The student stood there deeply affected； and his eyes filled with tears。 “Now；” said the professor； “are you not much better pleased than if you had played your intended trick？”
The youth replied； “You have taught me a lesson which I will never forget。 I feel now the truth of those words； which I never understood before：‘It is more blessed8 to give than to receive。’”
梅罗普的奖励（1）
佚名
梅罗普是七个漂亮的姐妹中最文静也最不引人注意的一个。她已习惯并心甘情愿做配角。“每个人都很关注她们，”她想，“所以她们要努力做得更完美。没有人关注我，我做得差不多就可以了。”
她的姐妹们总是受到各种各样年轻男子的青睐，他们迷恋、崇拜并追求她们。梅罗普只能静静地待在角落里看他们来来往往，并为姐妹们的幸福而高兴。闲着没事儿时，她就读书写字，并且写下了许多幻想中的生活：她想象着如果自己和姐妹们一样漂亮迷人、大方出众，她的生活会如何如何。
其他六个姐妹都对梅罗普深表同情，因为她们也都认为自己很漂亮，而在她们看来，梅罗普只是可爱。她们享受着生活的欢愉，而梅罗普那梦幻般的面容，却丝毫不能引起人们的兴趣。她似乎只沉湎于她的梦幻世界，而让人误以为她对现实生活极不满意。
年轻男子络绎不绝，姐妹们的心情也随之飘忽不定。只有一张男子的脸，是梅罗普能经常看到的，那人叫西绪福斯，是个泥瓦匠，他正在梅罗普家的房子周围砌石墙。她的姐妹们从不会正眼瞧他一下，因为他穿得很寒酸，且从不带礼物给她们，他总是从后门进入厨房，然后让梅罗普找她父亲，问石墙确切应该砌在什么位置。
梅罗普注意到，西绪福斯对她十分尊重，当问她怎么做的时候总是诚心诚意的。偶尔，他会带一小桶草莓或一袋苹果给她，这些都是他闲逛时采摘的。而梅罗普总会红着脸接受这些礼物。她的姐妹们便嘲笑她，对那些礼物不屑一顾，因为她们身边的那些年轻男子常给她们带些金银珠宝、玫瑰花、装饰带和皮具等贵重物品。
但是文静的梅罗普却为这些朴实的礼物而激动。“宝石谁都会买，”她对姐妹们说，“玫瑰花和皮具任何人也都可以买，但是在烈日下花整整一上午或一下午的时间，忍受蚊蝇叮咬去采摘果子，却不是人人都可以做得到的，更别提那些纨绔子弟了。”对于她的话，姐妹们只是一笑了之，笑声明显不像以往那么畅快。
一天下午，梅罗普的父亲和西绪福斯一起去了农田，想向他解释围墙应砌在什么位置。不一会儿，西绪福斯浑身湿漉漉的，把梅罗普的父亲背回了厨房。父亲浑身湿透，似乎失去了知觉。西绪福斯把他放在桌子上，大声叫梅罗普拿来干净的毛巾和白兰地酒。
父亲呷了几口烈酒，便气喘吁吁地讲了事情的经过。原来梅罗普的父亲手拿六分仪边测量边往后退，一不小心掉进了她家旁边那条水流湍急的深水河里，幸亏西绪福斯立即跳入河中，把他从冰冷的河水中救了上来。
父亲苏醒后，对西绪福斯感激不尽，并许诺：西绪福斯可以娶他的任何一个女儿为妻。他把女儿们都叫到书房，其中六个哭闹着不情愿，都认为西绪福斯配不上她们。梅罗普像往常一样站在角落里，微笑着，默不作声。
父亲很生气，责备女儿们没有良心，西绪福斯救了他的命，理所应当得到她们的爱。听了父亲的斥责，她们不再哭闹，只是抽泣着，板着脸，红肿着眼睛，一声不吭地呆立在那儿。
西绪福斯微笑着，谨慎地做着自己的选择，他的目光落在梅罗普身上，说道：“先生，我想选择梅罗普，娶她为妻。”姐妹们猛地抬起头，刚才的恐惧感顿时被欣喜或者说是失望所取代。
“你宁可选择梅罗普也不选择我们？”大姐简直不敢相信自己的耳朵，“你难道瞎了眼吗？”
父亲又严厉地呵斥了她们，除了梅罗普，其余的姐妹都离开了书房。“西绪福斯，我很高兴把梅罗普嫁给你，但是，你必须告诉我，为什么选她而不选我其他的女儿呢？”
“先生；”泥瓦匠解释说，“你的每个女儿都美貌出众，这是毫无疑问的。但是如果没有人追求她们，她们的美丽就会褪色，她们的光彩也会渐渐消退且不堪一击。然而梅罗普的美丽源于善良的心灵，聪明的头脑，这种美是永远不会褪色的。我认为她是我的最佳选择，先生！”
梅罗普的奖励（2）
西绪福斯和梅罗普结婚了，随着时间的流逝，他的预言真的得到了证实，梅罗普的姐妹们都失去了往日的美丽容颜，不再是男人们追求的对象，她们越来越感到了苦闷，终日不出家门，也不再有男人登门拜访；与她们共度美好时光。
在西绪福斯的爱情滋润下，梅罗普变得越来越光彩迷人，她写的幻想故事给两个人的生活平添了许多乐趣——他们一人写作，一人欣赏——幸福快乐地白头偕老。
Merope’s Reward
Anonymous
Of the seven beautiful ones； Merope was the quietest and the easiest to overlook。 She herself became accustomed to blending into the background； and found a way to content herself with that。 “Everyone is always watching them；” she thought； “so they have to be perfect。 No one watches me； I can settle for being good。”
Her sisters went through the world being cherished and adored and sought after by all manner of young men。 Merope watched the parade pass by her quiet corner； pleased that it made her sisters happy。 To amuse herself； she learned to read and write and began writing down her fantasies of what her life would be like if she were as beautiful and brilliant as her siblings1。
