There was once an ant that was very thirsty.

　　有只螞蟻口渴了。

　　It ran here and there looking for some water but could not find any.

　　它到處找水喝，可就是找不著。

　　Then suddenly, when the ant was almost ready to die of thirst, a large drop of water fell on it.

　　突然，就在螞蟻快要渴死的時候，一大滴水落了下來。

　　The Ant drank the water, which saved its life.

　　螞蟻喝了水，得了救。

　　The water was actually a tear from a young girl who was crying.

　　這滴水實際上是一個正在哭泣的年輕姑娘的淚水。

　　The ant looked up and saw the young girl sitting in front of a huge pile of seeds.

　　螞蟻抬起頭，看見一個年輕姑娘正坐在一大堆種子前。

　　"Why are you sad?" asked the Ant.

　　“你為什么這么傷心啊？”螞蟻問道.

　　"I'm the prisoner1 of a giant, "the girl told the ant. "He won't let me go until I've made three separate2 heaps3 of grain, barley4 and rye out of this huge pile of seeds in which they are all mixed together."

　　“我是一個巨人的囚犯，”姑娘告訴螞蟻，“這大堆種子里夾雜有谷子，大麥和黑麥的種子，我只有把它們分開，揀成三堆，他才肯放我走。”

　　"That will take you a month!" the ant said, looking at the huge pile of seeds.

　　“這需要你一個月的時間呢！”螞蟻看了看這大堆的種子說道。

　　"I know," the girl cried, "and if I haven't finished by tomorrow, the giant will eat me for his supper!"

　　“我知道，”姑娘哭著說，“如果我明天還分不完，巨人就會把我當(dāng)他的晚餐吃掉！”

　　"Don't cry," the ant said, "my friends and I will help you."

　　“不要哭，”螞蟻說，“我和我的朋友會幫助你的。”

　　Soon thousands of ants were at work, separating5 the three kinds of seeds.

　　很快，成千上萬只螞蟻忙碌起來，將這些種子按分類分成三堆。

　　The next morning, when the giant saw that the work had been done, he let the girl go.

　　第二天早晨，巨人看到分派給姑娘的活兒干完了，就把她給放了。

　　And thus it was that one of her tears saved her life.

　　就這樣，正是那個姑娘的一滴淚救了她自己的性命。