双语：一个流传千古的犹太故事

世间万物,有什么能使“高兴的人看了悲伤,悲伤的人见了高兴”的呢?

One day King Solomon decided¹ to humble² Benaiah Ben Yehoyada, his most trusted minister. He said to him, “Benaiah, there is a certain ring that I want you to bring to me. I wish to wear it for Sukkot which gives you six months to find it.”

某一天,国王所罗门有意想羞辱一下其最信任的一位大臣,本奈·本·耶海雅达。于是对他说:“本奈,我想你去为我找一枚戒指。我要在住棚节上佩带,你有六个月的时间去觅寻。”

“If it exists anywhere on earth, your majesty³,” replied Benaiah, “I will find it and bring it to you, but what makes the ring so special?”

本奈回答道:“陛下,只要这枚戒指是存在于这世上的,我定将找到带给您。但这枚戒指有何独特之处呢?”

“It has magic powers,” answered the king. “If a happy man looks at it, he becomes sad, and if a sad man looks at it, he becomes happy.”

“它有着不可思议的力量,”国王答道,“使高兴的人看了悲伤,悲伤的人见了高兴。”

Solomon knew that no such ring existed in the world, but he wished to give his minister a little taste of humility⁴. Spring passed and then summer, and still Benaiah had no idea where he could find the ring. On the night before Sukkot, he decided to take a walk in one of the poorest quarters of Jerusalem. He passed by a merchant who had begun to set out the day’s wares⁵ on a shabby carpet.

所罗门知道世上根本无此物,只想给其大臣一个下马威。春去夏来,本奈还是想不到该往何处找寻此戒指。就在住棚节前夜,他决定去耶路撒冷最贫困的一区走走。他遇到了一个正往破毯子上摆出当天售卖货物的商贩。

“Have you by any chance heard of a magic ring that makes the happy wearer forget his joy and the broken-hearted wearer forget his sorrows?” asked Benaiah.

“你可曾听说过一枚让快乐的佩戴者忘记欢笑,让悲伤的佩戴者忘记伤痛的魔戒?” 本奈问道。

He watched the grandfather take a plain gold ring from his carpet and 1)engrave something on it. When Benaiah read the words on the ring, his face broke out in a wide smile. That night the entire city welcomed in the holiday of Sukkot with great festivity.

他看着老人从毯子上拿起一枚平平无奇的金戒指并在上面刻了点东西,本奈看到所刻文字后大悦。当晚,全城的人都载歌载舞喜迎住棚节。

“Well, my friend,” said Solomon, “have you found what I sent you after?” All the ministers laughed and Solomon himself smiled. To everyone’s surprise, Benaiah held up a small gold ring and declared, “Here it is, your majesty!”

“啊,我的朋友,” 所罗门说,“你找到我要的戒指了吗?”众大臣哄笑,所罗门自己也微微一笑。让大家吃惊的是,本奈举起一枚小小的金戒指并宣告:“在这儿,陛下!”

As soon as Solomon read the 2)inscription, the smile vanished from his face. The jeweler had written three 3)Hebrew letters on the gold band: “gimel, zayin, yod”, which began the words “Gam zeh ya’avor”—“This too shall pass.” At that moment Solomon realized that all his wisdom and 4)fabulous wealth and tremendous power were but fleeting⁶ things, for one day he would be nothing but dust.

所罗门一看戒指上的字,脸上的笑容顿时消失。那位珠宝商在金戒指上刻下了三个希伯来字母:“gimel, zayin, yod”,带出了词语“Gam zeh ya’avor”(与物俱往)。在那一刻,所罗门明白到,他所拥有的智慧、无尽的财富与无边的权力都是过眼云烟,因为有一天他也终将变成灰烬。