壹可

Translation： 沈屏 English Editor： Cathy Estep （美国 俄亥俄州）

1.从前，有一块石头，它从山顶滚落到山涧，被南流江大水冲，穿越峡谷，到海，被大浪卷上岸。一个赶潮的人捡到石头，他是一个雕刻家。

Once upon a time， there was a rock. It rolled down a hill and into the Nanliu River. The river carried it toward the sea， through a canyon， and finally arrived at the seashore.

A man was there watching the tide and picked up the rock. He was a sculptor！

2.“里面会有什么呢？”雕刻家琢磨着怎样雕刻。

一旁的孩子说：“里面有一个秘密，或者有个小人儿，或者是只小刺猬……”

“你想让它出来吗？”

“嗯。”

“What could be inside the rock？” he wondered.

A child who stood beside him said， “There is a secret inside， maybe a little child， maybe a hedgehog...”

“Do you want it to come out？”

“Yeah， that would be cool.”

3.雕刻家掂量一下石头，用纯银耳匙剔除石头缝隙中的沙子，将面巾浸透轻轻揉擦。

“它也需要洗脸吗？”孩子问。

“要啊，人有脸树有皮，等会儿才能给石头去皮呢。”雕刻家回答。

铡铊、錾铊、丝子锯、扣活机、串锤、棒挺……雕刻家搬出他的十八般工具。

“这块石头皮厚，你看，这突出的部分得切去不要，那棱角要削去……”

“那剩下的还是石头吗？”

“可能会是另外一块石头。”

The sculptor passed the rock from one hand to the other， weighing it. He picked the sand out in the crannies with a pure silver ear picker and softly rubbed it with wet rag.

“Rocks have to wash their face， too？” asked the child.

“You said it. A human has a face and a tree has bark. I will skin the bark later.”

The sculptor took out his many carving tools-chisels， saws，punches， hammer， and pointed tools.

“This rock has a thick skin！ See here？ This bump has to be cut off and the edges have to be rounded.”

“Maybe it will be another rock.”

4.“你还想让它出来吗？”

孩子摇摇头：“我们丢瓦，谁赢了谁决定。”

扔了三次，谁的瓦片也没有击到石头。

“Do you still want it to come out？”

The child shook his head.“We shall play the tile game. The winner has the final say.”

They played the game three times but neither could strike the rock with his tile.

5.突然經过的驴子车将石头颠到一堆牛粪上。

孩子倒在地上打滚儿，蹬腿哭闹，嘤嘤哭着说：“它还在里面吗？”

雕刻家：“当然，你想让它出来吗？”

孩子点点头。

Suddenly a donkey cart passed by and jolted over the rock. The rock hit a pile of cow poo.

The child had a tantrum， throwing himself on the ground， rolling， kicking and crying.

“Is it still inside？” he asked.

“Of course. Do you still want it to come out？”

The child nodded his head.

6.雕刻家掂量一下石头，用纯银耳匙剔除石头缝隙中的碎屑，将面巾浸透轻轻揉擦。

他要开始雕刻啦。

The sculptor weighed the rock in his hand. He again wiped it with his rag.

He was about to do his job！

7.孩子：“我不要它戴帽子，不要穿衣服，不用吃饭，不睡午觉。”

“它不会变成瓦吧？”

“石头就是石头。”

“可是它还会是这块石头吗？我不要它变成这个圆溜溜的蛋，它是个小刺猬。”

“哎呦—”

血珠从雕刻家的手指上冒出來。

The child said，“ I dont want it hatted. No clothes. No eating. No nap at noon.”

“It wont be changed into a tile？ I dont want it to be a tile.”

“A rock is a rock.”

“But then it wouldnt be THIS rock？ I dont want it to be a round and slippery egg-like thing. Its a little hedgehog！”

“Ouch！” The sculptor cut his finger and a drop of blood was on it.

8.雕刻家掂量一下石头，举到耳边，听。

“它说什么？”孩子问。

“它说它不想出来。”雕刻家回答。

石头重新被丢进大海里。

He weighed the rock in his hand and held it to his ear to listen.

“What does it say？” the child asked.

“It says it doesnt want to come out，” the sculptor answered.

The rock was thrown into the sea again.

9.孩子问：“它还说什么了？”

雕刻家回答：“它只是一块石头，幸运的。”

“What does it say now？” the child asked.

“It says it is just a rock and a lucky one.” the sculptor answered.