卡羅琳·舍溫·貝利

Once upon a time， a long， long while ago， the Sun， the Wind， and the Moon were three sisters， and their mother was a pale， lovely Star that shone， far away， in the dark evening sky.

One day their uncle and aunt， who were the Thunder and Lightning， asked the three sisters to have supper with them， and their mother said that they might go. She would wait for them， she said， and would not set until all three returned and told her about their pleasant visit.

So the Sun in her dress of gold， the Wind in a trailing dress that rustled as she passed， and the Moon in a wonderful gown of silver started out for the party with the Thunder and Lightning. Oh， it was a supper to remember！ The table was spread with a cloth of rainbow. There were ices like the snow on the mountain tops， and cakes as soft and white as clouds， and fruits from every quarter of the earth. The three sisters ate their fill， especially the Sun and the Wind， who were very greedy， and left not so much as a crumb on their plates. But the Moon was kind and remembered her mother. She hid a part of her supper in her long， white fingers to take home and share with her mother， the Star.

Then the three sisters said good-bye to the Thunder and Lightning and went home. When they reached there， they found their mother， the Star， waiting and shining for them as she had said she would.

“What did you bring me from the supper？” She asked.

The Sun tossed her head with all its yellow hair in disdain as she answered her mother.

“Why should I bring you anything？” She asked. “I went out for my own pleasure and not to think of you.”

It was the same with the Wind. She wrapped her flowing robes about her and turned away from her mother.

“I， too， went out for my own entertainment，” she said， “and why should I think of you， mother， when you were not with me？”

But it was very different with the Moon who was not greedy and selfish as her two sisters， the Sun and the Wind， were. She turned her pale sweet face toward her mother， the Star， and held out her slender hands.

“See， mother，” cried the Moon， “I have brought you part of everything that was on my plate. I ate only half of the feast for I wanted to share it with you.”

So the mother brought a gold plate and the food that her unselfish daughter， the Moon， had brought her heaped the plate high. She ate it， and then she turned to her three children， for she had something important to say to them. She spoke first to the Sun.

“You were thoughtless and selfish， my daughter，” she said. “You went out and enjoyed yourself with no thought of one who was left alone at home. Hereafter you shall be no longer beloved among men. Your rays shall be so hot and burning that they shall scorch everything they touch. Men shall cover their heads when you appear， and they shall run away from you.”

And that is why， to this day， the Sun is hot and blazing.

從前，在很久很久以前，太陽、風(fēng)和月亮是三姐妹，她們的母親是一顆在遙遠(yuǎn)黑暗夜空中閃爍著的很淡卻又很美麗的星星。

有一天，三姐妹的叔叔和嬸嬸，也就是雷公和電母，邀請三姐妹去和他們共進(jìn)晚餐，母親也允許她們?nèi)ジ凹s。她說她會等著她們，在她們歸來之前不會落下，還要聽她們聊聊這次愉快的拜訪。

于是，太陽穿上金色的衣服，風(fēng)穿上一條拖尾裙，走過時(shí)發(fā)出沙沙的聲響，月亮穿上一條漂亮的銀色長禮服，三姐妹出發(fā)前往雷公和電母的宴會。哦，這真是一頓令人難忘的晚餐！餐桌上鋪著彩虹桌布。冰塊好似山頂上的白雪，蛋糕似云朵一樣柔軟、潔白，還有來自世界各地的水果。三姐妹吃得很飽，尤其是太陽和風(fēng)兩個(gè)貪吃鬼，盤子里連面包屑也沒有剩下多少。只有體貼的月亮惦記著她的母親。她把自己晚餐的一部分藏在了纖長、白皙的手指里，準(zhǔn)備帶回家和她的星星母親分享。

然后，三姐妹向雷公和電母道別回家。她們到家時(shí)，看見星星母親還在那里閃爍著，等著她們，正如她之前所承諾的一樣。

她問：“你們都從晚宴上給我?guī)Щ貋硎裁春贸缘牧?？?/p>

太陽把滿頭的黃發(fā)輕蔑地一甩，回答自己的母親。

“我為什么要給你帶吃的？”她說，“我出去玩是為了自己開心，不會想到你。”

風(fēng)的態(tài)度和太陽如出一轍。她裹上飄拂的長袍，轉(zhuǎn)身背對著自己的母親。

“我也是為了自己開心才出去玩的，”她說，“母親，你又沒和我在一起，為什么我要想到你呢？”

但月亮和她兩個(gè)貪婪自私的姐姐太陽和風(fēng)截然不同。她將白皙甜美的臉龐轉(zhuǎn)向星星母親，向她母親伸出纖長的手。

“母親，你看，”月亮大聲說，“我把我的盤子里每一種美食都給你帶了一部分。我只吃了一半，因?yàn)槲蚁牒湍阋黄鸱窒??！?/p>

于是母親端來一個(gè)金盤子，將她無私的女兒月亮帶回來的食物堆得高高的。母親吃完食物，轉(zhuǎn)過身面向她的三個(gè)孩子，她有重要的話要對她們說。她首先對著太陽說話了。

“你粗心又自私，我的女兒，”她說，“你出去只顧著自己玩樂，卻不會想到有人獨(dú)自留在家中。今后不會再有人愛你了。你的光線會變得滾燙和灼熱，任何東西碰到它們都會被灼傷。當(dāng)你出現(xiàn)的時(shí)候，人們都抱著自己的頭，跑得遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)地躲著你?！?/p>

這就是為什么直到今天，太陽滾燙且熾熱的原因。

Next the mother spoke to the Wind，

“You， too， my daughter， have been unkind and greedy，” she said. “You， also， enjoyed yourself with no thought of anyone else. You shall blow in the parching heat of your sister， the Sun， and wither and blast all that you touch. No one shall love you any longer， but all men will dislike and avoid you.”

And that is why， to this day， the Wind， blowing in hot weather， is so unpleasant.

But， last， the mother spoke to her kind daughter， the Moon，

“You remembered your mother， and were unselfish，” she said. “To those who are thoughtful of their mother， great blessings come. For all time your light shall be cool， and calm， and beautiful. You shall wane ， but you shall wax again. You shall make the dark night bright， and all men shall call you blessed.”

That is why， to this day， the Moon is so cool， bright， and beautiful.

接下來，母親對風(fēng)說：

“你也一樣，我的女兒，一直以來都無情且貪婪，”她說，“你也只顧著自己開心，不會考慮到其他任何人。你將在你太陽姐姐的灼熱里刮起風(fēng)來，你所碰觸到的萬物都將凋謝、枯萎。不但從此沒有人會喜歡你，而且所有人都會討厭你并躲著你?！?/p>

這也是為什么直到現(xiàn)在，天氣炎熱時(shí)刮起的熱風(fēng)令人如此不舒服的原因。

但是最后，母親對著她善良的女兒月亮說：

“你掛念著母親，一點(diǎn)都不自私，”她說，“那些惦記著自己母親的人會得到美好的祝福。你的光線將一直涼爽、靜謐而美麗。你會虧缺，但也會再轉(zhuǎn)盈。你將照亮黑夜，所有人都認(rèn)為你是神圣的。”

正因如此，今天的月亮才能如此清冷、明亮和美麗。

Vocabulary

greedy adj. 貪婪的;貪心的;貪吃的;渴望的

toss v. 甩（頭，以表示惱怒或不耐煩）

heap v. 在……上放很多（東西）

scorch v. （把……）燙壞，燒煳;烤焦（物體表面）

wither v. （使）枯萎，凋謝

blast v. 使（植物等）毀于疾?。ɑ蚝?、酷熱等）