小女孩与面包师

In a famine1-stricken city, a wealthy and kind baker gathered a few poorest children together, took out a basket of bread and said to them: "Each one of you can take one bread from the basket. You can come and take one bread from here before the famine is over." Soon the hungry children rushed forward like a swarm2 of bees. They squeezed3 around the basket to get the biggest bread. But after they grabbed4 their bread, they left without expressing any thanks to the kind baker except one little girl called Eva who did not struggle to strive5 for the bread, and just stood modestly a step away to take the smallest bread in the basket until the others left. She did not leave in a hurry until she had kissed the baker's hand to express her thanks.

The next day, the baker put another basket of bread in front of the boys. They rushed to the bread away madly, leaving the poor, humble little girl only the bread half as big as that the day before. When she returned home, her mother cut the bread in half, many new shining silver coins fell out. Her mother cried in surprise: "Return the money as soon as possible, the baker must have kneaded them in the bread carelessly. Eva, please return them quickly." When Eva told the baker the truth, the baker said benevolently: "No, my child, there is nothing wrong, because I had put the coins in the bread to award you. Hope you can keep a heart of tranquility6, peace and gratitude forever as now. Go home to tell you mother that the money belongs to you." She ran home excitedly to tell her mother the good news. That is the award which she got for her heart of gratitude.

在一个闹饥荒的城市，一个家庭殷实而且心地善良的面包师把城里最穷的几十个孩子聚集到一块，然后拿出一个盛有面包的篮子，对他们说：“这个篮子里的面包你们一人一个。在上帝带来好光景以前，你们每天都可以来拿一个面包。”瞬间，这些饥饿的孩子仿佛一窝蜂一样涌了上来，他们围着篮子推来挤去大声叫嚷着，谁都想拿到最大的面包。当他们每人都拿到了面包后，竟然没有一个人向这位好心的面包师说声谢谢，就走了。但是有一个叫依娃的小女孩却例外，她既没有同大家一起吵闹，也没有与其他人争抢。她只是谦让地站在一步以外，等别的孩子都拿到以后，才把剩在篮子里最小的一个面包拿起来。她并没有急于离去，她向面包师表示了感谢，并亲吻了面包师的手之后才向家走去。

第二天，面包师又把盛面包的篮子放到了孩子们的面前，其他孩子依旧如昨日一样疯抢着，羞怯、可怜的依娃只得到一个比头一天还小一半的面包。当她回家以后，妈妈切开面包，许多崭新、发亮的银币掉了下来。妈妈惊奇地叫道：“立即把钱送回去，一定是揉面的时候不小心揉进去的。赶快去，依娃，赶快去!”当依娃把妈妈的话告诉面包师的时候，面包师面露慈爱地说：“不，我的孩子，这没有错。是我把银币放进小面包里的，我要奖励你。愿你永远保持现在这样一颗平静、安详和感恩的心。回家去吧，告诉你妈妈这些钱是你的了。”她激动地跑回了家，告诉了妈妈这个令人兴奋的消息，这是她的感恩之心得到的回报。

注释

①famine n．饥荒

②swarm n．蜂群，一大群

③squeeze v．压榨，挤

④grab v．抢夺，攫取，夺取

⑤strive v．努力

⑥tranquility n．安静