力量感到骄傲。
The Curse
And old man of the sea once said to me, “It was thirty years ago that a sailor was away with my daughter. And I cursed them both in my heart, for of all the world I loved but my daughter.
“Not long after that, the sailor youth went down with his ship to the bottom of the sea, and with him my lovely daughter was lost unto me.
“Now therefore behold in me the murderer of a youth and a maid. It was my curse that destroyed them. And now on my way to the grave I seek God’s forgiveness.”
This the old man said. But there was a tone of bragging in his words, and it seems that he is still proud of the power of his curse.
石 榴
从前有一个人在果园里种了很多石榴，许许多多的秋天，他都把石榴装在银托盘里放在家门口，他在托盘上亲手写道：“欢迎光临，请尝一个吧。”
可是，人们经过，没有一个人品尝石榴。
他冥思苦想了一番，接下来的这个秋天，他不再把石榴盛在银托盘里放在家门口，而是挂了块大牌，写道：“这有世界上最好的石榴，我们的售价比其他任何地方都高。”
你瞧，这次附近所有的男人女人都跑来抢购。
The Pomegranates
There was once a man who had many pomegranate trees in his orchard. And for many an autumn he would put his pomegranates on silvery trays outside of his dwelling, and upon the trays he would place signs upon which he himself had written, “Take one for aught. You are welcome.”
But people passed by and no one took of the fruit.
Then the man bethought him, and one autumn he placed no pomegranates on silvery trays outside of his dwelling, but he raised this sign in large lettering: “Here we have the best pomegranates in the land, but we sell them for more silver than any other pomegranates.”
And now behold, all the men and women of the neighborhood came rushing to buy.
上帝和众神
一位诡辩家站在基拉菲斯城大教堂的台阶上宣讲众神。众人都在心底说：“这些我们全知道。难道他们不是和我们住在一起，我们走到哪儿他们就跟到哪儿吗？”
不久以后，另一个人站在市场里对众人说：“世界上根本就没有上帝。”许多人听到这话非常高兴，因为他们害怕神。
流浪者 第五章（3）
又是一天，来了一个能说会道的人，他说：“世上只有一个上帝。”这次人们更加沮丧了，因为他们怕一个上帝的裁决胜过众神的审判。
同一个季节里，又来了一个人，他对大家说：“世上有三个上帝。他们作为一个整体停留在风中，他们有一位巨大而亲切的母亲，同时也是他们的配偶和姐妹。”
大家都感到很欣慰，他们秘密地说：“三个上帝构成的一个整体，对我们的缺点一定会意见相左，而他们和蔼的母亲肯定会站在我们这些可怜的弱者一边的。”
甚至直到今天，基拉菲斯城的人还在争论到底是有很多神还是根本就没有上帝一说，有一个神还是三个神合为一个整体，并有一位慈祥的老母亲。
God and Many Gods
In the city of Kilafis a sophist stood on the steps of the Temple and preached many gods. And the people said in their hearts, “We know all this. Do they not live with us and follow us wherever we go?”
Not long after, another man stood in the market place and spoke unto the people and said, “There is no god.” And many who heard him were glad of his tidings, for they were afraid of gods.
And upon another day there came a man of great eloquence, and he said, “There is but one God.” And now the people were dismayed for in their hearts they feared the judgment of one God more than that of many gods.
That same season there came yet another man, and he said to the people, “There are three gods, and they dwell upon the wind as one, and they have a vast and gracious mother who is also their mate and their sister.”
Then everyone was comforted, for they said in their secret, “three gods in one must needs disagree over our failings, and besides, their gracious mother will surely be an advocate for us poor weaklings.”
女聋子
从前，有个富翁，他的妻子是个聋子。
一天早上，他们正在吃早饭，她对他说：“我昨天去了趟市场，那儿陈列有大马士革的丝绸衣服、印度头巾、波斯项链、也门手镯。看起来商队刚把那些东西运到我们城市呢，现在看看我，还是一个富翁的妻子呢，穿得破破烂烂的。我想要那些漂亮的物品。”
丈夫仍忙着喝他的早餐咖啡，他说：“亲爱的，没有理由让你不去逛街，买你自己想要的任何东西啊。”♀♀網♀文♀檔♀下♀載♀與♀在♀線♀閱♀讀♀
聋妻子说：“‘不’，你总是说‘不，不’，难道我必须衣衫褴褛地出现在我的朋友面前，给你的财富和我的家族丢脸吗？”
丈夫说：“我没有说‘不’，你可以自由地去市场，买那些运到我们城里的最漂亮的衣服和珠宝。”
但这一次妻子又会错意了，她回答道：“所有富人里，你是最吝啬的。一切美丽可爱的东西你都不肯花钱给我买，别的同龄的女人都穿着华丽的服饰在城市花园里散步呢。”
她开始小声地啜泣，眼泪滴落胸`前，她泪眼汪汪地说：“每次我想要一件衣服或珠宝，你总是对我说‘不，不’。”
丈夫被打动了，他站起来，从钱包里掏出一把金币放到她面前，温和地说：“亲爱的，去逛街吧，去买你想要的东西。”
自那天起，每当她想要什么东西时，耳聋的妻子都会泪眼婆娑地望着丈夫，而他总是默默地掏出一把金币放在她的衣兜里。
现在，年轻妻子爱上了一个年轻人，这个年轻人有长途旅行的习惯。每次他离开，她都会坐在窗前哭泣。
当她的丈夫看见她哭泣，他在心里说：“一定又来了新的商队，街上有绸缎衣服和稀世珍宝了。”
流浪者 第五章（4）
他总会掏出一把金币放在她的面前。
She Who Was Deaf
Once there lived a rich man who had a young wife, and she was stone deaf.
And upon a morning when they were having their breakfast, she spoke to him and she said, “Yesterday I visited the market place, and there were exhibited silken raiment from Damascus, and coverchiefs from India, necklaces