农夫和苹果树

A farmer and an apple tree

A poor farmer had a friend who was famous for the wonderful apple trees he grew.

One day, his friend gave the farmer a young apple tree and told him to take it home and plant it.

The farmer was pleased with the gift, but when he got home he did not know where to plant it.

He was afraid that if he planted the tree near the road, strangers would steal the fruit. If he planted the tree in one of his fields, his neighbors would come at night and steal some of the apples. If he planted the tree near his house, his children would take the fruit.

Finally he planted the tree in his wood where no one could see it. But without sunlight and good soil, the tree soon died.

Later the friend asked the farmer why he had planted the tree in such a poor place. “What’s the difference?” the farmer said angrily. “If I had planted the tree near the road, strangers would have stolen the fruit. If I had planted the tree in one of my fields, my neighbors would have come at night and stolen some of the apples. If I had planted it near my house, my own children would have taken the fruit.”

“Yes,” said the friend, “but at least someone could have enjoyed the fruit. Now you not only have robbed everyone of the fruit, but also you have destroyed a good apple tree!”

【参考译文】

农夫和苹果树

一个穷困的农夫有一个朋友，这个朋友因为种了极好的苹果树而出名。

有一天，农夫的这个朋友送给他一棵小苹果树，并告诉他带回家种起来。

农夫非常喜欢这份礼物。但当他回到家时，却不知道将它栽在什么地方。

他担心如果把苹果树栽在路边，陌生人会偷树上的苹果；如果树种在自己的一块地里，邻居们夜里就会过来偷苹果；如果把树栽在自己的房子边，他的孩子们就会摘苹果。

最后，他把那棵树栽在了没人能看到的树林子里。但没有阳光和良好的土壤，树不久就死了。

后来，朋友问农夫他为什么把树栽在那样贫瘠的地方。“那有什么不一样？”农夫生气地说，“如果我把苹果树栽在路边，陌生人就会偷树上的苹果；如果我把树栽在自己的一块地里，邻居们夜里就会来偷苹果；如果我把树栽在自己的房边，我自己的孩子们就会摘苹果。”

“是啊，”朋友说，“但是至少会有人享用到这些水果啊。现在你不但剥夺了每个人拥有苹果的权利，而且还毁坏了一棵好苹果树。”

【人生启迪】

雷切尔·卡森说过：“好咖啡要和朋友一起品尝，好机会也要和朋友一起分享。 我们必须与其他生命共同分享我们的地球。”的确，生活需要伴侣，快乐和痛苦都要有人分享。没有人分享的人生，无论面对的是快乐还是痛苦，都是一种惩罚。