穷人和富人
导读
《穷人和富人》（民俗学分类 ATU 750A）是一则古老的'待客得报'故事。它的开头设定——上帝乔装成普通旅人在人间行走，敲门借宿，借此看出人心的善恶——是世界各地都有的古老母题。最有名的'亲戚'是古希腊神话里的鲍西斯和费莱蒙：宙斯和赫尔墨斯扮成穷苦旅人四处求宿，只有一对贫穷的老夫妇肯开门相待，结果善良的老夫妇得到厚报，冷漠的邻居则遭了殃（见奥维德《变形记》）。格林这则故事的巧妙之处，在于用'三个愿望'照出两种人心：善良的穷人夫妇只求'永恒的幸福、一生健康、每天有饭吃'，知足而不贪；而同样得到三个愿望的富人，却因为贪婪、暴躁和嫉妒，把愿望一个个白白糟蹋——先是气得咒死了自己的马，又一时妒火中烧把妻子粘在马鞍上，最后只能用最后一个愿望替她解围，落得两手空空。这正是'三个愿望'这类喜剧寓言的经典写法：愿望不是被坏运气浪费的，而是被许愿人自己的性格败掉的。读的时候，可以和孩子聊一聊：同样是三个愿望，为什么穷人越许越幸福，富人越许越倒霉？
《穷人和富人》词汇精讲
本故事精选 12 个重点词汇，附中英释义与原文例句，帮助孩子扩展英语词汇量。
A place to stay or sleep for a time.
住处；借宿；投宿的地方。
The Lord answered, "I only ask for a night's lodging."
上帝回答：'我只想借宿一晚。'
Plants used to add flavor to food or to make medicine.
香草；草药。
No, I cannot take you in, my rooms are full of herbs and seeds.
不，我不能收留你，我的房间里堆满了草药和种子。
Rough and plain, not fine or of high quality.
粗糙的；（食物）粗劣的、粗茶淡饭的。
The Lord sat down with the man and his wife, and he enjoyed their coarse food, for there were happy faces at the table.
上帝和这男人及他的妻子坐下来，虽然是粗茶淡饭，他却吃得很香，因为餐桌上有快乐的面孔。
Very tired.
疲惫的；困乏的。
For he has been walking the whole day through, and that makes one weary.
他走了一整天，一定很累了。
Lasting forever; without end.
永恒的；永远的。
What else should I wish for but eternal happiness, and that we two, as long as we live, may be healthy.
除了永恒的幸福，还有我们两人只要活着就健康，我还能许什么愿呢。
Very surprised.
惊讶的；震惊的。
He was very much astonished, and called his wife and said to her, "Tell me, what can have happened?"
他非常惊讶，叫来妻子对她说：'告诉我，发生了什么事？'
(Of a horse and rider) ran very fast.
（骑马）飞奔；策马疾驰。
The rich man followed the good counsel and galloped away on his horse, and soon came up with the Lord.
富人听从了这个好建议，骑上马飞奔而去，很快就追上了上帝。
Wrong; 'to take something amiss' means to be offended by it.
不对的；见怪的（take it amiss 表示因某事而生气、见怪）。
He begged him not to take it amiss that he had not let him in directly.
请求不要见怪他没有直接让他进来。
To jump or skip about in a lively, playful way.
蹦跳；欢跳；乱蹦乱跳。
As he was thus thinking he let the bridle fall, and the horse began to caper about.
正当他思考时，缰绳掉了，马开始乱跳。
Hating to spend or give away money; stingy.
吝啬的；小气的。
As he was miserly by nature, he did not like to leave the harness lying there.
因为他天性吝啬，不想把马具扔在那里。
To annoy or irritate someone.
使恼火；使烦恼。
Then it came into his mind, what an easy life his wife had... This really did vex him.
然后他想到妻子过得多么轻松……这真让他恼火。
In a devout, religious way; with sincere goodness.
虔诚地；笃信而善良地。
But the poor people lived happily, quietly, and piously until their happy death.
而那对穷人却快乐、安宁、虔诚地生活着，直到幸福地死去。
延伸阅读与亲子共读
故事寓意
真正的富足在于善良与知足，而非家财万贯；贪婪和坏脾气，往往会把到手的好运也毁掉。
教育价值
引导孩子理解好客、知足与善良的价值，看清贪婪与暴躁的代价；'三个愿望'的对照结构也很适合训练孩子的推理与选择判断。
家长共读提示
读到富人许愿的部分，停下来问孩子：'如果是你，会怎么许这三个愿望？'让他体会'想清楚再决定'的重要。
和孩子聊一聊
- 富人和穷人都招待了同一个旅人，态度却完全不同。你觉得上帝真正想看的是什么？
- 穷人夫妇只求'健康、温饱和幸福'，没有要金银财宝。你觉得这样的愿望是太傻，还是很聪明？
- 富人的三个愿望，其实都不是被坏运气浪费的，而是被他自己的脾气毁掉的。你能一个个说说是怎么回事吗？
- 如果现在给你三个愿望，你会许什么？会不会担心许错？
- 故事说穷人'快乐、安宁地生活'，富人却'只得到烦恼和损失'。真正让人幸福的，到底是什么？
