英語寓言故事：煉獄能成天堂

摘要：先前他沒有經歷溺水的危險，所有不珍惜在船上的安全。就象一個人只有感受到病痛的折磨時，方知健康的可貴一樣。

A king was embarked on board a ship, which also carried a slave.

The boy had never been at sea, nor experienced the inconvenience of a ship.

國王帶着一個奴隸乘坐在一條船上

奴隸從未出過海，也從未經歷過坐船之苦。

煉獄能成天堂

He set up a weeping and wailing, and all his limbs were in a state of trepidation, and, howevermuch they soothed him, he was not to be pacified.

他開始哭泣、悲號，四肢不停地顫抖。人們想盡辦法安撫他，但他仍無法平靜。

The king’s pleasure party was disconcerted by him; but they offered no help.

國王原本愉快的心情被他攪得不安起來，但人們卻束手無策。

On board that ship there was a physician. He said to the king; “If you will order it, I canmanage to silence him.”

一個醫師也在船上，他對國王說：“如果允許讓我一試的話，我有辦法讓他平靜。”

The king replied, “It will be an act of great favor.”

國王說道：“那就太好了。”

The physician directed that they throw the boy into the sea, and after he had plungedrepeatedly, they seized him by hair of the head and drew him close to be ship,

醫師吩咐他們把奴隸扔到海里，讓他反覆沉浮幾次後，才抓住他的頭髮把他拖到船邊

where he grabbed the rudder with both hands and, scrambling up on to the deck, slunk into acorner and sat down quiet.

他雙手緊緊抓住船舷，爬上甲板，縮到一個角落裏坐下來，不再吭聲了。

The king, pleased with what he saw, said, “What art is there in this?”

國王很滿意，問道：“這是什麼道理?”

The physician replied, “Originally he had not experienced the danger of being drowned, andundervalued the safety of being in a ship;

醫師回答說：“先前他沒有經歷溺水的危險，所有不珍惜在船上的安全

just as a person is aware of the preciousness of health only when he is overtaken with thecalamity of sickness.”

就象一個人只有感受到病痛的折磨時，方知健康的可貴一樣。”

　　小偷和他的母親

A young man was caught stealing, and sentenced to death three days later.

一個小偷被抓住了，被判處死刑，三天後執行。

He wanted to speak with his mother before the execution. Of course this was granted.

他想在行刑前與他的母親話別，得到了允許。

When his mother came to him, he said, "I want to tell you something." He said something butshe could not hear.

當他媽媽來到他的面前，他說：“告訴你一件事。”他輕輕說了一遍，但是她聽不到;等她走近些，

He whispered again, and when she came close to him, she put her ear to his mouth. He nearlybit off her ear. All the bystanders were horrified.

小偷又輕聲說了一遍。母親將耳朵貼近時，兒子突然咬住母親的耳朵，差點撕下來，周圍的人都驚呆了。

"It is to punish her," he said. "When I was young I began stealing little things, and broughtthem home to mother. "Instead of punishing me, she laughed and said, ‘It will not be noticed.‘It is because of her that I am here today."

“這是對她的懲罰，”小偷說，“我小時候小偷小摸，把偷的東西帶回家時，她不但不懲罰我，反而笑着說‘別讓人看見。’就是因爲她我才落個今天這樣的下場。”

　　農夫和兒子

A Farmer being on the point of death,wished to insure from his sons the same attention to hisfarm as he had himself given it.

一個農夫在臨終時，希望他的兒子們和自己一樣勤耕他的田地。

He called them to his bedside, and said, "My sons, there is a great treasure hidden in one of myvineyards."

他叫他們來到牀前說：“孩子們，在我葡萄園裏的某個地方，藏着一大筆的財物。”

The sons after his death took their spades and mattocks, and carefully dug over every portionof their land.

他的兒子們在他死後，都拿了鐵鍬和鋤頭，小心地在田地的各處翻掘着。

They found no treasure, but the vines repaid their labour by an extraordinary and superabundant crop.

但他們找不到任何財物，然而葡萄卻因此生長得很茂盛，成爲他們勞動的報酬。