The other six pitied Merope； for while they thought themselves beautiful； to them she was only pretty。 Where they were vibrant with the joy of life； Merope wore a dreamy countenance that many found uninviting。 She seemed so taken with the world of her dreams that they assumed she was unhappy with her lot。
The young men continued to e and go； changing as frequently as her sisters’ whims。 The only male face Merope saw with any regularity was Sisyphus； the mason who was building a stone wall around their property。 Her sisters paid him no heed； for he didn’t wear fine clothes and didn’t bring them gifts。 He would e into the kitchen through the back door and would ask Merope to find her father for him to answer some question or other about the exact placement of the wall。
Merope noticed that Sisyphus treated her with plete respect； and seemed to genuinely care when he asked how she was。 On occasion； he would bring her a bucket of berries or a bag of apples he’d found in his wanderings； and Merope would blush as she accepted these gifts。 Her sisters laughed at her； and the gifts from Sisyphus； for the flocks of young men who swarmed2 about her sisters offered them jewels and roses； lace and furs。
But the quiet Merope was inwardly thrilled by these homely tributes3。 “Anyone can buy a ruby；” she told them； “anyone can buy a rose or a fur。 But not one of those dandies would spend a morning or an afternoon collecting fruit in the broiling sun； being tortured by buzzing； biting flies for one of you。“ Her sisters laughed at that； but a little less brilliantly than they had before。
One afternoon； Merope’s father went out into the fields with Sisyphus； to explain to him where he wanted the fence placed。 A short time later； a soaked Sisyphus carried the unconscious； equally drenched man into the kitchen and laid him on the table。 He barked orders to Merope； telling her to find clean towels and fetch some brandy。
梅罗普的奖励（3）
The story was told in gasps； between sips of the strong liquor。 Her father had been backing up； holding a sextant4 to his eye； and had fallen into the deep； swift river that ran along the edge of their property。 Sisyphus had immediately plunged in after him； and had pulled him from the cold water。
After he recovered； the grateful man offered Sisyphus any one of his daughters for his wife。 The daughters were summoned to his study； six of them crying and protesting that Sisyphus was unworthy。 Merope took her customary place in the corner； smiling serenely 5and saying nothing。
Their father became angry and told the girls sharply that they were being ungrateful and that Sisyphus had proven himself worthy without a doubt by saving his lif