Never stop dreaming.牧羊少年奇幻之旅

The boy went to his room and packed his belongings. They filled three sacks.

圣地亚哥回到房间里，把自己的全部东西集中在一起。那是三个装得满满的包。

As he was leaving, he saw, in the corner of the room, his old shepherd's pouch. It was bunched up, and he had hardly thought of it for a long time.

正要离开时，他发现以前放羊时用的旧褡裢躺在房间的一个角落，皱成一团。他几乎记不得它了。

As he took his jacket out of the pouch, thinking to give it to someone in the street, the two stones fell to the floor. Urim and Thummim.

他一边往外取外套，一边想着要把外套送给街上的某个男孩。就在这时，那两块宝石滚落在地。是乌凌和图明。

It made the boy think of the old king, and it startled him to realize how long it had been since he had thought of him.

男孩想起了撒冷王，并惊讶地发现，自己已经很长时间没有想到他了。

For nearly a year, he had been working incessantly, thinking only of putting aside enough money so that he could return to Spain with pride.

为了不至于垂头丧气地回西班牙，这一年来他不停地干活，一门心思想着挣钱。

"Never stop dreaming," the old king had said. "Follow the omens."

“永远不要放弃你的梦想。”撒冷王这样说过，“要遵循预兆行事。”

The boy picked up Urim and Thummim, and, once again, had the strange sensation that the old king was nearby.

男孩从地上捡起乌凌和图明，再次产生了那种奇怪的感觉，觉得撒冷王就在近旁。

He had worked hard for a year, and the omens were that it was time to go.

他辛辛苦苦干了一年，预兆表明，现在是离开的时候了。

I'm going to go back to doing just what I did before, the boy thought. Even though the sheep didn't teach me to speak Arabic.

我会重新成为原来那样的人，男孩想，只是羊群并没有教我阿拉伯语。

But the sheep had taught him something even more important:

但是，羊群却教过他一件更重要的事，

that there was a language in the world that everyone understood, a language the boy had used throughout the time that he was trying to improve things at the shop.

即世上有一种人人都能理解的语言。在使水晶店兴旺发达的那段时间里，男孩曾经运用过它。

It was the language of enthusiasm, of things accomplished with love and purpose, and as part of a search for something believed in and desired.

这是一种热情的语言，表达着爱和毅力。用这种语言可以寻求所期望或坚信的东西。

Tangier was no longer a strange city, and he felt that, just as he had conquered this place, he could conquer the world.

丹吉尔已经不再是个陌生的城市，男孩觉得他已经征服了这个地方。用同样的方式，他也能征服世界。

"When you want something, all the universe conspires to help you achieve it," the old king had said.

“当你想要某种东西时，整个宇宙会合力助你实现愿望。”老迈的撒冷王这样说过。

But the old king hadn't said anything about being robbed, or about endless deserts, or about people who know what their dreams are but don't want to realize them.

但是，撒冷王却没说过有人会骗取钱财，没说过大沙漠浩瀚无垠，没说过会有知道自己的梦想却不愿去实现的人。

The old king hadn't told him that the Pyramids were just a pile of stones, or that anyone could build one in his backyard.

撒冷王也没说过金字塔只不过是一个大石头堆，而且谁都可以在自家后院里造一个。

And he had forgotten to mention that, when you have enough money to buy a flock larger than the one you had before, you should buy it.

还有一件事他也忘记说了：当手上的钱足够买下比原来还要多的羊群时，就应该买下它们。

The boy picked up his pouch and put it with his other things.

男孩拿起褡裢，把它同其他包放在一起。

He went down the stairs and found the merchant waiting on a foreign couple, while two other customers walked about the shop, drinking tea from crystal glasses.

他走下楼梯，老板正在接待一对外国夫妇。同时还有两位顾客一边在店里转悠，一边端着水晶杯喝茶。

It was more activity than usual for this time of the morning.

早晨能有这些顾客就相当不错了。

From where he stood, he saw for the first time that the old merchant's hair was very much like the hair of the old king.

男孩头一次发现，老板的头发非常像撒冷王的头发。

He remembered the smile of the candy seller, on his first day in Tangier, when he had nothing to eat and nowhere to go—that smile had also been like the old king's smile.

他想起了甜食商贩的微笑，那是他来到丹吉尔的第一天，当时他正走投无路，没有食物充饥。那微笑也使他想起撒冷王。

It's almost as if he had been here and left his mark, he thought. And yet, none of these people has ever met the old king.

撒冷王似乎曾经从这里经过并留下了记号，男孩想道，他们这辈子从来就没见到过那位老迈的王。

On the other hand, he said that he always appeared to help those who are trying to realize their personal legend.

但不管怎样，他说过，他总会出现在为天命而奋斗的人面前。

He left without saying good-bye to the crystal merchant. He didn't want to cry with the other people there.

