1

    In the morning of life came a good fairy with her basket,and said:"Here are gifts. Take one, leave the others,And be wary,choose wisely!For only one of them is valuable." 

    The gifts were five :Fame, Love ,Riches,Pleasure,Death.The youth,said,eagerly:"There is no need to consider";and he chose Pleasure. 

    He went out into the world and sought out the pleasures that youth delights in . But each in its turn was short-liyed and disappointing,vain and empty;and each,departing,mocked him .In the end he said:"These years i have wasted.If i could but choose again, I would choose wisely."   

    在生命之初，一位仙女帶著籃子走來，對一位年輕人說道：＂這里有幾份禮物，你可以從中選一份，留下其它的．你要小心，做一個明智的選擇；啊，你要明智地進行選擇！因為這里面只有一份禮物是珍貴的．＂ 

    一共有五份禮物：名聲，愛情，財富，快樂，還有死亡．年輕人迫不及待地說：＂沒有必要多想．＂他選了快樂． 

    此后他就開始步入世界，追逐年輕人所喜愛的快樂．然而每一種快樂都是如此短暫，令人感到空虛和失望．每當一種快樂棄他而去時，還要把他嘲弄一番．最后，年輕人感嘆道＂這些年我都浪費了．如果我可以再選一次，我一定會做一個明智的選擇．＂
 
    2

    The fairy appeared,and said:"Four of the gifts remain.choose once more:and oh,remember--time is flying,and only one of them is precious." 

    The man considered long,then chose Love;and did not mark the tears that rose in the fairy's eyes. 

    After many,many years the man sat by a coffin,in an empty home.And he communed with himself,saying:"One by one they have gone away and leftme;and now she lies here,the dearest and the last.Desolation after desolation has swept over me;but each hour of happiness the treacherous trader,Love,sold me i have paid a thousand hours of grief!Out of my heart of hearts i curse him!" 

    這時仙女又出現了，她說：＂這里還有四份禮物．再選一次吧．噢，記住時間飛逝，而其中只有一件是珍貴的．＂ 

    他思考了很久，最終選擇了愛情；他沒有注意到仙女眼里泛起的淚光．許多許多年之后，這個人坐在一口棺材旁邊，屋子里空蕩蕩的．他自言自語道：＂他們一個一個地走了，只剩下我．現在，她就躺在這兒，我最親愛的人兒，我最后的親人．孤獨一次又一次把我包圍．都是因為愛情這個陰狡詐的商人，他出售給我的每個甜蜜的小時，我現在都要用數千個小時的悲傷來償還！我從心底里詛咒他！＂ 

    3

     "Choose again."It was the fairy speaking."The years have you wisdow-surely it must be so.There gifts remain.Only one of them has anyworth-remember it ,and choose warily." 

    The man reflected long,then chose Fame;and the fairy,sighing,went her way. 

    Years went by and she came again,and stood behind the man where he sat solitary in the fading day,thinking.And she knew his thought:"My name filled the world,and its praiss were on every tongue,and it seemed well with me for a littlewhile.How little a while it was!Then came envy;then detraction;then hate;then persecution.Then derision,which is the begining of the end.And last of all came pity,which is the funeral of fame.Oh ,the bitterness and misery of renown!" 

    ＂你在選一次吧．＂仙女又一次說話了． 

    ＂這些年已經教予你智慧－－也理當如此．這里還有三份禮物，其中只有一份是有價值的－－切記，你好好挑吧．＂ 

    他想了很久，然而選擇了名聲．仙女嘆了口氣，徑自離開了．歲月流轉，仙女又回來了，站到他的身旁．已邁入遲暮之年的他孑然一身，心情重重．他在想些什么，她都了然于心． 

    ＂我的名字傳遍世界，每個人都爭相贊頌，有一陣子好像讓我心滿足．可那是多么短暫的一陣子啊！隨之而來的是妒忌；然后是詆毀；然后是憎惡；然后是迫害．之后是嘲諷，從些一切開始步入完結．最后便是憐憫，這也是我的名聲的葬禮．啊，名聲原來是這般苦澀和痛苦！＂ 

    4

    ＂Choose yet again."It was the fairy's voice. 

     "Two gifts remain.And do not despair .In the begining there was but one that was precious,and it is still here.

    "Wealth-which is power!How blind i was!"said the man."Now,at last,life will be worth the living.I will spend.squander.These mockers and despisers will crawl in the dirt before me,and i  will feed my hungry heart with their envy,I will have all luxuries,all joys,all enchant-times of the spirit I will buy,buy,buy!I have lost much time,and chosen badly heretofore,but let that pass;I was ignorant then,and could but take for best what seemed so." 

    Three short years went by,and a day came when the man sat shivering in a mean garret;and he was gaunt and wan and hollow-eyed,and clothed in rags;and he was gnawing a dry crust and mumbling:"Curse all the world's gifts for mockeries and gilded lies!And miscalled,every one,They are not gifts,but merely lendings.Pleasure.Love,Fame.Riches:they are but temporary disguises for lasting realities-Pain,Grief,Shame,Poverty.The fairy said true;in all her store there was but one gift which was precious,only one that was not valueless,How poor and cheap and mean i know those others now to be,Bring it!I am weary.I would rest." 

    ＂不過你還可以重新現挑一次．＂仙女的聲音再度響起． 

    ＂還剩下兩份禮物．不要灰心喪氣，從一開始就只有一份是寶貴的，而現在它還在那里啊．＂ 

    ＂財富－－財富就是力量！我過去多盲目啊！＂他說．＂現在，終于，我的生命將要變得有意義．我要縱情歡度此生，我要揮霍我的人生．那些對我冷嘲熱諷，輕蔑詆毀我的人將要在我面前的泥土里掙扎，而我空乏的心也將因為他們的妒忌而得到滿足．我將要享盡榮華富貴，所有歡樂和所有銷魂的時光．我要買，買！以前我做錯了選擇，失去了許多時間，就讓它過去吧；當時我很無知，我只能選我覺得最好的東西． 

    短短的三年又過去了．到了這么一天，這個人蜷縮在一個簡陋的小閣樓里，古瘦如柴，蒼白無力，雙眼深陷，身上裹著碎布衣衫，渾身顫抖不停．他一邊啃著一塊干面包皮，一邊咕噥著：＂該死的禮物，都是為了讓我受人嘲笑和欺詐！每一樣都叫錯了！它們都不是禮物，根本只是租借品！快樂，愛情，名聲還有財富－都只不過是長久現實的暫時偽裝－它們其實是永遠的痛苦，悲哀，恥辱和貧窮！那個仙女說的沒錯啊，她所有的東西里只有一樣是珍貴的，只有那么一樣不是毫無價值的．我現在才明白，其它禮物是多么低賤與卑劣！把它帶來吧－那真正寶貴的禮物！我累了，我想休息了． 

    ５

    The fairy came,bringing again four of the gifts,but Death was wanting.She said:"I gave it to a mother's pet, a little child.It was ignorant,but trusted me,asking me to choose for it.You did not ask me to choose." 

    "Oh,miserable me!What is left for me ?" 

    "What not even you have deserved:the wantoninsult of Old Age." 

    仙女出現了，帶著以前的那四件禮物，但惟獨沒有最后那一件－死亡．她說道：＂我把它給了一位母親的寵兒子：一個小孩子．他什么也不懂，但他相信我，讓我來幫他挑選．而你并沒有這么做．＂　
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 
    ＂啊，我多可悲啊！那還剩下什么給我呢？＂　　
　　　　　　　　　　　
    ＂一件你也不配得到的東西：接受年老體衰的折磨．