介绍:
The Lotus Lantern
Red lanterns hung from strings above Liang’s head. “What a beauty!” Liang exclaimed as he walked in the streets of the Chinatown.
Suddenly, Liang saw it. It was hung above the grand stage. A beautiful lantern shaped like a lotus. It bloomed in front of Liang’s eyes. Liang saw a tag beside the Lotus Lantern: $300.
Liang sadly shook his head. “By the time I’ve earned that much money, Chinatown will be closed!” he thought.
Liang went to the stage. He took a seat on one of the folding chairs.
“Welcome! I’m your host!” the host announced. “We have great acts for you! But first, I’ll have to choose a volunteer! How about you there, young man?” He pointed a long crooked finger at Liang.
Liang basically got pushed onto the stage by the crowd. He had to do many weird stunts and acts.
Finally the show was over. Liang sighed in relief, “Finally!” He was still dizzy from the hypnotizing show.
Liang heard the host say, “Thank you, young man! Now, you can take this lantern home with you!” He grinned as he handed Liang the Lotus Lantern.
Liang could not believe it. He took the lantern home immediately.
“Mom! Dad! Look what I’ve got!” Liang cried.
He told his parents all the things that had happened.
“Great! It could replace that old lantern in your room!” Mom said.
“I’m not going to replace that lantern! I’m going to hang this one beside the old one!”
He got right to work. And soon he was finished.
“Okay, you’ve got to put the lantern out now, darling!” Dad called into Liang’s room.
Liang tried to put out the lantern. But there was an invisible force holding him back.
“Dad, come help me! I can’t put it out!” Liang’s father ran to the lantern and put it out easily.
“Those tricks of yours are not going to fool me!” He cried angrily as he stormed out.
Liang heard a sound, “Come! Put me on! You will get great rewards! If you don’t, I will bring doom to your whole family!”
Liang thought it was a bad dream. So he fell into deep sleep.
The next day, Liang went to school, and bad luck came upon him.
He spilled his milk on his clothes and broke his pen. He tore his books and lost his coat. He was scolded badly by his parents.
Later that night Liang heard the voice again, “Put me on! Or the bad luck will continue, and I will bring doom to your family!”
Liang thought it was a nightmare. So again he fell asleep.
Even worse luck the next day.
He bumped his head in the gym class. He flunked the math test. And he acted poorly in the Chinese class.
The teachers shouted at Liang. And his parents gave him a dressing down again.
“Put me on! Put me on!” The ghostly voice echoed beside Liang’s ears.
Liang grabbed the lantern and tossed it out the window.
The next day, Mom scolded Liang again. For the lantern had somehow got itself lit again and was hung on the kitchen ceiling. Liang grabbed the lantern and ran to the Chinatown.
“I want to return this!” Liang gasped as he finally reached the stage. A worker took the lantern and Liang ran off.
That night, the lantern appeared again in Liang’s room.
Liang lit the old lantern. He thought that it would make him safer.
The next morning, both lanterns were gone. Liang saw a note:
I sacrificed myself to save you. I am your old lantern. I had a battle with the Lotus Lantern while you were asleep. He was an evil magician. Just remember, Liang, all that glitters is not gold.
Truly yours,
The Old Lantern
So Liang and his parents lived happily ever after, and no one knows what had happened to those two lanterns.
莲花灯
红色的灯笼挂在阿良的头顶上。“太漂亮了！”阿良走在唐人街的街道上，一边走，一边赞叹道。
突然，阿良看到了它，它就挂在大舞台的上方。那是一盏漂亮的灯笼，形状和莲花一样。莲花在阿良的眼前绽放着。阿良看到莲花灯旁有一个价格标签：300美元。
阿良伤心地摇了摇头。“等我挣够了钱，唐人街就关门了。”他想到。
阿良来到舞台旁，他在折叠椅上坐了下来。
“欢迎光临。我是今晚的主持人。”主持人说道。“今晚有精彩的表演。不过，首先，我们要挑选一名志愿者。你怎么样，年轻人？”他用又长又弯的指头指着阿良。
阿良几乎是让人推上舞台的。他表演了几个很奇怪的节目。
表演结束了。阿良如释重负，叹了口气说道：“终于结束了！” 不过，刚刚参加完催眠节目，他还觉得晕乎乎的。
阿良听到主持人说道：“谢谢，年轻人。现在，你可以把灯笼拿回家了。”他一边笑着，一边把莲花灯递给阿良。
阿良简直不敢相信。他马上拿着灯回家了。
“妈，爸！ 看我拿回什么了！”阿良说道。
他把事情的经过一五一十地告诉了父母。
“太好了！你可以把你屋里那个旧灯笼换下来了！”妈妈说道。
“我不会把那个换下来！我要把这个挂在那个边上！”
说干就干。很快，灯笼挂好了。
“好了，亲爱的，把灯吹灭吧。”爸爸对着阿良的房间喊道。
阿良想把灯吹灭。可是，有一种无形的力量在阻遏着他。
“爸，快来帮帮我！我吹不灭！”阿良的爸爸快步来到灯前，轻而易举地把灯吹灭了。
“你那些个小把戏，甭想蒙我！”他说着，气咻咻地走了出去。
阿良听到一个声音说道：“快，把我点亮，你会得到奖赏！否则，你全家都会遭殃！”
阿良以为是个噩梦，于是，便睡去了。
第二天，阿良上学去了。厄运真的来了。
牛奶洒到衣服上了，钢笔坏了，书撕破了，外套也丢了。回家后，让爸妈臭骂了一顿。
那天晚上，阿良又听到那个声音。“把我点亮。否则，厄运会继续缠着你。而且，你全家都会遭殃！”
阿良以为是个噩梦，于是，又睡下了。
第二天，更加倒霉的事发生了。
体育课上，撞了头；数学测验，挂了；中文课上，也表现得不如人意。
老师批评了他，父母又是一顿臭骂。
“把我点亮！把我点亮！”幽灵般的声音在阿良耳畔回响。
阿良猛地抓起灯笼，把它扔出窗外。
第二天，妈妈又凶了阿良一顿。不知怎么回事，灯笼又亮了，而且，挂在了厨房的天花板上。阿良抓起灯笼，跑到唐人街上。
“我要退货！”阿良终于来到了大舞台上，上气不接下气地说道。一名工作人员接过了灯笼。阿良跑开了。
那天晚上，灯笼再次出现在阿良的房间里。
阿良把旧灯笼点亮了。他觉得，这样他会安全一些。
第二天早上，两盏灯都不见了。阿良看到一张纸条：
为了你，我牺牲了自己。我是你原来的灯笼。你睡觉的时候，我和莲花灯进行了一场搏斗。他是一个邪恶的魔术师。记住，阿良，闪闪发光物，未必尽黄金。
你忠实的
旧灯笼
阿良和他的父母从此幸福地生活在一起。至于那两盏灯后来怎么样了，没人知道。
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