the alchemist40

40 原文 "Do you want to go to work for me?" the merchant asked. "I can work for the rest of today," the boy answered. "I'll work all night, until dawn, and I'll clean every piece of crystal in your shop. In return, I need money to get to Egypt tomorrow." The merchant laughed. "Even if you cleaned my crystal for an entire year… even if you earned a good commission selling every piece, you would still have to borrow money to get to Egypt. There are thousands of kilometers of desert between here and there." There was a moment of silence so profound that it seemed the city was asleep. No sound from the bazaars, no arguments among the merchants, no men climbing to the towers to chant. No hope, no adventure, no old kings or destinies, no treasure, and no Pyramids. It was as if the world had fallen silent because the boy's soul had. He sat there, staring blankly through the door of the café, wishing that he had died, and that everything would end forever at that moment. The merchant looked anxiously at the boy. All the joy he had seen that morning had suddenly disappeared. "I can give you the money you need to get back to your country, my son," said the crystal merchant. The boy said nothing. He got up, adjusted his clothing, and picked up his pouch. "I'll work for you," he said. And after another long silence, he added, "I need money to buy some sheep."