“What a ridiculous little shoot!” said one.“No one will recognize it; not even THE thistle nor the stinging-nettle.”
在稀薄的、清爽的空气中，有一个安琪儿拿着天上花园中的一朵花在高高地飞。当她在吻着这朵花的时候，有一小片花瓣落到树林中潮湿的地上。这花瓣马上就生了根，并且在许多别的植物中间冒出芽来。“这真是一根很滑稽的插枝。”别的植物说。蓟和荨麻都不认识它。
“It must be a kind of garden plant,” said anoTHEr; and so they sneered anddespised the plant as a thing from a garden.
“这一定是花园里长的一种植物！”它们说，并且还发出一声冷笑。它们认为它是花园里的一种植物而开它的玩笑。但是它跟别的植物不同；它在不停地生长；它把长枝子向四面伸开来。
“Where are you coming?” said THE tall thistles whose leaves were all armed withthorns. “It is stupid nonsense to allow yourself to shoot out in this way; weare not here to support you.”
“你要伸到什么地方去呢？”高大的蓟说。它的每片叶子都长满了刺。“你占的地方太多！这真是岂有此理！我们可不能扶持你呀！”
Winter came, and THE plant was covered with snow, but the snow glittered overit as if it had sunshine beneath as well as above.
冬天来了；雪把植物盖住了。不过雪层上发出光，好像有太阳从底下照上来似的。
Whenspring came, THE plant appeared in full bloom: a more beautiful object than anyother plant in the forest. And now the professor of botany presented himself,one who could explain his knowledge in black and white. He examined and testedthe plant, but it did not belong to his system of botany, nor could he possiblyfind out to what class it did belong. “It must be some degenerate species,”said he; “I do not know it, and it is not mentioned in any system.”
在春天的时候，这棵植物开出花来；它比树林里的任何植物都要美丽。
这时来了一位植物学教授。他有许多学位来说明他的身份。他对这棵植物望了一眼，检验了一番；但是他发现他的植物体系内没有这种东西。他简直没有办法把它分类。“它是一种变种！”他说。“我不认识它，它不属于任何一科！”“不属于任何一科！”蓟和荨麻说。周围的许多大树都听到了这些话。它们也看出来了，这种植物不属于它们的系统。
“Not known in any system!” repeated THE thistles and the nettles.
THE large trees which GREw round it saw the plant and heard the remarks, butthey said not a word either good or bad, which is the wisest plan for those whoare ignorant.
但是它们什么话也不说——不说坏话，也不说好话。对于傻子说来，这是一种最聪明的办法。
THEre passed through the forest a poorinnocent girl; her heart was pure, and her understanding increased by herfaith. Her chief inheritance had been an old Bible, which she read and valued.From its pages she heard the voice of God speaking to her, and telling her toremember what was said of Joseph's brethren when persons wished to injure her.“They imagined evil in their hearts, but God turned it to good.” If we sufferwrongfully, if we are misunderstood or despised, we must think of Him who waspure and holy, and who prayed for those who nailed Him to the cross, “Fatherforgive them, for they know not what they do.”
这时有一个贫苦的天真女孩子走过树林。她的心很纯洁；因为她有信心，所以她的理解力很强。她全部的财产只是一部很旧的《圣经》，不过她在每页书上都听见上帝的声音：如果有人想对你做坏事，你要记住约瑟的故事——“他们在心里想着坏事情，但是上帝把它变成最好的东西。”如果你受到委屈，被人误解或者被人侮辱，你只须记住上帝：他是一个最纯洁、最善良的人。他为那些讥笑他和把他钉上十字架的人祈祷：“天父，请原谅他们吧，他们不知道他们自己在做什么事情！”
THE girl stood still before the wonderfulplant, for the GREen leaves exhaled a sweet and refreshing fragrance, and theflowers glittered and sparkled in the sunshine like colored flames, and theharmony of sweet sounds lingered round them as if each concealed within itselfa deep fount of melody, which thousands of years could not exhaust. With piousgratitude the girl looked upon this glorious work of God, and bent down overone of the branches, that she might examine the flower and inhale the sweetperfume. Then a light broke in on her mind, and her heart expanded. Gladlywould she have plucked a flower, but she could not overcome her reluctance tobreak one off. She knew it would so soon fade; so she took only a single greenleaf, carried it home, and laid it in her Bible, where it remained ever green,fresh, and unfading. Between the pages of the Bible it still lay when, a fewweeks afterwards, that Bible was laid under the young girl's head in hercoffin. A holy calm rested on her face, as if the earthly remains bore theimpress of the truth that she now stood in the presence of God.
女孩子站在这棵稀奇的植物面前——它的绿叶发出甜蜜和清新的香气，它的花朵在太阳光中射出五光十色的焰火般的光彩。每朵花发出一种音乐，好像它里面有一股音乐的泉水，几千年也流不尽。女孩子怀着虔诚的心情，望着造物主的这些美丽的创造。她顺手把一根枝条拉过来，细看它上面的花朵，闻一闻这些花朵的香气。她心里轻松起来，感到一种愉快。她很想摘下一朵花，但是她不忍把它折断，因为这样花就会凋谢了。她只是摘下一片绿叶。她把它带回家来，夹在《圣经》里。叶子在这本书里永远保持新鲜，从来没有凋谢。叶子就这样藏在《圣经》里。几个星期以后，当这女孩子躺在棺材里的时候，《圣经》就放在她的头底下。她安静的脸上露出了一种庄严的、死后的虔诚的表情，好像她的这个尘世的躯壳，就说明她现在已经是在上帝面前。
在稀薄的、清爽的空气中，有一个安琪儿拿着天上花园中的一朵花在高高地飞。当她在吻着这朵花的时候，有一小片花瓣落到树林中潮湿的地上。这花瓣马上就生了根，并且在许多别的植物中间冒出芽来。“这真是一根很滑稽的插枝。”别的植物说。蓟和荨麻都不认识它。
“It must be a kind of garden plant,” said anoTHEr; and so they sneered anddespised the plant as a thing from a garden.
