THE WATER OF LIFE (生命之泉)(内含单词释义).docVIP

THE WATER OF LIFE By Andrew Lang From The Pink Fairy Book. Cuentos Populars Catalans, per lo Dr. D. Francisco de S. Maspous y Labros. Barcelona, 1885. /andrewlang/419.htm Three brothers and one sister lived together in a small cottage（小屋，农舍）, and they loved one another dearly. One day the eldest brother, who had never done anything but amuse（娱乐） himself from sunrise to sunset, said to the rest, Let us all work hard, and perhaps we shall grow rich, and be able to build ourselves a palace. And his brothers and sister answered joyfully, Yes, we will all work! So they fell to working with all their might（可能）, till at last they became rich, and were able to build themselves a beautiful palace; and everyone came from miles round to see its wonders（奇观）, and to say how splendid（辉煌的） it was. No one thought of finding any faults, till at length（终于） an old woman, who had been walking through the rooms with a crowd of people, suddenly exclaimed（大叫）, Yes, it is a splendid palace, but there is still something it needs! And what may that be? A church. When they heard this the brothers set to work again to earn some more money, and when they had got enough they set about building a church, which should be as large and beautiful as the palace itself. And after the church was finished greater numbers of people than ever flocked to（成群地走向） see the palace and the church and vast（广阔的） gardens and magnificent（华丽的） halls（门厅）. But one day, as the brothers were as usual doing the honours（尽地主之谊）to their guests, an old man turned to them and said, Yes, it is all most beautiful, but there is still something it needs! And what may that be? A pitcher（大水罐） of the water of life（生命之泉；酒）, a branch of the tree the smell of whose flowers gives eternal beauty, and the talking bird. And where am I to find all those? Go to the mountain that is far off yonder（远处的）, and you will find what you seek. After the old man had bowed politely and taken farewell（辞别） of them the eldest brother said to the rest, I wil