石头汤 Stone Soup

石头汤 Stone Soup

（美）琼·穆特，阿甲译。By Jon J. Muth

Three monks, travelledalong a mountain road.

三个和尚，走在一条山路上。

“What makes one happy, Siew?” asked the youngest monk.

“什么使人幸福，阿寿？”最年轻的阿福问。

They arrived at a village,

他们来到一个村庄，

The villagers worked hard, but only forthemselves.

村民们辛苦劳作，但从来只顾自己。

But they had little to do with one another.

可他们相互间很少往来。

When the monks reached the foot of themountain, the villagers disappeared into their houses.

当和尚们走到山脚下时，村民们早已躲进家中。

No one came to the gates to greet them.

没有人到门前来迎接。

The monks knocked on the door of the firsthouse, there was no answer.

和尚们去敲第一家的门。没有人回答。

They knocked on a second door and the samething happened.

他们又去敲第二家的门，结果还是一样。

It happened again and again, from one houseto the next.

就这样，一家挨一家，一户又一户。

“These people do not know happiness,” theyall agreed.

“这些人不知道什么是幸福。”和尚们说。

“Today,” said Siew, his face bright as themoon. “We will show them how to make stone soup.”

“可是今天，”阿寿说道，“我们要让他们看看我们怎么煮石头汤。”

They gathered twigs and branches and made afire.

他们捡来些树枝，点起一堆火。

They placed a small tin pot on top andfilled it with water from the village well.

他们拿出一口小铁锅，盛满井水，架到火上。

A brave little girl, who had been watching,came to them. “What are you doing?” she asked.

一个小女孩看见了，她勇敢地走上前，问道：“你们在干什么？”

“We are making stone soup and we need threeround, smooth stones,” 

“我们在煮石头汤。我们需要三块又圆又滑的石头。”

The little girl helped the monks lookingaround the courtyard until they found just the right ones. Then they put themin the water to cook.

小女孩帮和尚们在院子里找石头。他们找到三个正好合适的石头，然后把它们放进水里去煮。

“These stones will make excellent soup,”said Siew. “But this very small pot won’t make much I’m afraid.”

“这些石头可以煮出极其美味的汤，”阿寿说，“可是这么小的锅，恐怕煮不出很多。”

“My mother has a bigger pot,” said thegirl.

“我妈妈有口更大的锅。”小女孩说。

The little girl ran home.

小女孩跑回家。

As she started to take a pot, her motherasked what she was doing.

当她要拿锅的时候，妈妈问她要做什么。

“The three strangers are making soup fromstones,” she said. “They need our biggest pot.”

“那三个陌生人要用石头煮汤，”她说，“他们需要我们家最大的锅。”

“Hmm,” said the girl’s mother. “Stones areeasy to come by. I’d like learn how to do that!”

“嗯，”小女孩的妈妈说，“石头满地都是，我倒想学学怎么用石头来煮汤。”

One by one, the people of the village cameout to see just what the stone soup was.

村里人一个接一个走出家门，想看看石头汤到底怎么煮。

“Of course. Old-style stone soup should bewell seasoned with salt and pepper,” said a monk.

“当然啦，煮传统风味的石头汤，加点儿盐和胡椒粉，味道会更香。”和尚说。

“可是我们没带……”

“I have some salt and pepper,” said thescholar, his eyes big with curiosity.

“我家有盐和胡椒粉！”秀才说，他的眼睛睁得大大的，充满了好奇。

 Hedisappeared and came with salt and pepper and even a few other spices.

一转眼他就不见了，回来时拿着盐和胡椒粉，还有一点别的调料。

A monk took a taste, “The last time we had soup stones of this size and color, carrotsmade the broth very sweet.”

和尚尝了尝。“上次我们煮石头汤时，还放了一些胡萝卜，那汤可真甜。”

“Carrots?” said a woman from the back, “I mayhave a few carrots, but just a few.”

“胡萝卜？”站在后排的一个妇人说，“我家可能有！不过只有几根。”

And off she ran. She returned with as manyas carrots she could carry and dropped them into the pot.

她转身就跑，回来时捧着许多胡萝卜，她把胡萝卜倒进大锅。

“Do you think it would be better withonions?” asked Hok.

“再放几个洋葱，你们觉得味道会不会更香？”阿福问道。

“Oh yes. Maybe an onion would taste good,”said a farmer, and he hurried off.

“哦，对啊！放个洋葱进去味道也许不错。”农夫说着，快步离开。

He returned in a moment with five bigonions, and he dropped them into the bubbling soup.

过了一会儿，他拿来五个大洋葱，把它们放进沸腾的汤中。

A few dashed away and returned with freshmushrooms, noodles, pea pods and cabbages.

还有几个一溜烟地跑开，回来时拿着新鲜的蘑菇、面条、豌豆荚和卷心菜。

Something magical began to happen among thevillagers.

村民中间，一件不可思议的事情发生了。

As each person opened their heart to give, thenext person gave even more.

当每个一人敞开胸怀付出时，下一个人就会付出更多。

And as this happened, the soup grew richerand smelled more delicious.

就这样，汤里的料越来越丰富，汤闻起来也越来越香。

 You have shown us that sharingmakes us all richer.”

村名们明白了，分享使人更加富足。”

“And to think,” said the monks, “to behappy is as simple as making stone soup.”

和尚们说，“是的，幸福就像煮石头汤那样简单。”

【注：音频故事较原文有所改编】