The Empty Pot

The Empty Pot, retold by Betty Yee. Illustrated by Jinwoo Kim. Focus Question. What lesson does Chen learn?

《空花盆》，贝蒂·伊改编，金振宇绘。 核心问题：陈学到了什么道理？

A long time ago in China there was a boy named Chen. He lived with his mother in a wooden house in a countryside village. Their house was very small, but their garden was always full of beautiful flowers and other plants. Chen's mother had planted the garden before Chen was born. She taught him everything she knew about gardening.

很久很久以前，中国有个叫陈的男孩。 他和妈妈一起住在乡村的一栋木屋里。 他们的房子很小，但院子里总是种满了漂亮的花儿和其他植物。 陈的妈妈在陈出生前就打理好了这个院子。 她把自己懂的所有园艺知识都教给了陈。

The emperor of China was a very old man who had no children of his own. He worried about who would become the next emperor and what would happen to his country. He decided to choose the next emperor from among the children of his empire. One day, the emperor announced that the people of China should bring their children to his palace.

中国的皇帝年事已高，自己没有子嗣。 他很担心谁来当下一任皇帝，也担心国家的未来。 他决定从全国的孩子里挑选下一任皇帝。 有一天，皇帝下令，让全国的百姓都把自家孩子带到他的皇宫里来。

The emperor revealed his plan to the crowd that had gathered. He declared, I will provide a flower seed to any child who wants one. Take your seed home and plant it in a pot. In a year's time, come back to the palace with your pot, and I will select the next emperor. Chen lined up with the other children to get a seed. He could hardly contain his excitement.

皇帝向聚集起来的人群说明了他的计划。 他宣布道，只要是想要花种的孩子，我都会给大家发一粒。 把种子带回家种在花盆里。 一年之后，带着你的花盆回到皇宫，我会选出下一任皇帝。 陈和其他孩子一起排队领种子。 他激动得都快坐不住啦。

Chen treated his seed with great care. He carried it home in a silk pouch. He planted the seed in a little clay pot in his garden, covered it with soil, and gave it water. Days passed, but the little seed didn't sprout.

陈小心翼翼地对待这粒种子，他把种子放在丝绸小袋子里带回了家。 他把种子种在院子里的一个小陶盆里，盖上土，还给它浇了水。 好多天过去了，这粒小种子却一点都没发芽。

Chen put the seed in a bigger pot made of fine china. He moved the pot to the sunniest corner of the garden. Weeks passed, but the little seed didn't sprout.

陈把种子移到了一个更大的精美瓷盆里 他还把花盆搬到了院子里阳光最充足的角落 好几个星期过去了，这粒小种子还是没发芽