双语故事:美味的石头汤

Many years ago three soldiers, hungry and weary of battle, came upon a small village. The villagers, suffering a meager harvest and the many years of war, quickly hid what little they had to eat and met the three at the village square, wringing their hands and bemoaning the lack of anything to eat.

很多年前，有三个士兵，他们从战场回来既饥饿又疲倦，这时他们来到了一个小村庄。然而由于粮食遭遇欠收和连年的战争，村民们迅速的将它们的一小点粮食藏了起来，并在村子的广场中接待了士兵们，搓着双手，哀叹着他们是多么缺少食物。

The soldiers spoke quietly among themselves and the first soldier then turned to the village elders. "Your tired fields have left you nothing to share, so we will share what little we have: the secret of how to make soup from stones."

士兵们平静地与村民们交谈着，第一个士兵对村庄的长老说道：“既然你们的土地收成不好，不能分给我们点吃的，那么我们将会与你们分享我们所有的：如何用石头做一道好汤的秘密。”

Naturally the villagers were intrigued and soon a fire was put to the town's greatest kettle as the soldiers dropped in three smooth stones. "Now this will be a fine soup", said the second soldier; "but a pinch of salt and some parsley would make it wonderful!" Up jumped a villager, crying "What luck! I've just remembered where some's been left!" And off she ran, returning with an apronful of parsley and a turnip. As the kettle boiled on, the memory of the village improved: soon barley, carrots, beef and cream had found their way into the great pot.

自然啦，村民们都十分好奇，很快他们就升起了火，架起了城里最大的一口锅，士兵们将三颗光滑的石子丢到了锅里。“这将是一锅好汤”第二个士兵说；“不过如果有一撮盐和一些欧芹那就更棒啦！”一个村民跳了起来，喊道“多幸运啊！我刚刚想起来家里还剩下些呢！”于是她跑回家，带着满满一围裙的欧芹和一根萝卜回来了。随着锅里的水渐渐煮沸，村民们的记忆力也变的越来越好，很快地，大麦，胡萝卜，牛肉还有奶油，统统被投入了这个大罐子里。

They ate and danced and sang well into the night, refreshed by the feast and their new-found friends. In the morning the three soldiers awoke to find the entire village standing before them. At their feet lay a satchel of the village's best breads and cheese. "You have given us the greatest of gifts: the secret of how to make soup from stones", said an elder, "and we shall never forget." The third soldier turned to the crowd, and said: "There is no secret, but this is certain: it is only by sharing that we may make a feast". And off the soldiers wandered, down the road.

他们吃啊~跳啊~唱啊~直到深夜，美妙的宴会和新结交的朋友让每个人都感到焕然一新。当早上三个士兵醒来时，他们发现所有村民正站在他们面前。在他们脚边放着有一包这个村子最好的面包和奶酪。“你们把最好的礼物送给了我们：如何从石头里做汤的秘密”，一位长老说道，“这一点我们永远也不会忘记。”第三个士兵转身冲大伙说到：“这并没有什么秘密，但是有一件事是确定的：只有一起分享，我们才可能举办一次宴会。”说完，他们又踏上了路，慢慢走去了。