評論
打印
"I want to tell you a story about dreams," said the alchemist.
“我想給你講一個關于夢的故事。”煉金術士說。
The boy brought his horse closer.
男孩驅馬靠近他。
"In ancient Rome, at the time of Emperor Tiberius, there lived a good man who had two sons.
“在古羅馬，提比略皇帝執政時期，有一個心地善良的人，他有兩個兒子。
One was in the military, and had been sent to the most distant regions of the empire.
一個是軍人，被派往帝國最偏遠的地區。
The other son was a poet, and delighted all of Rome with his beautiful verses.
另一個兒子是詩人，用他美妙的詩句迷住了所有羅馬人。
One night, the father had a dream.
一天夜里，老人做了個夢。
An angel appeared to him, and told him that the words of one of his sons would be learned and repeated throughout the world for all generations to come.
一位天使出現在他面前，告訴他，他其中一個兒子說的話，將世世代代被全世界的人熟知和吟誦。
The father woke from his dream grateful and crying, because life was generous, and had revealed to him something any father would be proud to know.
那一夜醒來后，老人感激涕零，因為生活不但慷慨，而且向他展示了任何一位父親都會感到自豪的事。
Shortly thereafter, the father died as he tried to save a child who was about to be crushed by the wheels of a chariot.
不久，老人在搶救一個險些被車輪碾過的孩子時死去。
Since he had lived his entire life in a manner that was correct and fair, he went directly to heaven, where he met the angel that had appeared in his dream.
由于他一輩子行為端正，無可指摘，便直接進入天堂，見到了曾出現在他夢中的那位天使。
'You were always a good man,' the angel said to him.
‘你一直是個好人，’天使對他說。
'You lived your life in a loving way, and died with dignity. I can now grant you any wish you desire.'
‘活著的時候有愛心，死的時候有尊嚴。現在我可以滿足你的任何愿望。’
'Life was good to me,' the man said.
‘生活對我也不薄，’老人回答說。
'When you appeared in my dream, I felt that all my efforts had been rewarded,
‘當你出現在我夢中時，我覺得自己所有的努力都得到了肯定，
because my son's poems will be read by men for generations to come. I don't want anything for myself.
因為我兒子的詩句將流芳百世，為人傳誦。我個人沒什么要求。
But any father would be proud of the fame achieved by one whom he had cared for as a child, and educated as he grew up.
但是天下父母看到兒子出名都會感到自豪，因為小時候照顧過他，年輕時教育過他。
Sometime in the distant future, I would like to see my son's words.'
我倒很想去遙遠的未來，聽聽我兒子說的話。’
The angel touched the man's shoulder, and they were both projected far into the future.
天使碰了碰老人的肩膀，兩人便被拋入遙遠的未來。
They were in an immense setting, surrounded by thousands of people speaking a strange language. The man wept with happiness.
他們周圍出現了一塊巨大的平地，有成千上萬的人，在講著一種奇怪的語言。老人高興得留下了眼淚。
'I knew that my son's poems were immortal,' he said to the angel through his tears.
‘我就知道我兒子的詩句是優美而不朽的，’他含淚對天使說。
'Can you please tell me which of my son's poems these people are repeating?'
‘請你告訴我，這些人反復吟誦的是他的哪首詩？’
