EELS IN THE URN

　　甕中的鰻魚

　　The Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty in China lasted from 1573 to 1620，the same year the Pilgrims reached Massachusetts in America. At that time， in the beautiful Chinese city of Hangchou， the city Marco Polo called Kinsai and praised as the grandest， most beautiful city on earth， as splendid as paradise， lived a very rich man named Yu.

　　中國明朝萬歷年間(1573-1620年)， 1620年也就是 清教徒抵達美國麻薩諸塞州 的那一年 .當時，中國有個美麗的城市叫杭州，城里住著一個叫姓余的富賈。馬可波羅曾稱杭州為Kinsai并且稱贊它是世界上最壯觀、最美麗的城市，宛如人間天堂。

　　Mr. Yu enjoyed doing good deeds. He never killed anything.

　　余先生樂于行善，從不殺生。

　　At the time of our story， a family in his neighborhood had been robbed of almost everything they had. Mr. Yu generously donated money to help his neighbors get back on their feet. His neighbors wife was deeply touched by his kindness.

　　在這個故事發生的時間，余先生的一戶鄰居被搶劫一空。余先生慷慨解囊，助其重立門戶。鄰人之妻深感其德。

　　One day she happened to get ten eels， so she sent them over to Mr. Yus house so he could cook them for his aged mother. Even though eels are a great delicacy for most Chinese， the Yus never killed anything， so their servants put the eels into a big pottery urn and prepared to let them go someday. What with one thing and another， everybody forgot all about the eels in the urn.

　　有一天她剛好獲到了十條鰻魚，于是將其送至余家孝敬余年邁老母。盡管對大多數中國人來說，鰻魚是難得的佳肴。但是余家從未殺生，遂余家的仆人們就把這些鰻魚放到一個大甕里，準備哪天把它們放掉。 出于這個那個的原因 ，所有人都把甕里的鰻魚忘掉了。

　　Some time later， Mr. Yus aged mother dreamed that a group of ten people came into her room and knelt down before her bed. How strangely they were dressed! Every one had on tan clothes and a pointed cap. They said， We beg your mercy! Please save our lives? Then they left.

　　不久后，余的老母親夢到了十個人走到她的房間里，并跪在她的床前。他們穿著奇特!人人著褐衣尖帽。他們說，求求您發慈悲救救我們吧。然后就走了。

　　Old Mrs. Yu woke up. She was confused by this weird dream. She didntknow how she was supposed to save anybodys life. She just didnt know what to do， so， being a sensible old lady， she went to ask her fortune teller to advise her.

　　余老夫人醒過來，難解這個奇怪的夢。她不知道她如何還能救誰的命，茫然不知所措。她是一個明智的老人，決定去問問算命先生。

　　Her fortune teller cast his sticks and examined the date and looked at her palm and said， Do not worry your august head. This is a lucky dream， not an un-lucky dream. These are living creatures which want you to save their lives. You need not look too far. They are right in your own honorable house.

　　算命先生卜了一卦，察看了日期，并看了她的手相，說道：貴人勿憂。此乃吉夢，非不祥之夢。有生靈期您相救。不在遠程，就在貴舍。

　　She hurried home and turned everything topsy-turvy to find the lives to save.Finally one of the servants remembered the eels in the urn. They realized there were ten eels， just as there were ten people in the dream.

　　余老夫人急趕回家，翻箱倒柜地找待救之物。最后一個仆人想起了甕里的鰻魚。他們明白了原來夢里的十個人實際上就是那十條鰻魚。

　　When Mrs. Yu heard about this， she said， We almost took ten lives by accident! Right away， she had the eels taken to the lake and released.

　　余老夫人聽了以后說，我們差點害了十條性命!然后立刻把十條鰻魚帶到湖邊放了。

　　The eels lived happily ever after， and the Yus got richer and richer.

