第五回 父亲的祝福

Paulo Coelho

牧羊少年一心只想闯天涯，对此，他的父亲态度如何？ 父亲又该如何解开少年的心结？ 父亲的话语和行为传递出了怎样的情感变化？ 是什么促成了这种变化？ 本回小说又蕴含了怎样的寓意？

Track 02

“People from all over the world have passed through this village, son,” said his father.“They come in search of new things, but when they leave they are basically the same people they were when they arrived. They climb the mountain to see the castle, and they wind up thinking that the past was better than what we have now. They have blond hair and dark skin,but basically they're the same as the people who live right here.”

“But I'd like to see the castles in the towns where they live,” the boy explained.

“Those people, when they see our land, say that they would like to live here forever,” his father continued.

“Well, I'd like to see their land, and see how they live,” said his son.

“The people who come here have a lot of money to spend, so they can afford to travel,”his father said. “Amongst us, the only ones who travel are the shepherds.”

“Well, then I'll be a shepherd! ”

His father said no more. The next day, he gave his son a pouch that held three ancient Spanish gold coins.

“I found these one day in the fields. I wanted them to be a part of your inheritance（继承物）. But use them to buy your flock. Take to the fields, and someday you'll learn that our countryside is the best, and our women are the most beautiful.”

And he gave the boy his blessing. The boy could see in his father's gaze a desire to be able,himself, to travel the world—a desire that was still alive, despite his father's having had to bury it, over dozens of years, under the burden of struggling for water to drink, food to eat, and the same place to sleep every night of his life.

Ⅰ. Comprehending the novel

1. In your opinion, when the father learned that his son desired to travel the world, did he support his son at first according to this chapter? Why? And how did he made his opinion convincing?

2. Did the little shepherd believe his father's words?How can you draw the conclusion?

3. Did the father change his thought on his son? If so, what do you think contributed to the change?

4. What can be used to describe the father according to this chapter?

Ⅱ. Exploring the theme

What moral is conveyed in the father's words and the son's desire to travel in this chapter?