An old Japanese man kept a sparrow of which he was very fond. One day it flew away and the old man became sad.

一位上了年纪的日本人养了一只麻雀，他非常喜欢它。一天，麻雀飞走了

He went out looking all over the place for his sparrow At last, near a certain mountain, he met his sparrow.

老人很伤心，到处寻找。最后，在某一座高山附近，他遇到了麻雀。

The old man said joyously¹, "I missed you very much, sparrow. Will you follow me home?"

老人高兴地说：Ⅱ麻雀啊，我很想你，跟我回家吧！¨

Though the sparrow was happy to see the old man, it shook its head.

尽管麻雀见到老人很高兴，但它还是摇了摇头。

"Take me to your home and let me see how you live."The old man pleaded². "I will go away happy to see if you are safe."

¨那把我带到你的新家，让我看看你生活得怎样？¨老人请求道，¨如果你很安全，那我就可以安心地回家了。¨

So the sparrow led the old man to his home. There were many other birds.

于是麻雀把老人领到它的家，那儿有好多其他鸟儿，

They all looked healthy and enjoyed each other's company.

看起来都很健康，彼此相处得很愉快。

"I am glad you are well and have good companions, dear sparrow. I can go back in peace, " said the old man.

¨亲爱的麻雀，我很高兴你生活得很好，有那么多好同伴，我可以放心回去了。老人说。

When it was time for the old man to leave, the sparrow gave him a basket to take home with him as a present.

他正要离开时，麻雀给他一个篮子作为礼物让他带回家。

"Well," said the old man's wife angrily when he returned, "where have you been all day? And what have you here?"

¨喂！¨老人回家后，妻子生气地说：¨你一整天都跑到哪儿去了？你拿的是什么？”

"I have been to the home of my lost sparrow and received this basket as a present, replied he.

¨我到我们失踪的麻雀家里去了，这篮子是麻雀送我的礼物。¨他回答道。

When she opened the basket sh6 was amazed to find it was full of gold and silver.

她打开篮子，惊讶地发现里面装满了金子和银子。

The old woman, who was very greedy, decided³ that she would like a basket of gold, so she set out for the sparrow's home, Unlike the old man who was kind to the sparrow, the wife used to treat it very badly.

老妇人很贪心，觉得自己也应该有一篮子金子，于是她也到麻雀家去了。老妇人没有老人对麻雀那么好，她过去就一直虐待麻雀。

"Hello, sparrow, how are you? I missed you very much," cried the old woman hypocritically.

¨嗨，麻雀，你好吗？我很想你！”老妇人虚伪地叫道。

The sparrow said nothing and she finally decided to go home.

麻雀什么也没说。最后老妇人决定回去，

Still the sparrow did not give her any present she had hoped for.

麻雀也没给她想要的礼物。

Before she left, she unashamedly asked for a present. "My husband got a basket of gold and silver from you, " she reminded the bird.

但她离开前厚颜无耻地开口要礼物。 我家老头子以你这儿得到了一篮子金子和银子。"她提醒麻雀说。

"Alright, replied the sparrow, "for your husband's sake, I offer you two choices. One basket is light and the other is heavy.

“好吧！麻雀答道，看在你丈夫的面子上，我给你两个篮子供你选择，

Just choose one. But you can only open the basket when you reach home!"

一个篮子轻，一个篮子重，你只能选一个，而且只能回家后才能打开。

The greedy old woman cried out, I’ll take the heavy one, " as she thought its weight will contain more gold and silver. "Are you sure?" asked the sparrow.

贪心的老妇人叫道：“我要重的那一个。"因为她想重篮子里一定装了更多的金子和银子。 你确定要重的吗？¨麻雀问道。

"Yes. As sure as you see me standing⁴ before you! I'll take the heavy basket," she replied. So the old woman panted⁵ and puffed⁶ breathlessly as she carried the heavy basket all the way.

¨是的，确定无疑。我要重篮子。¨她答道。于是，老妇人一路上背着重重的篮子，累得气喘吁吁。

But when she arrived home and opened the basket, it was full of stones.

但是，当她回家打开一看，里面全是石头。