There was once a very old man, whose eyes had become dim, his ears dull of hearing, his knees trembled, and when he sat at table he could hardly hold the spoon, and spilt the broth upon the table-cloth or let it run out of his mouth. —
从前有一个非常年迈的老人，他的眼睛看不清了，耳朵听不见了，膝盖发抖，坐在桌子旁的时候几乎拿不住勺子，把汤洒在桌布上或者从嘴巴里漏出来。 —

His son and his son’s wife were disgusted at this, so the old grandfather at last had to sit in the corner behind the stove, and they gave him his food in an earthenware bowl, and not even enough of it. —
他的儿子和儿媳对此感到厌恶，所以老祖父最后只能坐在灶房后的角落里，他们用一个陶制碗给他盛饭，而且连饭都不够给他吃。 —

And he used to look towards the table with his eyes full of tears. —
他常常眼泪汪汪地望向桌子。 —

Once, too, his trembling hands could not hold the bowl, and it fell to the ground and broke. —
有一次，他颤抖的手拿不住碗，它掉在地上摔碎了。 —

The young wife scolded him, but he said nothing and only sighed. —
年轻妻子责骂他，但他什么都没说，只是叹了口气。 —

Then they brought him a wooden bowl for a few half-pence, out of which he had to eat.
于是他们用几个子钱买了给他一个木制碗，他只得用它来吃饭。

They were once sitting thus when the little grandson of four years old began to gather together some bits of wood upon the ground. —
就在他们这样坐着的时候，四岁的小孙子开始在地上收集木片。 —

‘What are you doing there?’ asked the father. —
‘你在那里做什么？’父亲问道。 —

‘I am making a little trough, ’ answered the child, ‘for father and mother to eat out of when I am big.’
‘我在做一个小槽，’孩子回答道，‘将来当我长大的时候，爸爸和妈妈可以从里面吃东西。’

The man and his wife looked at each other for a while, and presently began to cry. —
这对夫妇互相对视了一会儿，然后开始哭泣起来。 —

Then they took the old grandfather to the table, and henceforth always let him eat with them, and likewise said nothing if he did spill a little of anything.
然后他们把老祖父带到了桌子旁，从此以后总是让他和他们一起吃饭，也再也不管他有时候会洒点东西。