双语故事连载:沉默的歌手 The Mute Singer(下篇)

 
　No one ever saw the Mute Singer at night. Nobody even knew where he slept. But during the day he could be found at the same place, sitting near the church and playing his guitar while his lips moved silently with the music.
   从未有人在晚上看见过沉默的歌手，没人知道他睡在哪里。但是白天，总能在同样的地方看到他，他坐在教堂附近，弹着吉他，嘴唇随着音乐张合。

　Everybody liked the Mute Singer-the peasants as much as the beggars. People threw their pennies into the cups of the beggars sitting on the ground, asking for help. But not so with the Mute Singer. Into his cup, they dropped their pennies gently. He used the shell of a turtle as a cup. He got much more money than the others, but this did not trouble any of the beggars.
   大家都喜欢沉默的歌手——农民们和乞丐都喜欢他。人们将钱扔进那些坐在地上乞求帮助的乞丐的罐中。但对沉默的歌手不是这样，他们总是轻轻地将钱放进去。他把龟壳当作罐，他得的钱总是比其他人多，但这并不影响到其他乞丐。

　At the end of the day, the beggars crowded around the Mute Singer in front of the church. He took a clean white handkerchief from the pocket of his old coat, and put it smoothly on the ground. He made it seem like a religious ceremony. Then he put all his money on the clean white cloth, he made all the beggars an equal share of the money but kept nothing for himself.
      在一天结束的时候，乞丐围在站在教堂前的“沉默的歌手”身旁，他从旧衣服中掏出一条白手帕，轻轻地放到地面。放佛在进行着某种宗教仪式。他将讨来的钱放在感情的白布上，将钱均分给其他乞丐，但自己却不要一分钱。

　Sadly, he looked around at the beggars, covered with dirt and disease. The sun was sinking fast and the peasants had all left the church area. The Mute Singer lowered his head and started to pray; the beggars were on their knees, joining him in prayer.
   他难过地看着周围的乞丐，他们身上满是泥土，都身患疾病。太阳西沉，农民们都已经离开了教堂。沉默的歌手低下头开始祈祷，乞丐们也跪下来一起祈祷。

　Then the Mute Singer began to play his guitar, moving his lips with the music. The beggars sat still and listened. The music cut deep into their hearts. It cut through their years of pain and suffering and loss of hope. It made them feel human again. Many of them cried, and with dried old hands wiped away their tears.
   沉默的歌手开始谈起吉他，嘴唇随着音乐张合。乞丐们静静地坐着，倾听。音乐触及到他们的心灵。穿过多年的痛苦和希望的丧失。音乐使乞丐们再次感觉到自己是人。很多人哭了，用苍老的手抹去眼泪。