Quora破万赞回答：既然金钱买不到快乐，为什么还要努力赚钱？

——这一搭 莲蓬子落地 几回迷

My first try of translating an English story into Chinese, try to make it as vivid as possible. Enjoy! 

在古代的欧洲，一个有名的大厨带着一群徒弟学艺。有一天，一个徒弟问师傅：既然说金钱买不到快乐，为什么我们还要努力赚钱？

师傅沉默了片刻，没有回答，带徒弟去了厨房，说：“在回答这个问题之前，我们先来做个苦瓜汤。”

师傅让徒弟准备5个碗，然后将盐依次加到碗里。每个碗碟的盐量逐个增加，第一个不加盐，第二个加一勺盐，第三个加两小勺盐，依此类推，到第五个就加到了很多盐。

接着师傅让徒弟在每个碗里倒满苦瓜汤，然后让徒弟依次品尝各个碗碟里的苦瓜汤的味道。

徒弟先尝了一口第一个碗里的汤。

“怎么样？”，师傅问道。

“好苦！”徒弟只尝了一小口，因为太苦，还差点吐了出来。

“好！现在来看下第二碗里的汤”，师傅说道。

“稍微好一些，但还是很苦！”，徒弟尝了一口回答。

“再试下个碗碟的汤看看”，师傅又一次引导徒弟。

徒弟喝了一口，脸上顿时充满喜悦，回答道：“这碗汤太鲜美了，很好喝。”

“再下一碗！”师傅道。

于是徒弟又尝了一口第四碗苦瓜汤，“这碗汤又苦又咸！”徒弟痛苦地回答说。

“再来，第五碗！”，师傅说。

“我可以不尝这碗吗？不用说它肯定是很苦又很咸。”徒弟央求道。

“我们为什么要这么尝试？”徒弟不解地问道。

这时所有的徒弟都好奇地看着师傅。师傅沉默了几秒，说道：

“我们的生活就像这个苦瓜汤，它的本质上是痛苦的，充满挣扎，甚至让你无法忍受。但是钱就像是这汤里的盐，它给生活带来愉悦。”

“对金钱，完美的做法就蕴含在第三个碗里：追逐适度的金钱以保证舒适生活所需。但如果你一味的追求金钱，那就又会让生活平添苦恼。”

原文回答

Student asked to his master “If money doesn't buy happiness, then why do we work so hard to make money?”

Master: Let’s go to kitchen. Today we will cook bitter melon soup.

Master asked his student to prepare 5 bowls of soup. Salt will be in increasing order in each bowl. So, first bowl will not have any salt but last bowl will have more salt.

Master asked his student to taste each bowl.

Student tastes the soup in first bowl.

‘How is it?’ Master asked.

‘Bitter’, student replied. Student was unable to eat a single spoon of soup due to its bitterness.

‘Now taste second bowl’ Master again asked.

‘Little bit better but still bitter’ student replied.

‘Move to next’ Master directed.

‘This one is perfect. It tastes great.” Student replied with joy.

‘Next’ Master ordered.

‘This is again bitter salty’ student replied in disgust.

‘Fifth one’ master finished.

‘Am I permitted to not eat this one because it would be too salty and bitter?’ student requested.

‘But why are we doing this, master’ student added with curiosity.

Master was silent. Only few seconds passed but felt like eternity. All students surrounded master with the curiosity.

“Our life is like this soup. It is bitter in nature. It has its own struggle. It is totally uncomfortable. But money is like salt in this soup. It adds comfort.

Perfect recipe is in third bowl. You should run behind the money but up to an extent when it provides you all the necessary comforts of life. But if you would try to add more salt it will make your life bitter only.”

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