男孩没有跟水晶店老板告别就走了。他不想别人看到自己流泪。

He was going to miss the place and all the good things he had learned.

然而，他将怀念这段时光，怀念学到的所有美好东西。

He was more confident in himself, though, and felt as though he could conquer th

the world.

他的自信心更强了，有一种征服世界的冲动。

"But I'm going back to the fields that I know, to take care of my flock again."

“但是，我正要奔赴我熟悉的田野，重新去放牧羊群。”

He said that to himself with certainty, but he was no longer happy with his decision.

他肯定地说道，但他不再为自己的决定感到高兴。

He had worked for an entire year to make a dream come true, and that dream, minute by minute, was becoming less important.

他为实现梦想整整干了一年，而这个梦想正一分一秒地失去其重要意义。

Maybe because that wasn't really his dream.

也许那并不是他的梦想。

Who knows ... maybe it's better to be like the crystal merchant: never go to Mecca, and just go through life wanting to do so, he thought, again trying to convince himself.[qh]

说不定像水晶店老板那样更好：永远不去麦加，依靠对麦加的憧憬而活。[qh]

But as he held Urim and Thummim in his hand, they had transmitted to him the strength and will of the old king.[qh]

但是他手中攥着乌凌和图明，这两块宝石给他撒冷王的意志和力量。[qh]

By coincidence—or maybe it was an omen, the boy thought—he came to the bar he had entered on his first day there.[qh]

由于机缘巧合，亦或是某种预兆，男孩这样想着，来到了第一天到这个城市时光顾的那家酒吧。[qh]

The thief wasn't there, and the owner brought him a cup of tea.[qh]

那个骗子已经不在了，酒吧老板给他端来一杯茶。[qh]

I can always go back to being a shepherd, the boy thought.[qh]

我随时都可以重新成为牧羊人，男孩心想。[qh]

I learned how to care for sheep, and I haven't forgotten how that's done.[qh]

我已经学会了照顾羊群，永远不会忘记它们的脾性。[qh]

But maybe I'll never have another chance to get to the Pyramids in Egypt.[qh]

不过，那样的话我也许没有机会去埃及金字塔了。[qh]

The old man wore a breastplate of gold, and he knew about my past.[qh]

老人有一面纯金胸牌，并且知道我的经历。[qh]

He really was a king, a wise king.[qh]

他是一位真正的王，一位智慧的王。[qh]

The hills of Andalusia were only two hours away, but there was an entire desert between him and the Pyramids.[qh]

此处距离安达卢西亚平原仅仅两个小时的船程，但是在他与金字塔之间却横亘着一大片沙漠。[qh]

Yet the boy felt that there was another way to regard his situation: he was actually two hours closer to his treasure ... the fact that the two hours had stretched into an entire year didn't matter.[qh]

但此种境况也让男孩意识到：他距离自己的宝藏近了两个小时的路程。尽管他几乎用了整整一年，才走完这两个小时的路程。[qh]

I know why I want to get back to my flock, he thought.[qh]
我知道为什么想回去牧羊。[qh]
I understand sheep; they're no longer a problem, and they can be good friends.[qh]
我已经熟悉了羊群，它们不会让我费很大力气，并且能讨我喜欢。[qh]
On the other hand, I don't know if the desert can be a friend, and it's in the desert that I have to search for my treasure.[qh]
我不知道沙漠能不能让我喜欢，但是沙漠里却埋藏着我的财宝。[qh]
If I don't find it, I can always go home.[qh]
如果找不到那些财宝，我随时可以返回家园。[qh]
I finally have enough money, and all the time I need. Why not?[qh]
但是生活突然给了我足够的金钱，而且又有足够的时间，为什么不去寻宝呢？[qh]
He suddenly felt tremendously happy. He could always go back to being a shepherd. He could always become a crystal salesman again.[qh]
那一刻，男孩感到无比快乐。他随时可以重新去当牧羊人，随时可以回水晶店。[qh]
Maybe the world had other hidden treasures, but he had a dream, and he had met with a king. That doesn't happen to just anyone![qh]
也许世界上还有很多埋藏的宝藏，但是他曾经重复做过同一个梦，并遇见过一位王。这可不是什么人都能经历的事。[qh]
He was planning as he left the bar.[qh]
男孩兴冲冲地走出酒吧。[qh]
He had remembered that one of the crystal merchant's suppliers transported his crystal by means of caravans that crossed the desert.[qh]
他想起了水晶店老板的一位供应商，那人是通过商队，穿越沙漠为他带来水晶制品的。[qh]
He held Urim and Thummim in his hand; because of those two stones, he was once again on the way to his treasure.[qh]
男孩手中攥着乌凌和图明，由于这两块宝石，他正重新踏上寻宝之路。[qh]
"I am always nearby, when someone wants to realize their personal legend," the old king had told him.[qh]
“我总是在那些为实现天命而奋斗的人的身边。”撒冷王说过。[qh]