美國語文第三冊 第75期：小塊面包
Once when there was a famine, a rich baker sent for twenty of the poorest children in the town, and said to them, "In this basket there is a loaf for each of you."
從前，發(fā)生了一場饑荒。有一位富有的面包師讓人叫來了城里最窮苦的20個小孩，對他們說：“在這個籃子里，你們每個人都可以拿一條面包。”
Take it, and come back to me every day at this hour till God sends us better times.
拿去吧，以后每天這個時候回到我這里來，直到上帝賜給我們好轉的時勢為止。
The hungry children gathered eagerly about the basket, and quarreled for the bread, because each wished to have the largest loaf.
饑餓的孩子們急忙圍攏在籃子周圍，他們?yōu)榱嗣姘ハ酄幊?，因為每個人都希望拿到最大的那條面包。
At last they went away without even thanking the good gentleman.
最終，他們連“謝謝”也沒對那位善良的先生說一句就走了。
But Gretchen, a poorly-dressed little girl, did not quarrel or struggle with the rest, but remained standing modestly in the distance.
然而，格雷琴，一個衣衫襤褸的小姑娘，并沒有和其他人爭搶，而是一直謙卑地站在遠處。
When the ill-behaved girls had left, she took the smallest loaf, which alone was left in the basket, kissed the gentleman's hand, and went home.
當那些舉止失禮的女孩們離去之后，她拿出籃子里僅剩的最小的那條面包，親吻面包師先生的手，然后回家了。
The next day the children were as ill-behaved as before, and poor, timid Gretchen received a loaf scarcely half the size of the one she got the first day.
第二天，那些孩子們和第一天一樣沒禮貌。而窮苦、羞怯的格雷琴得到了更小的面包，幾乎只有前一天那條面包一半大。
When she came home, and her mother cut the loaf open, many new, shining pieces of silver fell out of it.
當她回到家，媽媽把面包條切開的時候，許多嶄新的、閃閃發(fā)亮的銀幣掉了出來。
Her mother was very much alarmed, and said, "Take the money back to the good gentleman at once, for it must have got into the dough by accident."
她的媽媽嚇呆了，說：“馬上把這些錢拿回去還給那位仁慈的先生，這些錢肯定是意外掉進面團里的。”
Be quick, Gretchen! Be quick!
趕快去，格雷琴，趕快！
But when the little girl gave the rich man her mother's message, he said, "No, no, my child, it was no mistake."
然而，當小姑娘把媽媽說的話告訴那位有錢人的時候，先生說：“不，不，我的孩子，那沒弄錯。”
I had the silver pieces put into the smallest loaf to reward you.
我讓人把這些銀幣放進最小的面包條里，是為了獎勵你。
Always be as contented, peaceable, and grateful as you now are.
希望你永遠像現在這樣，保持知足、平和、感恩的心。
Go home now, and tell your mother that the money is your own.
現在回家去吧，告訴媽媽，這些錢是你們自己的。
