The traveler drew near the board, but when he saw the scanty fare,

那位来客走近桌子，看见桌上那丁点食物，

he raised his eyes toward heaven with astonishment: "And is this all your store?" said he;

他仰起头惊讶地问，“所有食物就这些？

and a share of this do you offer to one you know not? then never saw I charity before!

难道你还愿意与陌生人分享？这是我未曾见过的慈悲！

But, madam, said he, continuing, "do you not wrong your children by giving a part of your last mouthful to a stranger?"

不过，夫人，他说，“给陌生人哪怕一口吃的，难道不委屈你的孩子们吗？”

"Ah," said the poor widow—and the tear-drops gushed into her eyes as she said it

“哎，”那位寡母叹了口气，泪如泉涌，

I have a boy, a darling son, somewhere on the face of the wide world,

我有个儿子，伶俐可爱，他现在一定还活在这世上某个地方。

unless Heaven has taken him away, and I only act toward you as I would that others should act toward him.

只有圣父才能将他带走，我为你做这点事，就是指望别人亦能这样善待他。

God, who sent manna from heaven, can provide for us as he did for Israel;

我的上帝，谁能从天上为我们孤儿寡母带回他的恩赐，就像他当年赐予以色列人那样？

and how should I this night offend him, if my son should be a wanderer, destitute as you,

假如我的孩子也在流浪，和你一样无助无望，他也该有个地方可以过夜，风寒抵御，

and he should have provided for him a home, even poor as this, were I to turn you unrelieved away!

哪怕和我们这间小屋如此简陋，如果我拒绝落难中的你，我怎能指望别人亦能为他做点什么！

The widow ended, and the stranger, springing from his seat, clasped her in his arms.

那位寡母刚说完，陌生人“腾”地一声站起，将她揽进怀里，

God indeed has provided your son a home, and has given him wealth to reward the goodness of his benefactress: my mother! oh, my mother!

上帝确实为你的儿子准备了住所，并且赐予他财富，以报答母亲的养育之恩，妈妈！噢，我的妈妈！

It was her long lost son, returned to her bosom from the Indies.

原来，这位陌生人正是寡妇失去音讯很久的儿子。他刚从印度群岛返回，

He had chosen that disguise that he might the more completely surprise his family;

原本想给全家一个惊喜，才装扮成过路人进屋打听。

and never was surprise more perfect, or followed by a sweeter cup of joy.

这真是让全家人意想不到的天大惊喜，随后，狭小木屋顿时变成一片欢乐的海洋。