A TURTLE'S GRATITUDE

　　烏龜報恩

　　During the Chin dynasty of the fourth century， there was a middle aged man in Shanyin called K'ung Yu. He was an official for the government， but he had practically the lowest official position in the whole dynasty. His position was low， and so was his pay. Times were hard for him.

　　在公元四世紀(jì)的陳代，山陰縣有個名叫孔玉的中年人。他雖是朝廷命官，但朝中官位最低， 官俸也少得可憐，日子過得非常艱苦。

　　Once he saw a turtle someone was getting ready to eat. He felt sorry for it，so he bought the turtle and took it to the river. There he let it go.

　　一次它看到一只烏龜即將被人吃掉的，他很為它難過，所以把它買下來，帶它到河邊放生。

　　The turtle seemed to understand that Yu had saved it from the soup. As it swam away， it kept looking back at him. Yu watched it until he couldn't see it any more.

　　烏龜好像知道玉從鍋邊救了它。它游走的時候不斷回頭看他。玉一直看著它，直到再也看不見了為止。

　　Years later， Yu had reached a better position. Leading troops， he quelled a rebellion. For his great deeds， the Emperor raised him to the rank of Lord， a high and powerful position.

　　過了若干年，玉得到了提升。他帶領(lǐng)軍隊平判了一場叛亂。由于他的功績，皇帝提升他到一個高而顯赫的職位-侯王。

　　The official insignia for the rank of Lord is a metal seal， or chop. When K'ung Yu was promoted， the royal artisans cast a seal for him， but for some reason， it came out with a turtle on top， and the turtle was looking back over its shoulder. They thought that was strange， so they melted the seal down， made a new mold， and cast it again， but it still came out with a turtle looking back over its shoulder！ The artisans tried over and over again. Every time they made the mold very carefully， and everybody inspected the mold. Every time， the mold was fine， but every time they cast the seal， it came out with a turtle on top of it， and every time， the turtle's head was looking back over its shoulder！

　　此侯王的官徽是一枚金屬章或印。當(dāng)孔玉被提升后，皇宮的工匠給他鑄了一枚印章，但不知什么原因，每次印章被刻出之后，總有一只的烏龜在上邊，這只龜在向后望。 他們覺得很奇怪，于是熔掉印章，鑄了一個新的模子，但鑄出來的印章上面仍有只龜在回頭望。工匠門試了又試，每次鑄模時他們都非常小心，而且每個人都檢查了模子。每次模子都做得很好，但每次鑄出來，上面都有這樣一只烏龜。

　　The artisans thought this was uncanny. They decided to go to the new Lord and see what he thought about it. They knelt in front of him， and said， "My Lord，as directed by our Emperor of Ten Thousand Years， we have tried to make a seal for you as sign of your new rank， but every time we cast the mold， the seal comes out with a turtle on top， and the turtle is always looking back over its shoulder."

　　工匠們覺得很離奇。他們決定去找新任侯王，看他有什么想法。他們跪在他面前說，"大人，接萬歲的旨意，我們試著給您做一枚官印，但每次我們澆鑄模子，鑄出來的官印上面都有一只烏龜，這只烏龜總是在向后看。

　　"Carry on，" K'ung Yu directed. "Do it over again."

　　"繼續(xù)做吧，" 孔玉吩咐說。"再重新鑄一遍。"

　　The artisans followed his command， but once again， the seal appeared with a turtle on top， looking back over its shoulder. K'ung Yu was perplexed. The news of this strange occurrence spread， and eventually reached the royal ears of the Emperor.

　　工匠們遵照他的命令，鑄出來，官印上面還是有一只烏龜向后看。孔玉很不解。這件怪事傳開了，最后傳到皇帝的耳朵里。

　　The Emperor called K'ung Yu in to explain why his seal always came with a turtle， but K'ung Yu was at a loss to explain.

　　皇帝召見孔玉，讓他解釋是怎么回事。孔玉無言以對。

　　On his way home， K'ung Yu suddenly remembered something. The next day in court， he reported， "Your Highness's loyal minister has considered the manner of the seal and the unexplainable turtles， and perhaps has found a reason.

　　回家的路上，孔玉突然想起來的什么。第二天上朝，他奏道，"陛下，臣思考了官印的樣子還有那只無法解釋的烏龜，可能已經(jīng)知道答案了。"

　　"Many years ago， this minister happened to see a fisherman preparing to cook and eat a turtle he had caught. This minister felt sorry for the turtle， and so purchased said turtle from the fisherman and released it by the river. The turtle seemed to understand， for it swam along the surface of the water and looked back as if in gratitude.

　　多年前，臣碰巧看到一個漁夫抓了一只烏龜，正準(zhǔn)備吃掉。臣很同情這只烏龜，于是將它買下，并放到河里。烏龜好像懂事，它一邊在水面上游動一邊回頭看，好象很感激。

　　"Your Highness has currently granted me the rank of Lord； the official seal has a turtle on it； this must be a sign？ hat I have had the opportunity to win such favor from Your Highness due to the gratitude of that turtle， which must have moved Heaven on my behalf."

　　陛下剛剛賜予我侯王的爵位，官印上有只烏龜，這肯定說明由于烏龜對我的感激感動了上天我才有機(jī)會獲得我皇的厚恩。

　　The Emperor told the court，" Those who do good will reap good rewards. The Lord K'ung is an excellent example."

　　皇帝告訴朝臣，"好人有好報。孔公就是一個絕好的例子。"

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