书城期刊杂志读者文摘:最珍贵的礼物(上)
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第2章 谁是你的守护天使 (2)

“I am sad and getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?” “Use my trunk to build the boat. You can sail and be happy.” So the boy cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and did not show up for a long time.

Finally, the boy returned after he left for so many years. “Sorry, my boy. But I don’t have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you.” the tree said. “ I don’t have teeth to bite.” The boy replied. “ No more trunk for you to climb on.” “I am too old for that now.” the boy said. “I really want to give you something…the only thing left is my dying roots.” The tree said with tears. “I don’t need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years.” The boy replied. “Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest. Come here, please sit down with me and have a 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 grow up, we leave them, and only come 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 that"s how all of us are treating our parents.

很久以前有一棵苹果树。一个小男孩每天都喜欢来到树旁玩耍。他爬到树顶,吃苹果,在树荫里打盹……他爱这棵树,树也爱和他一起玩。

随着时间的流逝,小男孩长大了。他不再到树旁玩耍了。

一天,男孩回到树旁,看起来很悲伤。“来和我玩吧!”树说。

“我不再是小孩了,我不会再到树下玩耍了。”男孩答到,“我想要玩具,我需要钱来买。”

“很遗憾,我没有钱……但是你可以采摘我的所有苹果拿去卖。这样你就有钱了。”男孩很兴奋。他摘掉树上所有的苹果,然后高兴地离开了。自从那以后男孩没有回来。树很伤心。

一天,男孩回来了,树非常兴奋。“来和我玩吧。”树说。“我没有时间玩。我得为我的家庭工作。我们需要一个房子来遮风挡雨,你能帮我吗?”很遗憾,我没有房子。但是,你可以砍下我的树枝来建房。“因此,男孩砍下所有的树枝,高高兴兴地离开了。

看到他高兴,树也很高兴。但是,自从那时起男孩没再出现,树有孤独,伤心起来。

突然,在一个夏日,男孩回到树旁,树很高兴。“来和我玩吧!”树说。

“我很伤心,我开始老了。我想去航海放松自己。你能不能给我一条船?”“用我的树干去造一条船,你就能航海了,你会高兴的。”于是,男孩砍倒树干去造船。他航海去了,很长一段时间未露面。

许多年后男孩终于回来了。“很遗憾,我的孩子,我再也没有任何东西可以给你了。没有苹果给你……”树说。“我没有牙齿啃。” 男孩答到。“没有树干供你爬。”“现在我老了,爬不上去了。” 男孩说。“我真的想把一切都给你……我唯一剩下的东西是快要死去的树墩。” 树含着眼泪说。“现在,我不需要什么东西,只需要一个地方来休息。经过了这些年我太累了。”男孩答到。 “太好了!老树墩就是倚着休息的最好地方。过来,和我一起坐下休息吧。” 男孩坐下了,树很高兴,含泪而笑……

这是一个发生在每一个人身上的故事。那棵树就像我们的父母。我们小的时候,喜欢和爸爸妈妈玩……长大后,便离开他们,只有在我们需要父母亲,或是遇到了困难的时候,才会回去找他们。尽管如此,父母却总是有求必应,为了我们的幸福,无私地奉献自己的一切。你也许觉得那个男孩很残忍,但我们何尝不是这样呢?

Who Is Your Angel

谁是你的守护天使

Once upon a time there was a child ready to be born. So one day he asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"

God replied, "Among the many angels, I chose one for you. She will be waiting for you and will take care of you."

But the child wasn"t sure he really wanted to go. "But tell me, here in Heaven, I don"t do anything else but sing and smile, that"s enough for me to be happy."

"Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you every day. And you will feel your angel"s love and be happy."

"And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me, " the child continued," if I don"t know the language that men talk?"

God patted him on the head and said, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will never hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."

"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"

But God had an answer for that question too. "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."

"I"ve heard that on earth there are bad men, who will protect me?"

"Your angel will defend you even if it means risking her life!"

"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore." the child continued warily.

从前,有个孩子马上就要诞生了。因此有一天他问上帝:“听说明天你就送我去人间了,但是,我这么弱小和无助,我在那儿怎么生活呢?”

上帝答道:“在众多的天使中,我特别为你挑了一位。她会守候你、无微不至地照顾你。”

小孩还是拿不准自己是否真的想去。“但是在天堂,我除了唱唱笑笑外,什么也不做。这就足以让我感到幸福了。”

“你的天使每天会为你唱歌,为你微笑。你会感受她的爱,并且因此而幸福。”

“如果我不懂人类的语言,他们对我说话时,我怎么听得懂呢?”孩子继续问道。

上帝轻轻地拍了一下孩子的脑袋说:“你的天使会对你说最最美丽、最最动听的话语,而这些都是你从未听过的。她会不厌其烦地教你说话。”

“如果我想与你说话怎么办?”

上帝胸有成竹地回答:“你的天使会将你的双手合拢,教你如何祈祷。”

“听说尘世有很多坏蛋,谁来保护我呢?”

“即使冒着生命危险,你的天使也会保护你的。”

“但是见不到你,我会难过的。”小孩小心翼翼说道。

who give me ears

是谁给我的耳朵

"Can I see my baby?" the happy new mother asked.

When the bundle was nestled in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.

Time proved that the baby"s hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was marred. When he rushed home from school one day and flung himself into his mother"s arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be a succession of heartbreaks.

He blurted out the tragedy. "A boy, a big boy...called me a freak."

He grew up, handsome for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music.

"But you might mingle with other young people," his mother reproved him, but felt a kindness in her heart.

The boy"s father had a session with the family physician... "Could nothing be done?"

"I believe I could graft on a pair of outer ears, if they could be procured," the doctor decided. Whereupon the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man.

Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, "You"re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it"s a secret."

The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person emerged. His talents blossomed into genius, and school and college became a series of triumphs.

Later he married and entered the diplomatic service. One day, he asked his father, "Who gave me the ears? Who gave me so much? I could never do enough for him or her."

"I do not believe you could," said the father, "but the agreement was that you are not to know...not yet."

The years kept their profound secret, but the day did come. One of the darkest days that ever pass through a son. He stood with his father over his mother"s casket. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish brown hair to reveal the mother had no outer ears.

"Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut," his father whispered gently, "and nobody ever thought mother less beautiful, did they?"

“我可以看看我的宝宝吗?”初为人母的她开心地问道。

当裹着的婴儿放到她臂弯里,她掀开裹着婴儿的布,在看到他的小脸时,她不禁倒吸了一口气。医生快速地转过身,透过医院的高层窗户向外看去。婴儿生下来就没有耳朵。

时间证明婴儿的听力毫无问题,只是有损他的相貌。一天,当他匆匆从学校跑回家,扑向母亲的怀抱时,她叹了口气,意识到他的生活注定会受到一连串的打击。

他脱口诉说遭到的不幸:“一个男孩,一个大个子男孩……他喊我怪胎。”

他长大了,虽然不幸但还是长得挺帅。颇受同学的欢迎,要不是有缺陷,他很可能当了班长。他对文学和音乐很有天赋和潜质。