那些給我智慧和勇氣的寓言故事77:雕像

The Statue

雕像

Once there lived a man among the hills, who possessed a statue wrought by an ancient master, at lay at his door face downward and he was not mindful of it.

從前，一個住在山裏的人家有一座雕像，是古代的一位大師雕刻的。雕像臉朝下倒在門前，他根本沒在意。

One day there passed by his house a man from the city, a man of knowledge, and seeing the statue he inquired of the owner if he would sell it.

一天，從城裏來了一位學識淵博的人，在經過他家門前時，看見了雕像，便問主人願不願意將它賣掉。

The owner laughed and said, "and pray who would want to buy that dull and dirty stone?"

主人笑着說：“請問是誰要買這塊又髒又硬的石頭呀？"

The man from the city said, "I will give you this piece of silver for it." And the other man was astonished and delighted.

城裏人說：“我願意給你一塊銀元買下它。“

The statue was removed to the city, upon the back of an elephant.

山裏人驚訝之餘，不禁喜出望外

And after many months the man from the hills visited the city, and as he walked the streets he saw a crowd before a shop, and a man with a loud voice was crying, "

雕像被一頭大象背到了城裏。幾個月後，山裏人迸城，當他在大街上閒逛時，看見一羣入圍在一個小店前。有一個人大聲吆喝道：

Come in and behold the most beautiful, the most wonderful statue in all the world. Only two silver pieces to look upon this most marvelous work of a master. "

“進來吧，請進來欣賞全世界最漂亮、最神奇的雕像。只需花兩塊銀元，就可以參觀大師手下最不可思議的傑作。”

There upon the man from the hills paid two silver pieces and entered the shop to see the statue that he himself had sold for one piece of silver.

於是，山裏人付了兩塊銀元進店裏參觀，發現這個雕像正是他以一塊銀元賣掉的那個。