正文

A young traveler was exploring the Alps. He came upon a vast stretch of barren（貧瘠的） land. It was desolate. It was the kind of place you hurry away from.

一個年輕的旅行家去阿爾卑斯山脈探險，他發(fā)現(xiàn)了一大片貧瘠的土地。那里荒無人煙，就是那種你想要快步逃離的地方。

Then, suddenly, the young traveler stopped dead in his tracks. In the middle of this vast wasteland was a bent-over old man. On his back was a sack of（一袋） acorn（橡子）. In his hand was a four-foot length of iron pipe.

后來，年輕人突然停住了腳步。這大片荒地中央有個駝背的老人，背上背著一麻袋橡果，手里拿著一根四英尺長的鐵管。

The old man was using the iron pipe to punch holes in the ground. Then from the sack（麻布袋） he would take an acorn and put it in the hole.

老人正用鐵管往地里打洞，然后從麻袋里拿出一顆橡果，丟進打好的洞里。

Later the old man told the traveler. “I've planted over 100,000 acorns. Perhaps only tenth of them will grow.” The old man's wife and son had died, and this was how he chose to spend his final years. “I want to do something useful,”

“我已經(jīng)種下了100 000多顆橡果?？赡苤挥惺种荒艹苫??！崩先说钠拮雍蛢鹤右呀?jīng)死了，這就是老人選擇度過余生的方式?！拔蚁胱鲂┯杏玫氖??！彼f。

he said. Twenty-five years later the now-not-as-young traveler returned to the same place. What he saw amazed him. He could not believe his own eyes.

二十五年過去了，如今不再年輕的旅行家再次來到那片土地上。眼前所見讓他驚呆了。他簡直不能相信自己的眼睛。

The land was covered with a beautiful forest two miles wide and five miles long. Birds were singing, animals were playing, and wild flowers perfumed（是充滿） the air.

這片土地上長出了一片美麗的森林，足有兩英里寬，五英里長。鳥兒歌唱，動物嬉鬧，空氣里充斥著野花的芳香。

The traveler stood there recalling the desolation that once was; a beautiful oak forest stood there now — all because someone cared.

旅行家站在原地回憶當年的荒涼景象；如今，一片美麗的橡樹林拔地而起——這一切可多虧有人用心啊。

生詞

desolate [?des?l?t] adj.無人的

dead [?ded] adv.完全地

acorn [?e?k??n] n.橡子