英語(yǔ)美文朗讀 第222期:一個(gè)人的冬春夏秋

一個(gè)人的冬春夏秋

 

There was a man who had four sons.

有一個(gè)男人，他有四個(gè)兒子

He wanted his sons to learn

他想要教自己的兒子一件事

to not judge things too quickly.

即，對(duì)事物不要太快下結(jié)論

So he sent them each on a quest,

于是，他給每個(gè)兒子都分配了一項(xiàng)任務(wù)

in turn,

讓他們輪流

to go and look at a pear tree

去照看一棵梨樹

that was a great distance away.

這棵樹長(zhǎng)在很遠(yuǎn)的地方

The first son went in winter,

第一個(gè)兒子是冬天去的

the second in spring,

第二個(gè)兒子春天

the third in summer,

三兒子夏天

and the youngest son in fall.

最小的兒子是秋天去的

When they had all gone and come back,

當(dāng)他們四人都去過(guò)并完成任務(wù)后

he called them together

他將他們叫到一起

to describe what they had seen.

請(qǐng)他們描述一下自己見到的東西

The first son said

第一個(gè)兒子說(shuō)

that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.

那棵樹十分丑陋，佝僂，扭曲

The second son said

第二個(gè)兒子說(shuō)

no – it was covered with green buds

不，那棵樹長(zhǎng)滿了綠芽

and full of promise.

生機(jī)盎然

 

The third son disagreed,

第三個(gè)兒子也不同意

he said

他說(shuō)

it was laden with blossoms

樹上開滿了花朵

that smelled so sweet

那些花聞起來(lái)十分香甜

and looked so beautiful,

看上去也非常美麗

it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

這是他見過(guò)的最美好的事物

The last son disagreed with all of them;

第四個(gè)兒子說(shuō)的與前三人都不同

he said it was ripe

他說(shuō)這棵樹豐收了

and drooping with fruit,

果實(shí)累累

full of life and fulfillment.

充滿了生命力，十分充盈

The man then explained to his sons

男人這時(shí)對(duì)兒子們解釋道

that they were all right,

他們說(shuō)得都對(duì)

because

因?yàn)?/p>

they had each seen but one season in the tree's life.

他們每人都只看到了樹的一生中一個(gè)季節(jié)的模樣

He told them

他告訴他們

that you cannot judge a tree,

你們不要對(duì)一棵樹

or a person,

一個(gè)人

by only one season,

一個(gè)季節(jié)里的模樣評(píng)價(jià)他

and that the essence of who they are

他們內(nèi)在的本質(zhì)

– and the pleasure, joy, and love

他們內(nèi)心的歡樂(lè)，欣喜和愛

that come from that life

都是源自于完整的生活

can only be measured at the end,

只能到最后才能丈量出來(lái)

when all the seasons are up.

當(dāng)你歷經(jīng)四季的時(shí)候

If you give up when it's winter,

如果你在冬天就放棄了

you will miss the promise of your spring,

你就會(huì)錯(cuò)過(guò)春天見給予你的希望

the beauty of your summer,

夏天將見證的美麗

fulfillment of your fall.

秋天的收獲

Don't judge a life by one difficult season.

不要僅憑一個(gè)困難時(shí)節(jié)里的處境去評(píng)價(jià)一個(gè)人

Don't let the pain of one season

不要讓一個(gè)季節(jié)里的苦痛

destroy the joy of all the rest.

毀了所有其他季節(jié)里的歡樂(lè)。

 

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