One day, at the conclusion of the lesson, he made a sign to the teacher that he should come near to his little window, and he announced to him that he was to leave Turin on the following day, to go and expiate his crime in the prison at Venice; and as he bade him farewell, he begged in a humble and much moved voice, that he might be allowed to touch the master's hand. The master offered him his hand, and he kissed it; then he said:--
有一天，功課完了以后，那囚犯向先生招手，請先生走近窗口去，說明天就要離開丘林的監獄，被解到威尼斯的監獄里去了。他向先生告別，用深情的親切的語聲，請先生把手讓他握一握。先生伸過手去，他就吻著，說了一聲
"Thanks! thanks!" and disappeared. The master drew back his hand; it was bathed with tears. After that he did not see the man again.
“謝謝”，先生縮回手時，據說手上沾著眼淚哩。先生以后就不再看見他了。
Six years passed. "I was thinking of anything except that unfortunate man," said the teacher, "when, the other morning, I saw a stranger come to the house, a man with a large black beard already sprinkled with gray, and badly dressed, who said to me: 'Are you the teacher So-and-So, sir?' 'Who are you?' I asked him. 'I am prisoner No.78,' he replied; 'you taught me to read and write six years ago; if you recollect, you gave me your hand at the last lesson; I have now expiated my crime, and I have come hither--to beg you to do me the favor to accept a memento of me, a poor little thing which I made in prison. Will you accept it in memory of me, Signor Master?'"
先生說了又繼續著這樣說：“過了六年，我差不多把這不幸的人忘懷了。不料前日，突然來了個不相識的人，黑須，花白頭發，粗布衣裝，見了我問：‘你是某先生嗎？’‘你是哪位？’我問。‘我是七十八號的囚犯。六年前蒙先生教我讀法寫法。先生想必還記得：在最后授課的那天，先生曾將手遞給我。我已滿了刑期了，今天來拜望，想送一紀念品給先生，請把這收下，當做我的紀念！先生！’”
"I stood there speechless. He thought that I did not wish to take it, and he looked at me as much as to say, 'So six years of suffering are not sufficient to cleanse my hands!' but with so poignant an expression of pain did he gaze at me, that I instantly extended my hand and took the little object. This is it."
“我無言地站著。他以為我不愿受他的贈品，注視著我的眼色，好像在說：‘六年的苦刑，還不足以拭凈手上的不潔嗎？’他眼色中充滿了苦痛，我就伸過手去，接受他的贈品，就是這個。”
We looked attentively at the inkstand: it seemed to have been carved with the point of a nail, and with, great patience; on its top was carved a pen lying across a copy-book, and around it was written: "To my teacher. A memento of No.78. Six years!" And below, in small letters, "Study and hope."
我們仔細看那墨水瓶，好像是用釘子鑿刻的，真不知要費去多少工夫哩！蓋上雕刻著鋼筆擱在筆記簿上的花樣。周圍刻著“七十八號敬呈先生，當做六年間的紀念”幾個字。下面又用小字刻著“努力與希望”。
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