点金石

他一整天都是这么做的，但一块点金石也没有找到。

He spent a whole day doing this but none of them was the touchstone .

疯人褐色的头发蓬乱纠结，粘满泥土，他仍然在孤寂的海岸上游荡，搜寻着他的点金石。

Even so on the lonely shore the madman with dusty tawny locks still roamed in search of the touchstone .

点金石（旧时炼金术士认为能使金属变成黄金的物质）。

Philosopher 's stone ( it was formerly believed by alchemists , would change any metal into gold )

在16世纪，有人提出所谓的博洛尼亚石头实际上是点金石。

In the 1600s , it was even suggested that the so-called Bologna stones were actually philosopher 's stones .

纸条上的文字解释说：点金石就隐藏在千千万万看上去与它一模一样的普通卵石中。

The writing explained that it was lying among thousands and thousands of other pebbles that looked exactly like it .

于是，这个人变卖了自己的一点财物，购买了一些简单的用品，然后在海边安寨扎营，开始从数不清的卵石中找寻点金石的下落。

So the man sold his few belongings , bought some simple supplies , camped on the seashore , and began testing pebbles .

炼金术士到处寻找点金石，据说那是能把贱金属变成金银的东西。

Alchemists searched for the Philosophers ' Stone , which was supposed to be capable of turning base metals into gold or silver .

他形成了一个很强的习惯把捡起的每一块鹅卵石扔进大海，以至于当他捡起他一直想要的点金石也扔进了大海。

He had formed such a strong habit of throwing each pebble into the sea that when the one he wanted came along he stil threw it away .

拾起小石去碰碰那条链子，然后不看看变化与否，又把它扔掉，这已成了习惯；就是这样，这疯子找到了又失掉了那块点金石。

It had grown into a habit , to pick up pebbles and touch the chain , and to throw them away without looking to see if a change had come ; thus the madman found and lost the touchstone .