烈火烧出的年轻人
At the time when our Lord still walked this earth， he and St. Peter stopped one evening at a smiths and received free quarters. Then it came to pass that a poor beggarbeggar n.乞丐， hard pressed by age and infirmityinfirmity n.虚弱， 衰弱， 缺点， came to this house and begged alms of the smith. St. Peter had compassion on him and said， “Lord and master， if it please you， cure his tormentstorment n.痛苦 that he may be able to win his own bread.” The Lord said kindly， “Smith， lend me your forge， and put on some coals for me， and then I will make this ailingailing adj.生病的， 境况不佳的 old man young again.” The smith was quite willing， and St. Peter blew the bellowsbellows n.风箱， and when the coal fire sparkledsparkle v.发火花， (使)闪耀， (香槟酒等)发泡，用眼神表达， 发光闪烁 up large and high our Lord took the little old man， pushed him in the forge in the midst of the redhot fire， so that he glowedglow vi.发光， 发热 like a rosebush， and praised God with a loud voice. After that the Lord went to the quenching tub， put the glowing little man into it so that the water closed over him， and after he had carefully cooled him， gave him his blessing， when behold the little man sprang nimbly out， looking fresh， straight， healthy， and as if he were but twenty. The smith， who had watched everything closely and attentivelyattentively adv.注意地， 留意地， invited them all to supper.He， however， had an old halfblind crooked， motherinlaw who went to the youth， and with great earnestness asked if the fire had burnt him much. He answered that he had never felt more comfortable， and that he had sat in the red heat as if he had been in cool dew.
当我主耶稣还在人世间巡行的时代，一天晚上，他和圣彼得投宿到一个铁匠家里，得到了殷勤的接待。这时候，一个又老又重病缠身的穷叫花子，也来到这个人家，请求铁匠施舍。圣彼得可怜他，便说：“主和师傅呵，你要乐意，就请治好他的病痛，让他有自谋生路的能力吧！”耶稣发了慈悲，说：“铁匠，把你的炉子借一下，替我加上煤，现在我要把这病老头再变年轻。”铁匠非常乐意，于是圣彼得拉着风箱，炉火熊熊燃烧起来，这时我们的主便抓住小老头儿，将他推进火炉中，他在里边红得如一株玫瑰，同时大声赞美上帝。随后耶稣走到冷却槽前，把那烧得通红的人儿拖进去，让水没了他的顶，等他完全冷却了，又给他祝福，瞧，那小人儿一下子跳出来，皮肤细嫩，腰板毕挺，精神抖擞，跟只有二十岁似的。铁匠清清楚楚地看见了全过程，现在邀请他们三个一起去吃晚饭。他有一个半盲的驼背老姨姐，这老太太走到年轻人面前细细端详，看火有没有把他烧疼。他从来没感觉这么舒坦过，年轻人回答，坐在烈火中间，他仿佛沐浴在清露里。
The youths words echoedecho vi.发回声， 随声附和 in the ears of the old woman all night long， and early next morning， when the Lord had gone on his way again and had heartilyheartily adv.热忱地 thanked the smith， the latter thought he might make his old motherinlaw young again likewise， as he had watched everything so carefully， and it lay in the province of his trade. So he called to ask her if she， too， would like to go bounding about like a girl of eighteen. She said， “With all my heart， as the youth has come out of it so well.”So the smith made a great fire， and thrust the old woman into it， and she writhedwrithe v.翻腾 about this way and that， and uttered terrible cries of murder. Sit still. “Why are you screaming and jumping about so？” cried he， and as he spoke he blew the bellows again until all her rags were burnt. The old woman cried without ceasing， and the smith thought to himself， “I have not quite the right art， and took her out and threw her into the coolingtub.” Then she screamed so loudly that the smiths wife upstairs and her daughterinlaw heard it， and they both ran downstairs， and saw the old woman lying in a heapheap n.堆， 大量， 许多 in the quenching tub， howling and screaming， with her face wrinkled and shriveled and all out of shape. Thereupon the two， who were both with child， were so terrified that that very night two boys were born who were not made like men but apesape n.猿， and they ran into the woods， and from them sprang the race of apes.
年轻人说的话，一整夜都在老太太耳朵里回响。第二天一早，主耶稣真诚地谢过铁匠，又上路走了，铁匠便以为他也能把老姨姐变年轻，因为他亲眼所见了，记住了那让人返老还童的高招。他唤来姨姐，问她想不想也变成个十八岁的蹦蹦跳跳的女孩子。她回答：“打心眼儿里愿意！”要知道那小伙子被烧得如此舒服。铁匠于是烧旺炉火，把妻子太推进火中，只见她在里边翻来滚去，发出一声声惨叫。“坐稳了，叫什么，蹦什么？我现在才开始好好鼓风呐！”说着又扯起风箱来，老太太的破衣烂衫全烧着了。她叫个不停，铁匠才想：“嗯，手艺还不到家，”便把她拽出来，扔进冷却槽。老太太没命地喊，铁匠的妻子和弟媳妇在楼上也听见了。她们跑下楼来，见老姨姐又哭又叫，身子蜷成一团躺在水槽里，脸上皱纹挤成一堆，已没了人样儿。两个女人都怀孕在身，这么一受惊吓，当天夜里便生下两个孩子，可是也不像人，而像猢狲，所以跑进森林去了。也就是他们，成了后来这些猴子的祖先。
