One day a young man was standing¹ in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley.

一天，有个年轻人站在市中心，向落忍声称他拥有这个地区最完美的一颗心。

A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect.There was not a mark or a flaw in it.Yes,they all agreed it truly was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen .They young man was very proud and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart.

很多人聚集起来，大家都感叹于年轻人那颗完整无缺的心，那的确是一颗无任何疤痕和瑕疵的心。大家都承认这确实是他们所见到过的最完整无缺的心。年轻人很自豪，因此更大声地炫耀着自己的心。

Suddenly,an old man appeared at the front of the crowed and said,"Why your heart is not nearlyas beautiful as mine."The crowd and the young man looked at the old man's heart.It was heating strongly,but full of scars,it had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in,but they didn't fit quite right and there were several jagged edges.In fact,in some places there were deep gouges² where whole pieces missing.

突然，人群里走出一位老人，说道：“你的心不及我的完美，你知道为什么吗？”围观者和年轻人都看着老人那颗跳动有力，但是千疮百孔的心，老人的心被割去很多块然后又补上一些并不完全匹配的块，有几处边缘还出现锯齿，而有些地方甚至出现缺口，整块心都不见了。

The people stared,How can he say his heart is more beautiful ?They thought,The young man looked at old man's heart and saw and laughted.:You must bejoking,"he said,"Compare your heart with mine,mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears,"

围观者面面相觑，纳闷着老人为什么还认为他的心是最完美的。年轻人看到了老人的心的样子，笑着说：“你肯定是在开玩笑吧，和你相比，我的心才是完整无缺的，可你的心有那么多的伤疤和裂口。”

"Yes,"said the old man,"Yours is perfect looking but I would never with you.You see,every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love-I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the empey place in my heart,but because the pieces aren't exact,I have some rough edges,which I cherish,because they remind me of the love e shared .Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away,and the other person hasn't returned a piece of his heart to me .These are the empty gouges-giving love is taking a chance,Although these gouges are painful,they stay open,reminding me of the love I have for these people too,and I hope somedy they may return and fill the space I have been waiting .So now do you see what true beauty is ?"

“没错”，老人回答，“你的心看起来是完整无缺的，但我不会拿我的心和你交换，你知道，我心上的每一道疤痕代表着我爱过的一个人，我将我的心的一部分赠与他们，大多数情况下他们会回赠给我他们的心的一部分，我因此可以填补我心上的缺口；但因为我们的心的大小并不一致，我的心因此出现了一些不整齐的毛边，我很珍惜这些毛边，因为这让我想起我们对彼此的爱。但有时也有人并不回赠我给出的心，因此形成了你们所看到的缺口。因此，爱的付出是一种冒险。尽管这个缺口让我觉得痛苦，但它们让我知道，我仍然爱着那些人，仍希望有一天他们会回赠我的爱，填满我心中的缺口。现在，你明白真正的美是什么了吗？”

The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks,He walked up to the old man,reached into his perfect young and eautiful heart,and ripped a piece out.He

offered it to the old man with trembling hands.

年轻人惊呆了，流着眼泪，他走近老人，颤抖着双手将自己完好无缺的心的一部分赠送给老人。

The old man took his offering,placed it in his heart and then took a piece from his old srarred heart and placed it in the would in the young man's heart .It fit,but not perfectlt ,as there were some jagged edges.

老人接受了年轻人的赠与，并将自己疤痕累累的心的一部分赠与年轻人，填补他的心的缺口，因为彼此的心的边缘并不吻合，缺口填补得并不是很完好。

The young man looked at his heart,not pergect anymore but more beautiful than ever,since love from the old man's heart flowed into his.

年轻人端详着自己的心，尽管不再完好无缺，但却比以前更加漂亮，因为老人心中的爱开始在他心中流淌。

They embraced and walked away side by side.

老人和年轻人拥抱之后，肩并肩一起离开了。