English Original
There was once a very old man. His eyes were dim, his hearing was dull, and his knees trembled. When he sat at the table, he could hardly hold his spoon. He often spilled broth on the tablecloth or let it run from his mouth.
His son and daughter-in-law were disgusted by this. Eventually, they made the old grandfather sit in the corner behind the stove. They gave him his food in an earthenware bowl, and not even enough of it. He would look toward the family table with tears in his eyes.
Once, his trembling hands could not hold the bowl, and it fell to the ground and broke. The young wife scolded him, but he only sighed in silence. Then they bought him a cheap wooden bowl to eat from.
One day, as they were sitting thus, their four-year-old grandson began gathering bits of wood on the floor.
"What are you doing there?" asked the father.
"I am making a little trough," answered the child, "for father and mother to eat out of when I am big."
The man and his wife looked at each other for a moment, and then began to cry. They immediately brought the old grandfather back to the table. From then on, he always ate with them, and they said nothing even if he spilled a little.
中文翻译
从前有一位年迈的老人。他双目昏花，耳朵不灵，膝盖也颤抖不停。当他坐在餐桌旁时，几乎连勺子都拿不稳，常常把肉汤洒在桌布上，或者从嘴边流出来。
他的儿子和儿媳对此感到非常厌恶。最后，他们让老爷爷坐到炉子后面的角落里，用一个陶碗给他盛食物，而且给的量还不足。老人常常眼含泪水，望向家人用餐的桌子。
有一次，他颤抖的双手没能拿住碗，碗掉在地上摔碎了。年轻的儿媳责骂他，但他只是沉默地叹了口气。然后，他们给他买了一个便宜的木头碗吃饭。
一天，当他们这样坐着时，他们四岁的小孙子开始在地上捡一些小木块。
“你在那儿做什么呢？”父亲问道。
“我在做一个小食槽，”孩子回答，“等我长大了，给爸爸妈妈吃饭用。”
男人和他的妻子对视了一会儿，然后哭了起来。他们立刻把老爷爷带回了餐桌。从那以后，老人一直和他们一起吃饭，即使他洒出一点东西，他们也什么都不说。