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The Spirit in the Glass Bottle I
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The Spirit in the Glass Bottle
玻璃瓶中的妖怪
Once upon a time there was a poor woodcutter who worked from morning until late at night. When he had finally saved up some money he said to his boy, "You are my only child. I want to spend the money that I have earned by the sweat of my brow on your education. Learn an honest trade so you can support me in my old age when my limbs have grown stiff and I have to sit at home."
从前，有个穷樵夫，天天起早贪黑地劳作，并节衣缩食，终於积攒了一点儿钱，便对他儿子说道：「我就你这么一个孩子，我要用我拿血汗辛辛苦苦挣来的钱，供你念书去。你要好好学点儿本领，等我老了、手脚不那么灵便了、只得坐在家里烤火的时候，你才有能力养活我。」
Then the boy went to a university and studied diligently. His teachers praised him, and he remained there for some time. After he had worked through a few classes, but was still not perfect in everything, the little pittance that the father had saved was all spent, and the boy had to return home to him.
於是，儿子便上学了，而且学习非常勤奋，受到老师们异口同声的称讚。中学毕业后，他上了大学，可是在学业完成前，父亲给他的那点儿钱就用光了，他只得辍学回家.
"Oh," said the father sadly, "I cannot give you anything more, and in these hard times I cannot earn a heller more than what we need for our daily bread."
"哎,"父亲忧伤地对他说：「我再也无法供你继续学业了，眼下我只能挣口饭吃。」
"Father, dear," answered the son, "don't worry about it. If it is God's will everything will turn out well for me. I will do all right."
「亲爱的爸爸，」儿子回答说，「别犯愁啦。既然这是上帝的安排，一定会苦去甘来的。」
When the father said he was going into the woods and earn some money by cutting cordwood, the son said, "I will go with you and help you."当父亲说要去森林里砍柴赚些钱回来的时候,儿子说:"我要跟你一块去."
"No, my son," said the father, "you will find it too difficult. You are not used to hard work, and will not be able to do it. Furthermore, I have only one ax and no money left to buy another one with."
「那好吧，孩子，」父亲说，「就一块儿去吧。不过，你会吃不消的，你还不习惯於重体力活儿。还有呢，我只有一把斧子，没钱再买一把呀。」
"Just go to the neighbor," answered the son. "He will lend you his ax until I have earned enough to buy one for myself."
「别担心，」儿子回答说，「咱们找邻居借一把好啦。他们肯定愿意借我用一段时间，我挣到钱买一把新的还给他们嘛。」
So the father borrowed an ax from the neighbor, and the next morning at daybreak they went out into the woods together. The son helped his father and was quite cheerful and full of energy. When the sun was directly above them, the father said, "Let us rest now and eat our noon meal. Then all will go twice as well."
於是，父亲找邻居借了一把斧子。第二天破晓，父子俩就一块儿进了森林。儿子兴高采烈地帮父亲砍柴。中午时分，父亲说：「咱们歇息一下，吃午饭吧。现在刚好是时候。」
The son picked up his bread and said, "Just you rest, father. I am not tired. I will walk about a little in the woods and look for birds' nests."
儿子拿起自己的那份麵包，然后说：「爸爸，你歇着吧，我一点儿也不累。我到林子里去转一转，找几个鸟窝。」
"Oh, you fool," said the father, "why do you want to run about? Afterwards you will be tired and no longer able to lift an arm. Stay here, and sit down beside me."
「你个小傻瓜，」父亲大声说，「你现在要是到处跑来跑去，待会儿就会累得连胳膊都抬不起来了。还是坐在我身边，好好歇息吧。」
But the son went into the woods, ate his bread, was very cheerful, and looked into the green branches to see if he could find a bird's nest. He walked to and fro until at last he came to an enormous oak that was certainly many hundred years old, and that five men would not have been able to span. He stood there looking at it, and thought, "Many a bird must have built its nest in that tree."
儿子没有听父亲的劝告，一边吃着麵包一边在林子里转悠。这天他心情格外愉快，兴緻勃勃地仰望着青翠的枝条，寻找着鸟窝。他在林中走来走去，看见了一棵枝繁叶茂的老橡树，那树树干粗大，足有几百年的树龄，他站在老橡树下，心想：「肯定有许多鸟在上边筑巢。」
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