着鍋裏的水漸漸煮沸，村民們的記憶力也變的越來越好，很快地，大麥，胡蘿蔔，牛肉還有奶油，統統被投入了這個大罐子裏。

They ate and danced and sang well into the night, refreshed by the feast and their new-found friends. In the morning the three soldiers awoke to find the entire village standing before them. At their feet lay a satchel of the village's best breads and cheese. "You have given us the greatest of gifts: the secret of how to make soup from stones", said an elder, "and we shall never forget." The third soldier turned to the crowd, and said: "There is no secret, but this is certain: it is only by sharing that we may make a feast". And off the soldiers wandered, down the road.

他們吃啊~跳啊~唱啊~直到深夜，美妙的宴會和新結交的朋友讓每個人都感到煥然一新。當早上三個士兵醒來時，他們發現所有村民正站在他們面前。在他們腳邊放着有一包這個村子最好的麪包和奶酪。“你們把最好的禮物送給了我們：如何從石頭裏做湯的祕密”，一位長老說道，“這一點我們永遠也不會忘記。”第三個士兵轉身衝大夥說到：“這並沒有什麼祕密，但是有一件事是確定的：只有一起分享，我們纔可能舉辦一次宴會。”說完，他們又踏上了路，慢慢走去了。