英文
The Old Man and His Grandson
There was once a very old man, whose eyes had become dim, his ears dull of hearing, his knees trembled, and when he sat at table he could hardly hold the spoon, and spilt the broth upon the table-cloth or let it run out of his mouth. His son and his son's wife were disgusted at this, so the old grandfather at last had to sit in the corner behind the stove, and they gave him his food in an earthenware bowl, and not even enough of it. And he used to look towards the table with his eyes full of tears.
Once, too, his trembling hands could not hold the bowl, and it fell to the ground and broke. The young wife scolded him, but he said nothing and only sighed. Then they bought him a wooden bowl for a few halfpence, out of which he had to eat.
They were once sitting thus when the little grandson of four years old began to gather together some bits of wood upon the ground.“What are you doing there?”asked the father.“I am making a little trough,”answered the child,“for father and mother to eat out of when I am big.”
The man and his wife looked at each other for a while, and presently began to cry. Then they took the old grandfather to the table, and henceforth always let him eat with them, and likewise said nothing if he did spill a little of anything.
中文
老祖父和孙子
从前有一个年逾古稀的老人，两眼昏花耳朵聋，双膝颤抖。他坐在饭桌旁，拿不稳勺，经常把汤洒在桌布上，也常有东西从嘴角流出来。他的儿子和儿媳妇见了恶心，为此老人最后只好坐在炉灶后面的一个角落里，他们用一只小粗瓷碗给他盛饭，也不给他吃饱。他伤心地望着饭桌，眼眶里湿漉漉的。
有一天，他颤抖的双手连那只小粗瓷碗也拿不住，掉在地上摔碎了。年轻的女人骂他，他一句话也没说，只是叹气。她花几分钱给他买一只木碗，只准他用这木碗吃饭。
他们在家里坐着的时候，四岁的小孙子在地上拼凑一些小木块儿。“你在那儿干什么？”父亲问。“我做一只小碗，”孩子回答说，“我长大了，就叫爸爸妈妈用它吃饭。”
丈夫和妻子面面相觑了好一会儿，流下悔恨的泪水，立即把老祖父接到餐桌旁。从此一家人在一起吃饭，老祖父洒了些东西，他们也不再说什么。
