The Care-collector
《收集你的憂慮》

Once upon a time, in a bustling village, there was a town square where collectors gathered. These were people who made a living by collecting things that other people had discarded. The collectors discovered that once you had enough of various discarded items, they became valuable again. There were pot and pan collectors, stamp and book collectors, and comic book and spoon collectors. All in all, it was quite a collection of collectors.
從前，在一個熙熙攘攘的村子里，有一個收集者聚集的城鎮廣場。這些收集者通過收集其他人丟棄的東西謀生。收集者們發現，一旦收集到足夠數量的別人丟棄的各種物品，這些被丟棄的物品就會重新變得有價值。他們中有收集鍋碗瓢盆的，有收集郵票和書籍的，有收集漫畫書和勺子的?？傊@里聚集著各種各樣的收集者。
One day an old man came wandering into the village asking where the collector's plaza was. He carried a large pack, but didn't seem to be burdened by its weight. He installed himself casually in one corner of the square.
一天，有一位老人游蕩著來到了這個村子里，四處詢問收集者廣場在哪里。他背著一個大背包，但包里似乎沒什么東西。他隨意地在廣場的一個角落擺下了攤。
Naturally, everyone in the village discovered there was a new collector in town, and they eagerly inquired about what he had in the pack. He simply told them there was nothing in it but his lunch. "You mean; you are not a collector?" they asked. "Oh, yes," he said, "I'm very much a collector. But what I collect does not fit in a pack. I collect people's cares."
自然，村里的每個人都發現鎮里來了一位新收集者。村民們熱切地詢問了他的背包里都有些什么。他只是告訴他們，里面除了他的午餐以外什么都沒有?！澳闶钦f，你并不是一個收集者？”他們問。“我就是一個收集者啊，如假包換?！彼f，“但我收集的東西并不適合放在背包里。我收集的是人們的憂慮?！?br />Intrigued, the villagers asked him to explain. "Well, you see, I discovered long ago that one of the things everybody has too many of and constantly tries to get rid of, are cares: trials, burdens, sorrows, difficult times - all kind of things that make their lives sad. So I offer to collect such things from them and they feel better. Isn't that simple?"
村民們好奇地要求他給出解釋。“呃，你們知道，我很久以前就發現，每個人都有太多的想要擺脫的東西，也就是憂慮。憂慮的情緒會給人們帶來磨煉、煩擾、悲傷和困難時期——所有這些都會讓他們的生活變得凄慘。于是，我來收集他們的這些憂慮情緒，讓他們感覺更好。這是不是很簡單？”

Most villagers thought this was a silly belief and that the man was just too senile to function. But then, someone asked him how he collected cares, and he replied, "Well, there is probably something in your life that bothers you right now—some care that you have. Just tell me about it and I will add it and I will add it to my collection."
大多數村民都認為這是一個愚蠢的想法，并且覺得這個人老糊涂了。隨后，有人詢問他是如何收集憂慮的，他回答說：“你目前的生活中可能會有些東西讓你感到困擾——這就是你的憂慮。盡管把它告訴我，然后我會把它收藏起來?！?br />"But how will that help me?" the inquirer asked. "Just try it." The care-collector said. So the person told the old man about something that was a problem. When the story was finished, the care-collector nodded his head deeply a few times, and then put his hand together as if to scoop up something heavy. He pretended to put it into his pack. "There, I have put it away. How do you feel?" he asked.
“但，這么做對我有什么幫助嗎？”詢問者問道。“那就試試看吧，”憂慮收集者說。于是，這個人將自己的一件麻煩事告訴了這位老人。說完后，憂慮收集者深深地點了幾下頭，然后手指攥在一起，做出似乎要挖出重物的動作。然后，他假裝著把挖出的“重物”放入了自己的背包里?！昂昧?，我已經把你的憂慮拿走了。你感覺如何？”他問。
The person who had his care collected said, "Why, I do feel better. I think I can handle the problem much better now. It really works!" Word spread, and soon there was a throng of people who came to give their cares to the care-collector. Years passed, and the village became known as the happiest place ever to live in, thanks to the care collector's efforts.
