那些給我智慧和勇氣的寓言故事56:煉獄能成天堂

A king was embarked on board a ship, which also carried a slave.

國王帶着一個奴隸乘坐在一條船上

The boy had never been at sea, nor experienced the inconvenience of a ship.

奴隸從未出過海，也從未經歷過坐船之苦。

He set up a weeping and wailing, and all his limbs were in a state of trepidation, and, however much they soothed him, he was not to be pacified.

他開始哭泣、悲號，四肢不停地顫抖。人們想盡辦法安撫他，但他仍無法平靜。

The king’s pleasure party was disconcerted by him; but they offered no help.

國王原本愉快的心情被他攪得不安起來，但人們卻束手無策。

On board that ship there was a physician. He said to the king; “If you will order it, I can manage to silence him.”

一個醫師也在船上，他對國王說：“如果允許讓我一試的話，我有辦法讓他平靜。”

The king replied, “It will be an act of great favor.”

國王說道：“那就太好了。”

The physician directed that they throw the boy into the sea, and after he had plunged repeatedly, they seized him by hair of the head and drew him close to be ship,

醫師吩咐他們把奴隸扔到海里，讓他反覆沉浮幾次後，才抓住他的頭髮把他拖到船邊

where he grabbed the rudder with both hands and, scrambling up on to the deck, slunk into a corner and sat down quiet.

他雙手緊緊抓住船舷，爬上甲板，縮到一個角落裏坐下來，不再吭聲了。

The king, pleased with what he saw, said, “What art is there in this?”

國王很滿意，問道：“這是什麼道理？”

The physician replied, “Originally he had not experienced the danger of being drowned, and undervalued the safety of being in a ship;

醫師回答說：“先前他沒有經歷溺水的危險，所有不珍惜在船上的安全

just as a person is aware of the preciousness of health only when he is overtaken with the calamity of sickness.”

就象一個人只有感受到病痛的折磨時，方知健康的可貴一樣。”