“这一定是花园里长的一种植物！”它们说，并且还发出一声冷笑。它们认为它是花园里的一种植物而开它的玩笑。但是它跟别的植物不同；它在不停地生长；它把长枝子向四面伸开来。
“Where are you coming?” said THE tall thistles whose leaves were all armed withthorns. “It is stupid nonsense to allow yourself to shoot out in this way; weare not here to support you.”
“你要伸到什么地方去呢？”高大的蓟说。它的每片叶子都长满了刺。“你占的地方太多！这真是岂有此理！我们可不能扶持你呀！”
Winter came, and THE plant was covered with snow, but the snow glittered overit as if it had sunshine beneath as well as above.
冬天来了；雪把植物盖住了。不过雪层上发出光，好像有太阳从底下照上来似的。
Whenspring came, THE plant appeared in full bloom: a more beautiful object than anyother plant in the forest. And now the professor of botany presented himself,one who could explain his knowledge in black and white. He examined and testedthe plant, but it did not belong to his system of botany, nor could he possiblyfind out to what class it did belong. “It must be some degenerate species,”said he; “I do not know it, and it is not mentioned in any system.”
在春天的时候，这棵植物开出花来；它比树林里的任何植物都要美丽。
这时来了一位植物学教授。他有许多学位来说明他的身份。他对这棵植物望了一眼，检验了一番；但是他发现他的植物体系内没有这种东西。他简直没有办法把它分类。“它是一种变种！”他说。“我不认识它，它不属于任何一科！”“不属于任何一科！”蓟和荨麻说。周围的许多大树都听到了这些话。它们也看出来了，这种植物不属于它们的系统。
“Not known in any system!” repeated THE thistles and the nettles.
THE large trees which GREw round it saw the plant and heard the remarks, butthey said not a word either good or bad, which is the wisest plan for those whoare ignorant.
但是它们什么话也不说——不说坏话，也不说好话。对于傻子说来，这是一种最聪明的办法。
THEre passed through the forest a poorinnocent girl; her heart was pure, and her understanding increased by herfaith. Her chief inheritance had been an old Bible, which she read and valued.From its pages she heard the voice of God speaking to her, and telling her toremember what was said of Joseph's brethren when persons wished to injure her.“They imagined evil in their hearts, but God turned it to good.” If we sufferwrongfully, if we are misunderstood or despised, we must think of Him who waspure and holy, and who prayed for those who nailed Him to the cross, “Fatherforgive them, for they know not what they do.”
这时有一个贫苦的天真女孩子走过树林。她的心很纯洁；因为她有信心，所以她的理解力很强。她全部的财产只是一部很旧的《圣经》，不过她在每页书上都听见上帝的声音：如果有人想对你做坏事，你要记住约瑟的故事——“他们在心里想着坏事情，但是上帝把它变成最好的东西。”如果你受到委屈，被人误解或者被人侮辱，你只须记住上帝：他是一个最纯洁、最善良的人。他为那些讥笑他和把他钉上十字架的人祈祷：“天父，请原谅他们吧，他们不知道他们自己在做什么事情！”
THE girl stood still before the wonderfulplant, for the GREen leaves exhaled a sweet and refreshing fragrance, and theflowers glittered and sparkled in the sunshine like colored flames, and theharmony of sweet sounds lingered round them as if each concealed within itselfa deep fount of melody, which thousands of years could not exhaust. With piousgratitude the girl looked upon this glorious work of God, and bent down overone of the branches, that she might examine the flower and inhale the sweetperfume. Then a light broke in on her mind, and her heart expanded. Gladlywould she have plucked a flower, but she could not overcome her reluctance tobreak one off. She knew it would so soon fade; so she took only a single greenleaf, carried it home, and laid it in her Bible, where it remained ever green,fresh, and unfading. Between the pages of the Bible it still lay when, a fewweeks afterwards, that Bible was laid under the young girl's head in hercoffin. A holy calm rested on her face, as if the earthly remains bore theimpress of the truth that she now stood in the presence of God.
女孩子站在这棵稀奇的植物面前——它的绿叶发出甜蜜和清新的香气，它的花朵在太阳光中射出五光十色的焰火般的光彩。每朵花发出一种音乐，好像它里面有一股音乐的泉水，几千年也流不尽。女孩子怀着虔诚的心情，望着造物主的这些美丽的创造。她顺手把一根枝条拉过来，细看它上面的花朵，闻一闻这些花朵的香气。她心里轻松起来，感到一种愉快。她很想摘下一朵花，但是她不忍把它折断，因为这样花就会凋谢了。她只是摘下一片绿叶。她把它带回家来，夹在《圣经》里。叶子在这本书里永远保持新鲜，从来没有凋谢。叶子就这样藏在《圣经》里。几个星期以后，当这女孩子躺在棺材里的时候，《圣经》就放在她的头底下。她安静的脸上露出了一种庄严的、死后的虔诚的表情，好像她的这个尘世的躯壳，就说明她现在已经是在上帝面前。
