Well just then，a fishing boat came by，and all the herrings were caught in a net and taken to market that very day.And a man bought the herring and ate it for his supper，and he never knew that it had swum right around the world and had seen everything there was to see，and knew everything there was to know.
从前，有一条鲱鱼决心要环游世界。“我已经厌倦了北海，”他说，“我想知道世界其它地方有些什么东西。”于是他往南游向深深的大西洋。他游啊，游啊，游得离他熟悉的海洋很远了，游过了赤道附近的温暖水域，又继续往南游，进入南大西洋。一路上，他看到了很多他以前从来没见过的稀奇古怪的鱼。有一次，他差一点被鲨鱼吃掉；还有一次，他差一点被一条电鳗电死；又有一次，他差一点被一条黄貂鱼刺伤。
可他还是继续不停地往前游，游过非洲顶端，进入印度洋。形形色色的鱼从他身边游过，有章鱼、旗鱼、锯鳐、箭鱼、竹荚鱼、黑鲸、泥鱼等等，他惊异于各种鱼类的不同形状、形体和颜色。他继续游到了爪哇海，见到了能跃出水面的鱼，生活在海底的鱼，可以用鳍走路的鱼。他继续向前游到了珊瑚海，在那里，有成千上万的微小生物的壳变成了岩石，堆积如山。
可他还是继续向前游到了宽阔的太平洋，他游过了太平洋最深的部分，那里的水是如此之深，以至于海底是一片漆黑，有些鱼头顶上提着灯笼，有些鱼尾巴上点着灯。游过了太平洋，他向北游往寒冷的西伯利亚海，那里巨大的白色冰山像艘巨轮从他身边漂过。他还是继续往前一直游，游到了冰冷的北冰洋，那里的海面常年被冰块覆盖着。他继续前进，游过了格林兰岛和冰岛，最后，他游回了北海--他的老家。
他所有的亲戚朋友都来了，围着他问长问短。他们设宴款待他，把他们能找到的最好的食物端出来请他品尝，可鲱鱼只是打了个哈欠，说：“我游遍了整个世界。我见识过了世界上所有的东西，我尝过的奇珍异馐多得、好得超出了你们的想象。”他拒绝吃任何东西。后来他的亲戚朋友恳求他回去和他们同住，可他拒绝了。“我什么地方都去过了，那块破旧的岩石太阴暗了，要我去住也太小了。”说完他就走了，一个人住。
当繁殖季节来临时，他拒绝参加产卵活动，说：“我游遍了整个世界。现在我知道了世界上的鱼有多少种，我不可能再对鲱鱼感兴趣了。”
最后，一条年长的鲱鱼游到他面前，说：“听着，如果你不和我们一起产卵的话，有些鲱鱼卵就不能受精，就不能孵出健康的小鲱鱼。如果你不和你的家人住在一起，你会伤了他们的心。而且，如果不吃东西你会死的。”
可是鲱鱼说：“我不在乎。能去的地方我都去过了，能见得到的东西我也都见过了，现在，我是无所不知了。”
老鲱鱼摇摇头，说：“没有人见识过世界上的一切，也没有人无所不知。”
“你看，”鲱鱼说，“我游过了北海、大西洋、印度洋、爪哇海、珊瑚海、太平洋、西伯利亚海，还有冰天雪地的北冰洋。请你告诉我，我还有什么要看、还有什么要知道的吗？”
“我不知道，”老鲱鱼说：“不过总会有什么是你没见过、不知道的吧。”
正在这时，一条捕鱼船开了过来，所有的鲱鱼被一网打尽，当天就被送到了市场。一个人买走了那条鲱鱼，把他当晚餐吃了。这个人永远也不会知道他吃掉的这条鲱鱼曾经环游过世界、见识过世界上的一切、对世界上的东西无所不知。
A Handful of Clay
一撮黏土
There was a handful of clay in the bank of a river.It was only common clay，coarse and heavy；but it had high thoughts of its own value，and wonderful dreams of the great place which it was to fill in the world when the time came for its virtues to be discovered.
Overhead，in the spring sunshine，the trees whispered together of the glory which descended upon them when the delicate blossoms and leaves began to expand，and the forest glowed the fair，clear colors，as if the dust of thousands of rubies and emeralds were hanging，in soft clouds，above the earth.
The flowers，surprised with the joy of beauty，bent their heads to one another，as the wind caressed them，and said："Sisters，how lovely you have become.You make the day bright."
The river，glad of new strength and rejoicing in the unison of all its waters，murmured to the shores in music，telling of its release from icy fetters，its swift flight from the snow-clad mountains，and the mighty work to which it was hurrying--the wheels of many mills to be turned，and great ships to be floated to the sea.
Waiting blindly in its bed，the clay comforted itself with lofty hopes."My time will come，"it said."I was not made to be hidden forever.Glory and beauty and honor are coming to me in due season."
One day the clay felt itself taken from the place where it had waited so long.A flat blade of iron passed beneath it，and lifted it，and tossed it into a cart with other lumps of clay，and it was carried far away，as it seemed，over a rough and stony road.But it was not afraid，nor discouraged，for it said to itself："This is necessary.The path to glory is always rugged.Now I am on my way to play a great part in the world."
But the hard journey was nothing，compared with the tribulation and distress that came after it.The clay was put into a trough and mixed and beaten and stirred and trampled.It seemed almost unbearable.But there was consolation in the thought that something very fine and noble was certainly coming out of all this trouble.The clay felt sure that，if it could only wait long enough，a wonderful reward was in store for it.
Then it was put upon a swiftly turning wheel，and whirled around until it seemed as if it must fly into a thousand pieces.A strange power pressed it and molded it，as it revolved，and through all the dizziness and pain it felt that it was taking a new form.
Then an unknown hand put it into an oven，and fires were kindled about it--fierce and penetrating--hotter than all the heats of summer that had ever brooded upon the bank of the river.But through all，the clay held itself together and endured its trials，in the confidence of a great future."Surely，"it thought，"I am intended for something very splendid，since such pains are taken with me.Perhaps I am fashioned for the ornament of a temple，or a precious vase for the table of a king."
At last the baking was finished.The clay was taken from the furnace and set down upon a board，in the cool air，under the blue sky.The tribulation was passed.The reward was at hand.
Close beside the board there was a pool of water，not very deep，not very clear，but calm enough to reflect，with impartial truth，every image that fell upon it.There for the first time，as it was lifted from the board，the clay saw its new shape，the reward of all its patience and pain，the consummation of its hopes--a common flower-pot，straight and stiff，red and ugly.And then it felt that it was not destined for a king's house，nor for a palace of art，because it was made without glory or beauty or honor；and it murmured against the unknown maker，saying，"Why hast thou made me thus？"
Many days it passed in sullen discontent.Then it was filled with earth，and something--it knew not what--but something rough and brown and dead-looking，was thrust into the middle of the earth and covered over.The clay rebelled at this new disgrace."This is the worst of all that has happened to me，to be filled with dirt and rubbish.Surely I am a failure."
But presently it was set in a greenhouse，where the sunlight fell warm upon it，and water was sprinkled over it，and day by day as it waited，a change began to come to it.Something was stirring within it--a new hope.Still it was ignorant，and knew not what the new hope meant.