▸ 帕沃pà wò是shì个gè贫穷pín qióng的de农夫nóng fū，他tā和hé妻子qī zǐ、孩子hái zi住zhù在zài芬兰fēn lán中部zhōng bù的de湖边hú biān。

Paavo was a poor farmer who lived with his wife and children by a lake in central Finland.

▸ 一连yī lián好hǎo几jǐ年nián，他的tā de庄稼zhuāng jia都dōu被bèi毁掉huǐ diào了le：有时yǒu shí是shì春天chūn tiān的de雪水xuě shuǐ冲坏chōng huài了le，有时yǒu shí是shì夏天xià tiān的de冰雹bīng báo或huò早秋zǎo qiū的de霜冻shuāng dòng。

For several years in a row, his crops were destroyed: sometimes by spring snowmelt floods, sometimes by summer hailstorms or early autumn frost.

▸ 每次měi cì收成shōu cheng很少hěn shǎo时shí，他的tā de妻子qī zǐ就jiù哭着kū zhe说shuō：

Whenever the harvest was small, his wife would cry:

▸ “帕沃pà wò啊ā帕沃pà wò，你nǐ这zhè不幸bù xìng的de老头lǎo tóu！上帝shàng dì抛弃pāo qì我们wǒ men了le！”

Paavo, oh Paavo, you unlucky old man! God has abandoned us!

▸ 但dàn帕沃pà wò总是zǒng shì坚强jiān qiáng地dì说shuō：

But Paavo always said firmly:

▸ “把bǎ树皮shù pí混进hùn jìn黑麦粉hēi mài fěn做zuò面包miàn bāo吧ba，这样zhè yàng孩子hái zi不会bù huì挨饿ái è。”

Mix tree bark into the rye flour to make bread so the children won’t starve.

▸ “我wǒ会huì更gèng努力nǔ lì排干pái gān田里tián lǐ的de水shuǐ。”

I’ll work harder to drain the fields.

▸ “上帝shàng dì在zài考验kǎo yàn我们wǒ men，但dàn祂tā会huì帮助bāng zhù我们wǒ men的de。”

God is testing us, but He will help us.

▸ 每次měi cì庄稼zhuāng jia被bèi毁huǐ，帕沃pà wò就jiù让ràng妻子qī zǐ在zài面粉miàn fěn里lǐ多duō加jiā一倍yī bèi树皮shù pí，防止fáng zhǐ家人jiā rén饿肚子è dù zi。

Each time crops were ruined, Paavo told his wife to double the amount of tree bark in the flour to keep the family from starving.

▸ 他tā也yě更gèng拼命pīn mìng干活gàn huó：挖沟wā gōu排水pái shuǐ，让ràng田地tián dì不怕bù pà春雪chūn xuě和hé秋霜qiū shuāng。

He also worked harder: digging ditches to drain water, protecting the fields from spring snow and autumn frost.

▸ 辛苦xīn kǔ多年duō nián后hòu，帕沃pà wò终于zhōng yú丰收fēng shōu了le！

After years of hard work, Paavo finally had a big harvest!

▸ 妻子qī zǐ高兴gāo xìng地dì喊hǎn：

His wife cheered:

▸ “帕沃pà wò啊ā帕沃pà wò，好日子hǎo rì zi来了lái le！扔掉rēng diào树皮shù pí，咱们zán men用yòng纯chún黑麦粉hēi mài fěn做zuò面包miàn bāo吧ba！”

Paavo, oh Paavo, good days are here! Throw away the bark—let’s bake bread with pure rye flour!

▸ 帕沃pà wò却què握住wò zhù她的tā de手shǒu，认真rèn zhēn地dì说shuō：

But Paavo held her hand and said seriously:

▸ “面粉miàn fěn里lǐ还是hái shì混hùn一半yī bàn树皮shù pí吧ba——邻居lín jū的de田tián全quán被bèi冻坏dòng huài了le。”

Still mix half the flour with bark—our neighbor’s fields were all destroyed by frost.

▸ 帕沃pà wò宁愿nìng yuàn自己zì jǐ和hé家人jiā rén少吃shǎo chī，也yě要yào帮助bāng zhù受灾shòu zāi的de穷qióng邻居lín jū。

Paavo chose to let his family eat less, just to help his poor neighbor who had suffered.

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