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A farmer and an apple tree
A poor farmer had a friend who was famous for the wonderful apple trees he grew.
One day, his friend gave the farmer a young apple tree and told him to take it home and plant it.
The farmer was pleased with the gift, but when he got home he did not know where to plant it.
He was afraid that if he planted the tree near the road, strangers would steal the fruit. If he planted the tree in one of his fields, his neighbors would come at night and steal some of the apples. If he planted the tree near his house, his children would take the fruit.
Finally he planted the tree in his wood where no one could see it. But without sunlight and good soil, the tree soon died.
Later the friend asked the farmer why he had planted the tree in such a poor place. “What’s the difference?” the farmer said angrily. “If I had planted the tree near the road, strangers would have stolen the fruit. If I had planted the tree in one of my fields, my neighbors would have come at night and stolen some of the apples. If I had planted it near my house, my own children would have taken the fruit.”
“Yes,” said the friend, “but at least someone could have enjoyed the fruit. Now you not only have robbed everyone of the fruit, but also you have destroyed a good apple tree!”
【參考譯文】
農夫和蘋果樹
一個窮困的農夫有一個朋友，這個朋友因為種了極好的蘋果樹而出名。
有一天，農夫的這個朋友送給他一棵小蘋果樹，并告訴他帶回家種起來。
農夫非常喜歡這份禮物。但當他回到家時，卻不知道將它栽在什么地方。
他擔心如果把蘋果樹栽在路邊，陌生人會偷樹上的蘋果；如果樹種在自己的一塊地里，鄰居們夜里就會過來偷蘋果；如果把樹栽在自己的房子邊，他的孩子們就會摘蘋果。
最后，他把那棵樹栽在了沒人能看到的樹林子里。但沒有陽光和良好的土壤，樹不久就死了。
后來，朋友問農夫他為什么把樹栽在那樣貧瘠的地方。“那有什么不一樣？”農夫生氣地說，“如果我把蘋果樹栽在路邊，陌生人就會偷樹上的蘋果；如果我把樹栽在自己的一塊地里，鄰居們夜里就會來偷蘋果；如果我把樹栽在自己的房邊，我自己的孩子們就會摘蘋果。”
“是啊，”朋友說，“但是至少會有人享用到這些水果啊。現在你不但剝奪了每個人擁有蘋果的權利，而且還毀壞了一棵好蘋果樹。”
【人生啟迪】
雷切爾·卡森說過：“好咖啡要和朋友一起品嘗，好機會也要和朋友一起分享。 我們必須與其他生命共同分享我們的地球。”的確，生活需要伴侶，快樂和痛苦都要有人分享。沒有人分享的人生，無論面對的是快樂還是痛苦，都是一種懲罰。
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