苹果树

文/瑞乔·M·约翰翻译/加法

有一棵苹果树。有一个小男孩每天都喜欢来跟苹果树玩。他上树摘苹果吃，在树荫里打盹，他爱这棵苹果树，苹果树也爱他。

时光飞快的过去。小男孩变成了大男孩。他不再跟苹果树玩了。一天，男孩回到苹果树身旁，他看起来很难过。

“来跟我玩一会吧。”苹果树对他说。

“我不是小孩子了，我不会爬树了，我需要玩具，我需要钱买玩具。”小男孩说。

“对不起，我没有钱。不过你可以把我所有的苹果摘下来拿去卖钱。”苹果树回答他。

小男孩打起精神来，它把所有的苹果摘光了，然后快乐地离去。

摘了苹果后，小男孩再没有来看过苹果树，直到他长成一个男人。一天，回到苹果树这里。

“来跟我玩一会吧。”苹果树对他说。

“我没有时间玩，我要工作来养活我的家庭。我们需要一所房子安身，你能帮助我吗？”男人说。

“对不起，我没有房子。不过你可以砍掉我所有的树枝拿去盖房子。”苹果树回答说。

男人打起精神来，他砍掉了所有的树枝，然后快乐地离去。 看到男人快乐，苹果树也非常快乐，不过男人砍了树枝以后再也没有来看过苹果树。苹果树又孤零零了，它很伤心。

一个炎热的夏日，男人回到苹果树这里。苹果树高兴极了。 “来跟我玩一会吧。”苹果树对他说。

“我一天比一天年纪大，我想去航海，让自己放松下来。你能给我一条船吗？”

男人问。

“用我的树干去做条船吧。你就可以航行到很远的地方，你会快乐的。” 于是男人砍了树干做了条船，他真的去航海了，并且很长时间没有回来。 很多年以后，男人终于回来了。 “对不起，孩子，”苹果树说，“我没有什么可以给你的了，没有苹果给你吃。”

“没关系，我牙齿都掉光了，不能咬苹果了。”男人说。 “也没有树干给你爬。”苹果树说。

“没关系。我太老了，爬不动树了。”男人说。 “我真的没有什么可以给你，只有我快要枯死的树根。”苹果树留着眼泪说。 “我并不需要什么，只要有个地方能坐下来休息一下，经过这么多年，我太累了。”男人回答。

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“那好！老树根是最适合歇息的地方了，过来跟我坐一会儿吧。”苹果树高兴的说，含着眼泪对男人微笑着。

这个故事送给每个孩子。苹果树就像我们的父母。

当我们年幼的时候，我们喜欢跟爸爸妈妈一起玩。等我们长大了，我们就离开父母。只有当我们有需要或者遇到麻烦的时候才回到他们身边。无论怎样，父母都一直在那里，尽一切所能提供我们所需要的一切，只为我们快乐。

你也许觉得故事里的小男孩对苹果树很残忍。然而，我们中的每个人正是那样对待我们的父母的。

爱你的爸爸妈妈吧，从这一刻开始。 A BOY AND HIS TREE

A long time ago, there was a big apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play 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.

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

One day, the boy came back to the tree and looks sad. “Come and play with me,” the tree asked the boy.

“I am no longer a kid, I don’t play around trees anymore,” the boy replied. “I want toys. I need money to buy them.” “Sorry, but I don’t have money, but you can pick all my apples and sell them. So, you will have money.” The boy was so excited. He picked all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy didn’t come 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 don’t have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?” “Sorry, but I don’t have a house. But you can cut off my branches to build your house.” So the boy cut all the branches of the tree and left happily.

The tree was glad to see him happy but the boy didn’t appear 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 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,”

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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 trees 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 the 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 parents. 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.

曾经有人讲过这样一个耐人寻味的故事：一场突然而来的沙漠风暴使一位旅行者迷失了前进方向。更可怕的是，旅行者装水和干粮的背包也被风暴卷走了。他翻遍身上所有的口袋，找到了一个青青的苹果。“啊，我还有一个苹果！”旅行者惊喜地叫着。

他紧握着那个苹果，独自在沙漠中寻找出路。每当干渴、饥饿、疲乏袭来的时候，他都要看一看手中的苹果，抿一抿干裂的嘴唇，陡然又会增添不少力量。 一天过去了，两天过去了。第三天，旅行者终于走出了荒漠。那个他始终未曾咬过一口的青苹果，已干巴得不成样子，他却宝贝似地一直紧攥在手里。 在深深赞叹旅行者之余，人们不禁感到惊讶：一个表面上看来是多么微不足道的青苹果，竟然会有如此不可思议的神奇力量！

是的，这是信念的力量！这是精神的力量！信念，是成功的起点，是托起人生大厦的坚强支柱。在人生的旅途中，不可能总是一帆风顺、事随人愿。有的人身躯可能先天不足或后天病残，但他却能成为生活的强者，创造出常人难以创造的奇迹，这靠的就是信念。对一个有志者来说，信念是立身的法宝和希望的长河。 信念的力量在于即使身处逆境，亦能帮助你扬起前进的风帆；信念的伟大在于即使遭遇不幸，亦能召唤你鼓起生活的勇气。信念，是蕴藏在心中的一团永不熄灭的火焰。信念，是保证一生追求目标成功的内在驱动力。信念的最大价值是支撑人对美好事物孜孜以求。坚定的信念是永不凋谢的玫瑰。

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