被收集了憂慮的那個人回答說：“哎呀，我真的感覺好多了。我覺得我現在可以更好地處理這件事了。它真的起作用了！”一傳十，十傳百，很快人們就開始蜂擁而至，把他們自己的憂慮交給這位神奇的憂慮收集者。若干年后，在這位憂慮收集者的努力下，這個村子成為了有史以來最幸福的居住地。
One day, just before dawn, the care-collector reckoned his task in this village was completed. So he quietly stood up and lifted his pack in a gesture that was slower and more painful than before, as if the pack was heavier and he slipped away in silence.
有一天，就在拂曉之前，這位憂慮收集者認為自己在這個村子的使命已經完成了。于是，他靜靜地站起身來，用一種比以往更緩慢，更痛苦的姿勢，背起似乎比以往更重的背包，悄悄地離開了村子。
It was not long thereafter when a weary and burdened young man came into the village. The villagers, all still the happiest they ever were, helped him as best they could, and when he was feeling a bit better, they asked him if he knew about the old man, the hero of the village, who had left for the city several weeks ago. "Know him?!" the youth replied. "Why, my whole city has been talking about him. Haven't you heard?" "Why, no," the people chorused back, "Tell us what happened."
此后不久，一個疲倦且憂心忡忡的年輕人來到了村子。這些依舊保持著最幸福狀態的村民們，盡他們所能為這位年輕人提供了幫助。當他感覺好一點時，村民們問他是否了解幾星期前動身前往城里的那位，曾經在村子里呆過的神奇老人的近況?！澳銈冋J識他？！”年輕人回答說，“全城都在談論他，你們沒有聽說過他的事情嗎？”“沒有啊，”村民們異口同聲地說，“快告訴我們發生了什么事情?！?br />"That old man came quietly into the city and nobody noticed him, at first," the youth recounted. "Once in a while you could see him talking to people—mostly listening, really. When a person finished talking to him, he bowed his head and did a funny thing with his hands and the person began to feel better. For the first time in a long while, people in the city began to feel better and have a bit of hope for their own lives." "Yes, we know. He did that here, too," replied the villagers.
“那位老人悄悄地來到了城里，一開始沒有人注意到他，”這位年輕人回憶道，“偶爾你可以看到他跟人說話——實際上，大多數情況下，他都是在傾聽別人說話。當一個人結束與他的交談時，他都會點頭，然后用雙手做出一個很有趣的動作，這個人就會感覺好多了。很久以來，城里的人們從來沒有像當時那樣感覺自己的心情會變得如此之好，從來沒有對生活有過如此的期待?！?“是的，我們了解，他也曾給我們帶來了那樣的感受?！贝迕窕卮鹫f。
"Well, one night, as he was leaving the city square, a big storm caught him by surprise, and he was struck by lightning. He died almost instantly, leaving behind only a very heavy, but empty suitcase." The villagers gasped. Some began to cry. "I am so sorry to bring you this sad news" said the youth, and there was a long silence.
“呃，后來有一天晚上，在離開城市廣場時，他遭遇了一場突如其來的大風暴，并且不幸遭到了雷擊。不久，他便離開了人世，只留下一個沉甸甸，但空無一物的手提箱?！贝迕袢巳褐邪l出唏噓聲，有些人甚至哭了起來?！拔液鼙附o你們帶來這個不幸的消息。”年輕人說。之后，便是一段長時間的沉默。
Suddenly, the youth exclaimed: "Hey...It still works! I feel a lot better for telling you about the death of the care-collector! Collecting cares still works! You can do it for me, and I can do it for you. He only showed us how!"
突然，年輕人驚呼道：“嘿......它仍然是有效的！給你們講了關于憂慮收集者死亡的事情后，我感覺好多了，收集憂慮的做法仍然起作用，我們可以彼此這樣做。他只是向我們展示了該如何去做?！?br />The young man jumped up, filled with new energy and strength. "I'm going to travel back to my city, and to many other places as well!!" The villagers tried to stop him, saying that "There are too many cares and burdens in the world, why don't you stay here and avoid feeling miserable as much as you can?" "Exactly! Exactly!" he continued. "That's why I'm going. I will become a care-collector!"
年輕人激動地跳了起來，身體里充滿了新的活力與力量?！拔乙氐轿业某鞘?，然后還要去許多其他地方！”村民們試圖阻止他，并對他說：“世界上有太多的憂慮和煩擾，你為什么不留在這里，盡量避免去感受這些悲慘的事情呢？”“太對了，太對了?！彼^續說?！斑@就是我要去那些地方的原因。我要成為一名憂慮收集者！”