"'Well,' asked the wise man, 'did you see the Persian tapestries that are hanging in my dining hall?
“大师问道:‘你看见我餐厅里的波斯壁毯了吗?
Did you see the garden that it took the master gardener ten years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library?'"
你看见园艺大师耗时十年培育的花园了吗?你留意我图书馆里那些漂亮的羊皮纸文献了吗?’”
"The boy was embarrassed, and confessed that he had observed nothing.
“少年很不好意思,坦白说他什么也没看到。
His only concern had been not to spill the oil that the wise man had entrusted to him."
当时他唯一关注的是不要让那两滴油洒出来,因为那是智者托付他办的事。”
"'Then go back and observe the marvels of my world,' said the wise man. 'You cannot trust a man if you don't know his house.'"
“‘那你就再去看一看我城堡中的奇珍异宝吧。’智慧大师说,‘如果你不了解一个人的家,就不能信任他。’”
"Relieved, the boy picked up the spoon and returned to his exploration of the palace,
“少年放松下来,拿起茶匙,重新开始在城堡里漫步。
this time observing all of the works of art on the ceilings and the walls.
这一次,他注意到了挂在天花板上和墙壁上的那些艺术品,
He saw the gardens, the mountains all around him, the beauty of the flowers, and the taste with which everything had been selected.
看到了花园,看到了周围的山岭,看到了娇嫩的鲜花,看到每件艺术品都摆放得恰到好处。
Upon returning to the wise man, he related in detail everything he had seen."
再回到智慧大师面前时,他详细地叙述了刚才看到的一切。”
"'But where are the drops of oil I entrusted to you?' asked the wise man."
“‘可我托付你拿着的那两滴油在哪儿呢?’智慧大师问。”
"Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil was gone."
“少年一看那茶匙,发现油已经洒光了。”
"'Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you,' said the wisest of wise men.
“‘这正是我要给你的唯一忠告。’智慧大师说,
'The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.'"
‘幸福的秘密就在于,既要看到世上的奇珍异宝,又要永远不忘记勺里的那两滴油。’”
The shepherd said nothing. He had understood the story the old king had told him.
牧羊少年没说话。他听懂了老人讲述的故事。
A shepherd may like to travel, but he should never forget about his sheep.
牧羊人喜欢四处游荡,但是永远不会忘记他的羊群。
The old man looked at the boy and, with his hands held together, made several strange gestures over the boy's head.
老人看了看男孩,伸出双手,在他头顶上做了几个奇怪的手势,
Then, taking his sheep, he walked away.
然后便赶着羊群,扬长而去。