In commemoration of Indonesia’s Independence day, today I will tell you an Indonesian folktale that must have been heard by Indonesian children before: Malin Kundang. He was born poor, but by working hard, he eventually got rich. However…
[otw_shortcode_tabslayout tabs=”2″ tab_1_title=”Simplified Chinese” tab_1_content=”在一个村庄里，有一个贫穷的女人。她跟她唯一的儿子一起生活，儿子叫作马林昆当。女人的职业是渔人，可是光靠平时的收入无法满足他们的日常需求，因此陷入饥寒交迫的困境。
马林长大了以后，就决定到城市去。他想要尝试改善他们的穷苦的生活。母亲虽然心情不舍，但还是让他离开小渔村，母亲又变成孑然一身了。
马林离开后，母亲总是想着他儿子，甚至后来思念成疾，可是马林从来没有写过一封信给母亲。
在城市打拼了几年后，马林的奋斗总算开花结果了。他成为一个很富裕的商人，买了很多艘船，还娶了非常漂亮的贵妇。
有一天，马林想要回去看看他的家乡。他已经很久没有回家了，不禁有点想念那个纯朴的小渔村。他带着妻子以及许多工人，也拿了很多金钱准备分发给村民。
到了村庄以后，他很骄傲地分给村民金钱。村里的人都很开心。他们中的一些人认出来原来眼前的这位富商就是以前的邻居小马林！他们就立刻到马林的家去，想要告诉马林的母亲这个好消息。
母亲听到了以后就兴高采烈地跑到港口去。她的眼睛都是充满泪水，真的没想到马林终于回家了。到了港口，母亲看到马林和他的漂亮妻子。
「马林你回家了！」母亲向马林喊了一声。马林知道这个很熟悉的声音。可是，他觉得承认这个穿着破烂衣服的老女人是他的母亲很可耻；他要怎么给他妻子解释？
「马林，你不是说你的母亲已经离世了？这位老女人真的是你的母亲吗？」 马林的妻子感到困惑。
「她不是我的母亲。他只是一个自称是我母亲的乞丐。」马林狠心的回答。
马林的话像晴天霹雳，雷击母亲的心。母亲随后诅咒马林，「马林，你的心竟然像岩石一样坚硬无情，我诅咒你变成一块石头! 你真是个不孝的孩子！ 」
不久之后，黑云密布，遮住整个天空。雷声隆隆，马林真的很害怕。他向他妈下跪求饶，请求母亲的宽恕，可是母亲心里非常受难过，无法原谅狠心的儿子。黑云密布的天空很快就变成了暴雨。闪电击中马林，无望的马林竟然一瞬间变成一个大石头了。
” tab_2_title=”Traditional Chinese” tab_2_content=”
在一個村莊裡，有一個貧窮的女人。她跟她唯一的兒子一起生活，兒子叫作馬林昆當。女人的職業是漁人，可是光靠平時的收入無法滿足他們的日常需求，因此陷入飢寒交迫的困境。
馬林長大了以後，就決定到城市去。他想要嘗試改善他們的窮苦的生活。母親雖然心情不捨，但還是讓他離開小漁村，母親又變成孑然一身了。
馬林離開後，母親總是想著他兒子，甚至後來思念成疾，可是馬林從來沒有寫過一封信給母親。
在城市打拼了幾年後，馬林的奮鬥總算開花結果了。他成為一個很富裕的商人，買了很多艘船，還娶了非常漂亮的貴婦。
有一天，馬林想要回去看看他的家鄉。他已經很久沒有回家了，不禁有點想念那個純樸的小漁村。他帶著妻子以及許多工人，也拿了很多金錢準備分發給村民。
到了村莊以後，他很驕傲地分給村民金錢。村裡的人都很開心。他們中的一些人認出來原來眼前的這位富商就是以前的鄰居小馬林！他們就立刻到馬林的家去，想要告訴馬林的母親這個好消息。
母親聽到了以後就興高采烈地跑到港口去。她的眼睛都是充滿淚水，真的沒想到馬林終於回家了。到了港口，母親看到馬林和他的漂亮妻子。
「馬林你回家了！」母親向馬林喊了一聲。馬林知道這個很熟悉的聲音。可是，他覺得承認這個穿著破爛衣服的老女人是他的母親很可恥；他要怎麼給他妻子解釋？
「馬林，你不是說你的母親已經離世了？這位老女人真的是你的母親嗎？」 馬林的妻子感到困惑。
「她不是我的母親。他只是一個自稱是我母親的乞丐。」馬林狠心的回答。
馬林的話像晴天霹靂，雷擊母親的心。母親隨後詛咒馬林，「馬林，你的心竟然像岩石一樣堅硬無情，我詛咒你變成一塊石頭! 你真是個不孝的孩子！ 」
不久之後，黑雲密佈，遮住整個天空。雷聲隆隆，馬林真的很害怕。他向他媽下跪求饒，請求母親的寬恕，可是母親心裡非常受難過，無法原諒狠心的兒子。黑雲密佈的天空很快就變成了暴雨。閃電擊中馬林，無望的馬林竟然一瞬間變成一個大石頭了。
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English translation:
In a village, there is a poor woman. She lives with her only son, and her son is called Malin Kundang. The woman’s occupation is a fisherwoman, but they cannot meet their daily needs with their daily income, so they are caught in a desperate poverty condition.
After Malin grew up, he decided to go to the city. He wants to try to improve their poor life. Although the mother is reluctant to part with Malin, she still let him leave the small fishing village, and the mother became alone again.
