安徒生童话：沙冈那边的一段故事_少儿英语故事

安徒生童话：沙冈那边的一段故事

　　Life is a gracious gift from God， almost too great a gift for us to appreciate！ said the young wife. Yet they say that fulness of joy for ever and ever can only be found in the future life. I cannot realise it！

　　The thought arises， perhaps， from the arrogance of men， said the husband. It seems a great pride to believe that we shall live for ever， that we shall be as gods！ Were not these the words of the serpent， the father of lies？

　　Surely you do not doubt the existence of a future life？ exclaimed the young wife. It seemed as if one of the first shadows passed over her sunny thoughts.

　　Faith realises it， and the priests tell us so， replied her husband； but amid all my happiness I feel that it is arrogant to demand a continuation of itanother life after this. Has not so much been given us in this world that we ought to be， we must be， contented with it？

　　Yes， it has been given to us， said the young wife， but this life is nothing more than one long scene of trial and hardship to many thousands. How many have been cast into this world only to endure poverty， shame， illness， and misfortune？ If there were no future life， everything here would be too unequally divided， and God would not be the personification of justice.

　　The beggar there， said her husband， has joys of his own which seem to him great， and cause him as much pleasure as a king would find in the magnificence of his palace. And then do you not think that the beast of burden， which suffers blows and hunger， and works itself to death， suffers just as much from its miserable fate？ The dumb creature might demand a future life also， and declare the law unjust that excludes it from the advantages of the higher creation.