英語美文名人勵(lì)志故事33:富蘭克林·羅斯福享有生命中比較好的養(yǎng)料——父愛的故事
33. The Best Nourishment of Life
33. 生命中最好的養(yǎng)料
A little boy almost thought of himself as the most unfortunate child in the world because poliomyelitis made his leg lame and his teeth uneven and protrudent. He seldom played with his classmates; and when the teacher asked him to answer questions, he always lowered his head without a word.
一個(gè)小男孩幾乎認(rèn)為自己是世界上最不幸的孩子，因?yàn)榛技顾杌屹|(zhì)炎而使他留下了瘸腿和參差不齊的牙齒。他很少跟同學(xué)們玩耍;老師叫他回答問題時(shí)，他總是低著頭一言不友。
One spring, the boy's father asked for some saplings from the neighbor. He told his children to plant a sapling each person. The father said, "Whose seedling grows best, I will buy a favorite gift." The boy also wanted to get his father's gift. But seeing his brothers and sisters carrying water to water the trees bouncily, anyhow, he hit upon an idea: he hoped the tree he planted would die soon. So watering it once or twice, he never attended to it.
一年春天，小男孩的父親從鄰居家討了些樹苗。他叫他的孩子們每人種一棵。父親對(duì)孩子們說：“誰的樹苗長(zhǎng)得好，我就給誰買一件他最喜歡的禮物。”小男孩也想得到父親的禮物。但是看到兄弟姐妹們蹦蹦跳跳的背影，不知怎的，他萌生出一種想法，他希望自己栽的那棵樹早日死去。因此，澆過一兩次水后，他再也沒去管它。
A few days later, when the little boy went to see his tree again, he was surprised to find it not only didn't wilt, but also grew some fresh leaves, and compared with the trees of his brother and sister, his appeared greener and more vital. His father kept his promise and bought the little boy his favorite gift.
幾天后，小男孩再去看他種的那顆樹時(shí)，他驚奇地發(fā)現(xiàn)它不僅沒有枯萎，而且還長(zhǎng)出幾片新葉，顯得很嫩、更有生機(jī)。父親兌現(xiàn)了他的諾言，為小男孩買了一件他最喜歡的禮物。
Since then, the little boy slowly became optimistic. One night, the little boy lay on the bed but couldn't sleep He wanted to go to see the tree. When he came to the courtyard on tiptoe, he found his father was splashing something under his tree with a ladle. All of a sudden, he understood: his father had been secretly fertilizing his small tree! He returned to his room, tears running without restraint.
從那以后，小男孩慢慢地變得樂觀起來。一天晚上，小男孩躺在床上睡不著，他想去看看那棵小樹。當(dāng)他輕手輕腳地來到院子時(shí)，卻看見父親用勺子在向自己栽種的那棵樹下潑灑什么。頓時(shí)，他一切都明白了，原來他父親一直在偷偷地為自己栽種的那棵小樹施肥!他返回房間，任憑淚水肆流。
Decades passed. The little boy was elected President of the United States. His name was Franklin Roosevelt.
幾十年過去了。那個(gè)小男孩成為了美國總統(tǒng)，他的名字叫富蘭克林·羅斯福。
Love is the best nourishment of life; even if it just one ladleful of clear water, it can make the tree of life thrive.
愛是生命最好的養(yǎng)料，哪怕只是一勺清水，它都能使生命之樹苗壯成長(zhǎng)。
