书城外语双语学习丛书-岁月之海
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第6章 The Apple Tree 男孩与苹果树

You may think that the boy is cruel to the tree but thats how all of us are treating our parents.

The Apple Tree

A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and lay around it every day. He climbed to the tree top, ate the apples, took a nap under the shadow… He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.

你也许认为这个男孩对树很残酷,但这就是我们所有人对待自己父母的方式。

男孩与苹果树

很久很久以前,有一棵又高又大的苹果树。有一个小男孩,天天到树下来玩,他爬上树顶,摘苹果吃,在树阴下打盹。他爱苹果树,苹果树也爱和他在一起玩耍。

Time went by… the little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree every day.

One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad. “Come and play with me,” the tree asked the boy. “I am no longer a kid, I dont play around trees anymore.” The boy replied, “I want toys. I need money to buy them.” “Sorry, but I dont have money…but you can pick all my apples and sell them. So, you will have money.” The boy was so excited.

He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the apples. The tree was sad.

One day, the boy returned and the tree was so excited. “Come and play with me,” the tree said. “I dont have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?”

“Sorry, but I dont have a house. But you can chop off my branches to build your house.”

时光一天天地过去,小男孩也慢慢地长大,不再每天都来和苹果树玩耍了。

一天,他又来到苹果树下,一副很伤心的样子。苹果树要和他一起玩儿,男孩说:“不行,我不再是小孩子了,不能再和你玩了,我要玩具,可是没有钱去买。”苹果树说:“很报歉,我也没有钱,不过你把我所有的果实摘下来去卖掉,你不就有钱了?”

男孩摘下了所有的苹果,高高兴兴地离开了。然后,男孩又是好久都没有再来。苹果树非常伤心。

有一天,男孩终于回来了。“快和我一块儿玩儿吧。”苹果树兴奋地说。

男孩说:“不行,我没有工夫,我要给家里面干活。我们要一幢房子,你能帮忙吗?”

“对不起,我没有房子,不过你可以把我的树枝都砍下来,拿去搭幢房子。”

So the boy cut all the branches off the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the boy never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.

One hot summer day, the boy returned and the tree was delighted. “Come and play with me!” the tree said.

“I am sad and getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?”

“Use my trunktrunk n.树干,箱子,象鼻 to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy.” So the boy cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time. The tree was happy, but it was not true.

Finally, the boy returned after he left for so many years. “Sorry, my boy. But I dont have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you…” the tree said. “I dont have teeth to bite,” the boy replied.

“No more trunk for you to climb on.”

于是男孩砍下了所有的树枝,高高兴兴地运回去盖房子了。看到男孩高兴的样子,苹果树非常快乐。从此,男孩又不再来了。树再次陷入孤独和悲伤之中。

一年夏天,男孩回来了,苹果树高兴极了:“来吧!孩子,来和我玩呀。”

“我心情很坏,一天天在变老,我要扬帆出海,放松一下,你能提供给我一艘船吗?”

苹果树说:“把树干砍去,拿去做船吧!”于是男孩砍下树干,造了一条船,然后驾船出海去了,很久都没回来了。树好快乐……但不是真的。

许多年过去了,男孩终于回来了,苹果树说:“对不起,孩子,我已没有东西可以给你了,我的苹果没了。”男孩说:“我的牙掉光了,吃不下苹果了。”

苹果树又说:“我再也没有树干,让你爬上爬下了。”

“I am too old for that now,” the boy said.

“I really cant give you anything… the only thing left is my dying roots,” the tree said with tears.

“I dont need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years.” The boy replied.

“Good! Old tree roots is the best place to lean on and rest. Come, Come sit down with me and rest.” The boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears…

This is a story of everyone. The tree is our parent. When we were young, we loved to play with Mom and Dad… When we grown up, we left them, and only came to them when we need something or when we are in trouble.

No matter what, parents will always be there and give everything they could to make you happy. You may think that the boy is cruel to the tree but thats how all of us are treating our parents.

男孩说:“我已经太老了,爬不动了。”

“我再也没有什么可以拿得出手了……只剩下了枯死的老根。”树流着泪说。

男孩说:“这么多年过去了,现在我只感到疲惫了,什么也不要,只想要个休息的地方。”

“好啊!老树根是最好的休息之所,来吧,坐下来和我一起休息吧!”男孩坐了下来,苹果树高兴得流出了眼泪……

这就是我们所有人的故事。这颗苹果树就是我们的父母。小时候,我们喜欢和爸爸妈妈嬉戏……长大后,我们就离他们而去,只在需要什么或遇到麻烦时,才回到他们的身边。

无论怎样,父母永远都停留在那里,倾其所有使你快乐。你也许认为这个男孩对树很残酷,但这就是我们所有人对待自己父母的方式。

中国有句古话“树欲静而风不止,子欲养而亲不待”,表达了一种人们因自然规律而无法与父母共在的惆怅之情。父母就像文中的苹果树一样,在我们无尽的索取中一天天老去,而当我们懂得这份无私奉献的来之不易时,也许已经没有了救赎自己心灵的机会。所以我们应该抓住现在,善待自己的父母。