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一天，一个人正沿着街道走着。他心里很悲伤。事业没什么进展，他非常想买一匹价值1000美元的马。但是他只有800美元用来买马。当然，用800美元可以买很多其他的东西，但是他不想要那些，因此他很伤心，认为这个世界是个让人讨厌的地方。 正走着，他看到一个小孩朝他跑来。那是一个陌生的小孩儿，但是当他看到那个小孩儿时，小孩的脸像阳光一样明媚，绽放出灿烂的笑容。小孩儿伸出一只握紧的手。 “猜猜我手里有什么！”小孩高兴地叫着。 "好东西呗，我敢肯定。”那个人说。 那个小孩儿点了点头，靠了过来，把手张开。 “看！”小孩说道，整个街道回荡着那幸福的笑声。那个人看到孩子的手心里放着一枚一便士的硬币。 "好哇！”小孩儿说。 "好哇！”那人也说。 然后，他们告别了。小孩儿去买了一根棒棒糖，看到整个世界都色彩斑斓。 那个人把那800美元存在银行里面，只留下了50美分。他用那50美分为自己的小儿子买了一个旋转木马，于是小儿子看到整个世界都变成了银色，缀满光闪闪的白点。 “爸爸，这就是你想要买的马吗？"小儿子问。 “这是我已经买下的马。”他说。 “好哇！”小儿子说。 "好哇！"那人说。于是，他看到整个世界还是一个美好的世界。 A Fortune One day a man was walking along the street, and he was sad at heart. Business was dull, he had set his desire upon a horse that cost a thousand dollars, and he had only eight hundred to buy it with. There were other things, to be sure, that might be bought with eight hundred dollars, but he did not want those； so he was sorrowful, and thought the world a bad place. As he walked, he saw a child running toward him. It was a strange child, but when he looked at it, its face lightened like sunshine, and broke into smiles. The child held out its closed hand. “Guess what I have!” it cried gleefully. “Something fine, I am sure!” said the man. The child nodded and drew nearer； then opened its hand. “Look!” it said； and the street rang with its happy laughter. The man looked, and in the child’s hand lay a penny. “Hurrah!” said the child. “Hurrah!” said the man. Then they parted, and the child went and bought a stick of candy, and saw all the world in colorful stripes. The man went and put his eight hundred dollars in the savings-bank, all but fifty cents, and with the fifty cents he bought a hobby-horse for his own little boy, and the little boy saw all the world brown, with white shining spots. “Is this the horse you wanted so to buy, father?” asked the little boy. “It is the horse I have bought!” said the man. “Hurrah!” said the little boy. “Hurrah!” said the man. And he saw that the world was a good place after all. |
