0356翻译：七颗钻石（列夫·托尔斯泰）
Translation: Seven Diamonds (Lev Tolstoy)
(translated by: alexcwlin; edited by: Adam Lam)
A very long time ago a serious drought occurred on earth.
所有的河流和水井都干涸了，
All rivers and water-wells went dry.
草木丛林也都干枯了，
Grass, trees and shrubs withered from lack of water.
许多人及动物都焦渴而死。
Many humans and animals died from thirst.
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一天夜里，一个小姑娘拿着水罐走出家门，为她生病的母亲去找水。
One night a little girl holding a water jug in her hand walked out of her house to find water for her sick mother.
小姑娘哪儿也找不到水，
The little girl could not find water anywhere.
累得倒在草地上睡着了。
She was so exhausted that she dropped down on a patch of grass and fell asleep.
当她醒来的时候，拿起罐子一看，罐子里竟装满了清亮新鲜的水。
When she woke up and looked at the jug, surprisingly it was filled with clear fresh water.
小姑娘喜出望外，真想喝个够，
She was pleased beyond words and really wanted to drink to her heart’s delight.
但又一想，这些水给妈妈还不够呢，
But then she thought the water would not be enough even for her mother.
就赶紧抱着水罐跑回家去。
So she hurriedly hugged the water jug in her arms and ran back home.
她匆匆忙忙，没有注意到脚底下有一条狗，
In a rush she did not notice a dog was underneath her feet.
一下子绊倒在它身上，水罐也掉在了地下。
All of a sudden she tripped on its body and the water jug dropped on the ground.
小狗哀哀地尖叫起来。小姑娘赶紧去捡水罐。
The small dog yelped mournfully and the little girl rushed to pick up the water jug.
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她以为，水一定都洒了，但是没有，
She thought the water would have been spilled but it did not.
罐子端端正正地在地上放着，罐子里的水还满满的。
The jug was sitting squarely on the ground and the water in the jug was still filled to the brim.
小姑娘把水倒在手掌里一点，
The little girl poured some water in her palm.
小狗把它都舔净了，变得欢喜起来。
The small dog licked the water dry and became very delighted.
当小姑娘再拿水罐时，木头做的水罐竟变成了银的。
When the little girl picked up the water jug again, the wooden jug unexpectedly turned into a silver one.
小姑娘把水罐带回家，交给了母亲，
The little girl brought the water jug home and gave it to her mother.
母亲说：“我反正就要死了，
Mother said: “In any case I am going to die.
还是你自已喝吧。”
You should drink the water yourself.”
又把水罐递给小姑娘。
She handed the water jug to the little girl.
就在这一瞬间，水罐又从银的变成了金的。
At that instant, the water jug turned from silver into gold.
这时，小姑娘再也忍不住，正想凑上水罐去喝的时候，突然从门外走进来一个过路人，要讨水喝。
By that time the little girl could not withstand the thirst anymore, and just when she reached for a drink of water from the water jug, suddenly a passer-by entered the door and asked for water to drink.
小姑娘咽了一口唾沫，把水罐递给了这过路人。
The little girl gulped down her saliva and handed the water jug to the passer-by.
这时突然从水罐里跳出了七颗钻石，接着从里面涌出了一股巨大的清澈而新鲜的水流。
At that moment abruptly seven diamonds jumped out from the water jug which was followed by a huge gush of clear and fresh flow of water.
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那七颗钻石越升越高，升到了天上，变成了七颗星星。
The seven diamonds rose higher all the way to the sky and turned into seven stars.
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