After Malin left, the mother always thought about his son, and even later her yearning has turned into illness, but Marin never wrote a letter to her mother.
After working hard in the city for a few years, Malin’s struggle finally blossomed. He became a very wealthy businessman, bought a lot of boats, and married a very beautiful lady.
One day, Marin wanted to go back and look at his hometown. He hasn’t been home for a long time, and he can’t help but miss the simple fishing village. He took his wife and many workers and took a lot of money to distribute it to the villagers.
After arriving at the village, he proudly distributed the money to the villagers. The people in the village are very happy. Some of them recognized that the wealthy businessman in front of him was the former neighbor, Malin! They immediately went to Malin’s house and wanted to tell Malin’s mother the good news.
After hearing the good news, the mother then ran to the port happily. Her eyes were full of tears, and she really didn’t expect Malin to finally go home. When she arrived at the port, her mother saw Malin and his beautiful wife.
“Malin, you are coming home!” The mother shouted to Malin. Malin knows this familiar voice. However, he felt that it was shameful to admit that the old woman wearing tattered clothes was his mother; how would he explain to his wife?
“Malin, don’t you say that your mother has passed away? Is this old woman really your mother?” Malin’s wife was confused.
“She is not my mother. She is just a beggar who claims to be my mother.” Malin replied heartlessly.
Malin’s words are like a thunderbolt from the blue. The mother then cursed Malin. “Malin, your heart is unexpectedly as hard as a rock, I curse you into a stone! You are really an unfilial child!”
Soon after, the black clouds were gathering, covering the whole sky. The thunder rumbled, Malin is really scared. He kneeled to his mother, pleaded for mercy and asked the mother for forgiveness, but the mother was very upset and could not forgive this heartless son. The dark clouds quickly turned into a rainstorm. A lightning hit Malin, and the hopeless Marin turned into a big stone in a flash.
Special notes:
- 飢寒交迫 – jī hán jiāo pò – [idiom] suffer from hunger and cold; be poverty-stricken
- 孑然一身 – jié rán yī shēn – [idiom] all alone in the world
- 思念成疾 – sī niàn chéng jí – [idiom] yearning has turned into an illness
- 開花結果 – kāi huā jiē guǒ – [idiom] blossom and bear fruit; yield positive results
- 興高采烈 – xìng gāo cǎi liè – [idiom] happy and excited
- 晴天霹靂 – qíng tiān pī lì – [idiom] a bolt from the blue
- 密佈 – mìbù – covers thickly
The picture is taken from here.