　　以后，這些鰻魚們快樂地生活著 ，余家也越來越富有。

EELS IN THE URN

　　甕中的鰻魚

　　The Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty in China lasted from 1573 to 1620，the same year the Pilgrims reached Massachusetts in America. At that time， in the beautiful Chinese city of Hangchou， the city Marco Polo called Kinsai and praised as the grandest， most beautiful city on earth， as splendid as paradise， lived a very rich man named Yu.

　　中國明朝萬歷年間(1573-1620年)， 1620年也就是 清教徒抵達美國麻薩諸塞州 的那一年 .當時，中國有個美麗的城市叫杭州，城里住著一個叫姓余的富賈。馬可波羅曾稱杭州為Kinsai并且稱贊它是世界上最壯觀、最美麗的城市，宛如人間天堂。

　　Mr. Yu enjoyed doing good deeds. He never killed anything.

　　余先生樂于行善，從不殺生。

　　At the time of our story， a family in his neighborhood had been robbed of almost everything they had. Mr. Yu generously donated money to help his neighbors get back on their feet. His neighbors wife was deeply touched by his kindness.

　　在這個故事發生的時間，余先生的一戶鄰居被搶劫一空。余先生慷慨解囊，助其重立門戶。鄰人之妻深感其德。

　　One day she happened to get ten eels， so she sent them over to Mr. Yus house so he could cook them for his aged mother. Even though eels are a great delicacy for most Chinese， the Yus never killed anything， so their servants put the eels into a big pottery urn and prepared to let them go someday. What with one thing and another， everybody forgot all about the eels in the urn.

　　有一天她剛好獲到了十條鰻魚，于是將其送至余家孝敬余年邁老母。盡管對大多數中國人來說，鰻魚是難得的佳肴。但是余家從未殺生，遂余家的仆人們就把這些鰻魚放到一個大甕里，準備哪天把它們放掉。 出于這個那個的原因 ，所有人都把甕里的鰻魚忘掉了。

　　Some time later， Mr. Yus aged mother dreamed that a group of ten people came into her room and knelt down before her bed. How strangely they were dressed! Every one had on tan clothes and a pointed cap. They said， We beg your mercy! Please save our lives? Then they left.

　　不久后，余的老母親夢到了十個人走到她的房間里，并跪在她的床前。他們穿著奇特!人人著褐衣尖帽。他們說，求求您發慈悲救救我們吧。然后就走了。

　　Old Mrs. Yu woke up. She was confused by this weird dream. She didntknow how she was supposed to save anybodys life. She just didnt know what to do， so， being a sensible old lady， she went to ask her fortune teller to advise her.

　　余老夫人醒過來，難解這個奇怪的夢。她不知道她如何還能救誰的命，茫然不知所措。她是一個明智的老人，決定去問問算命先生。

　　Her fortune teller cast his sticks and examined the date and looked at her palm and said， Do not worry your august head. This is a lucky dream， not an un-lucky dream. These are living creatures which want you to save their lives. You need not look too far. They are right in your own honorable house.

　　算命先生卜了一卦，察看了日期，并看了她的手相，說道：貴人勿憂。此乃吉夢，非不祥之夢。有生靈期您相救。不在遠程，就在貴舍。

　　She hurried home and turned everything topsy-turvy to find the lives to save.Finally one of the servants remembered the eels in the urn. They realized there were ten eels， just as there were ten people in the dream.

　　余老夫人急趕回家，翻箱倒柜地找待救之物。最后一個仆人想起了甕里的鰻魚。他們明白了原來夢里的十個人實際上就是那十條鰻魚。

　　When Mrs. Yu heard about this， she said， We almost took ten lives by accident! Right away， she had the eels taken to the lake and released.

　　余老夫人聽了以后說，我們差點害了十條性命!然后立刻把十條鰻魚帶到湖邊放了。

　　The eels lived happily ever after， and the Yus got richer and richer.

　　以后，這些鰻魚們快樂地生活著 ，余家也越來越富有。