雙語閱讀:安心草
雙語閱讀:安心草
摘要:雖然我并沒有什么值得驕傲的東西,但我想,如果你想要一 棵橡樹,或松樹、葡萄,或桃樹、天竺葵、丁香,你就會去種它 們,而我知道你想要一株心安草,所以我決心盡我所能做一株最 好的心安草。"
A story is told of a king who went into his garden one morning, and found everything witheredand dying.
這個故事是這樣的:一個國王清晨走迸花園,發(fā)現所有的草 木已經枯萎,奄奄一息了。
He asked the oak that stood near the gate what the trouble was.
于是,他問門邊的橡樹究竟發(fā)生了什么事。
安心草
He found it was sick of life and determined to die because it was not tall and beautiful like thepine.
原來是它們消極 厭世、一心求死,因為橡樹覺得自己不如松樹般高大、秀麗:
The pine was all out of heart because it could not bear grapes, like the vine.
而松樹為自己不如葡萄藤那般結滿豐碩的果實而沮喪:
The vine was going to throw its life away because it could not stand erect and have as fine fruitas the peach tree.
葡萄藤則為自己無法直立,并且無法像桃樹那樣結出上好的果實而想結束生命
The geranium was fretting because it was not tall and fragrant like the lilac…and so on allthrough the garden.
天竺葵也焦躁不安,因為它覺得自己不如紫丁香那樣修長、 芳香……于是,整個花園都了無生氣。
Coming to a heart's-ease, he found its bright face lifted as cheery as ever.
國王走到一株心安草面前,發(fā)現它仍然神采奕奕,如從前般歡樂。
"Well, heart's-ease, I'm glad, amidst all this discouragement, to find one brave little flower. Youdo not seem to be the (east disheartened."
¨你好,心安草,我感到非常高興,所有的草木都對自己失去 了信心,只有你能勇敢地生活,沒有絲毫氣餒。¨
"No, I am not of much account, but I thought that if You wanted an oak, or a pine, or a vine,or a peach tree, or a geranium, or a lilac, you would have planted one; but as I knew youwanted a heart's-ease, I am determined to be the best little heart's-ease that I can.
¨雖然我并沒有什么值得驕傲的東西,但我想,如果你想要一 棵橡樹,或松樹、葡萄,或桃樹、天竺葵、丁香,你就會去種它 們,而我知道你想要一株心安草,所以我決心盡我所能做一株最 好的心安草。"
我們是多么貧窮
One day a wealthy family man took his son on a trip to the country so he could have his sonsee how poor country people were.
一天,一個富有的爸爸帶著兒子做了一次鄉(xiāng)村之旅,他想讓兒子明白鄉(xiāng)下人是多么的貧窮。
They stayed one day and one night in the farmhouse of a very humble farm. On the way backhome at the end of the trip the father asked the son, "What did you think of the trip?"
他們在一個農家的寒酸的農場上呆了一天一夜。在旅程結束回家的路上,爸爸問兒子:“你覺得這次旅行怎么樣?”
The son replied, "Very nice, Dad."
兒子回答:“非常好,爸爸。”
The father then asked, "Did you noticed how poor they were?"
爸爸接著問:“你有沒有注意到他們是多么貧窮啊?”
The son replied, "Yes, I guess so."
兒子答道:“是的,或許是吧。”
The father then added, "And what did you learn?"
爸爸追問道:“那你都是學到了些什么?”
To this question, the son thought for a moment and answered slowly, "I learned that we haveone dog in the house and they have four. We have a fountain in the garden and they have astream that has no end.
關于這一問題,兒子想了一會兒,慢條斯理地回答道:“我學到我們家只有一只狗,而他們卻有四只。我們花園里有一個噴水池,而他們卻有一條沒有盡頭的小河。”
"We have fancy lanterns in our garden, while they have the stars. Our garden goes to the edgeof our yard, but for their back yard they have the entire horizon!"
“我們花園里有色彩奪目的燈籠,而他們卻有無數閃亮的星星。我們院子的盡頭就是花園,而他們的后院卻有開闊的視野。”
At the end of the son's reply, the rich father was speechless. His son then added: "Thanks,Dad, for showing me how poor we really are."
兒子說完后,這個富有的爸爸無言以對。兒子還說道:“謝謝你,爸爸,讓我明白了我們是多么貧窮。”
Isn't it true that all depends on the lens you use to see life?
一切在于看待問題的方式,難道不是嗎?
If you have love, friends, family, health, good humor and a positive attitude toward life, you'vegot everything!
如果你擁有了愛情、朋友、家庭、健康、幽默和積極的態(tài)度,你就擁有了一切。
You can't buy any of these things.You can have all the material possessions you can imagine,provisions for the future, etc., but if you are poor of spirit, you have nothing!
這些東西是金錢買不到的。你可以擁有你想象中的任何物質財富和為將來做的儲備,但假若你精神貧乏,還是一無所有。