真正的強(qiáng)者

At the edge of a foreststood a big tree. Its branches spread out majestically and so did its roots. It shielded people from the sun， and provided shelter to countless birds and other small creatures in its branches. It buzzed1 with activity all the time.

At the foot of the tree grew a little plant. The plant was willowy2 and delicate， and tended to keel over at the touch of the slightest breeze.

One day， the two neighbors were having a little chat.“Well， little one，” said the tree to the plant， “Why do you not plant your feet deeply in the ground， and raise your head boldly in the air as I do?”

“I see no need to do so，” whispered the plant with a smile. “Actually， I think I may be safer this way.”

“Safer!”sneered3 the tree. “Are you suggesting that you’re safer than I am? Do you know how deep my roots are buried， how thick and strong my trunk is? Even if two men hold hands they would not be able to surround my trunk. Who could possibly pluck4 me by the roots or bow my head to the ground?\" And the tree turned away5 from the plant in a great huff6.

But the tree was to regret its words very soon. One evening a great hurricane7 arose in the region. It hurled8 the trees off their roots and almost completely destroyed the forest. It uprooted the big tree and threw it away with great force.

When the storm had passed， the villagers living nearby surveyed the damage. Mighty trees that had once almost touched the sky were now reduced to stumps9 or worse. The forest was littered10 with their carcasses11.

But there was one exception: the little plant. The plant had been tossed and turned under the fury of the hurricane， and bent completely. But when the hurricane ended， it sighed and stood upright again.

No trace remained of its mighty neighbor though.

在一片樹林的邊緣，矗立著一棵大樹。它枝繁葉茂，盤根錯節(jié)。大樹為人們遮擋陽光，為枝杈上不計其數(shù)的鳥兒和小動物們遮風(fēng)避雨。它那里從早到晚都很熱鬧。

大樹的腳下長著一棵小樹苗，它枝條柔軟纖弱，似乎被微風(fēng)輕輕一吹便會倒下。

一天，這兩個鄰居閑聊開來?！鞍ィ〖一?！”大樹對小樹苗說，“你為什么不像我一樣把腳深深地扎入地下，大膽地把頭昂向天空呢？”

“我覺得沒有必要這樣做，”小樹苗微笑著低聲說，“其實，我覺得我這樣會更安全些?！?/p>

“更安全！”大樹冷嘲熱諷起來，“你是說你比我更安全嗎？你知道我的根扎得有多深，我的樹干有多么粗壯嗎？即使兩個人手拉著手，都不能環(huán)抱住我的樹干。有誰能將我連根拔起，或是把我推倒在地呢？”說著，大樹怒氣沖沖，扭轉(zhuǎn)臉去，不再搭理小樹苗。

但是，很快大樹就會后悔自己說了這番話。一天晚上，強(qiáng)烈的颶風(fēng)侵襲了這片地區(qū)。狂風(fēng)將一棵棵樹連根拔起，整片樹林幾乎被摧毀殆盡。那棵大樹也被連根拔起，被狂風(fēng)卷向遠(yuǎn)方。

風(fēng)暴過后，附近的村民查看了損失情況。曾經(jīng)的參天大樹如今只剩下樹樁，有的甚至連樹樁都蕩然無存。整片樹林遍地殘枝敗葉，一片狼藉。

但是，有一個例外：那棵小樹苗。它也經(jīng)歷了颶風(fēng)的狂暴，整個枝干完全被折彎。但颶風(fēng)過后，它長嘆了口氣，又重新挺立起來。

而小樹苗那高大的鄰居卻已是了無蹤影。

注釋

1．buzzvi. (常用進(jìn)行時態(tài))充滿低沉嘈雜的(談話、活動)聲音(with)

2．willowyadj. 柔韌的，易彎曲的

3．sneervi. 嗤笑，嘲笑

4．pluckvt. 拔；摘，采

5．turn away (使)轉(zhuǎn)變方向；把(臉等)轉(zhuǎn)過去；轉(zhuǎn)過臉去，不看

6．huffn. (一陣)發(fā)惱，憤怒

7．hurricanen. （氣）颶風(fēng)

8．hurlvt. 猛投；力擲

9．stumpn. 樹墩，樹樁；(無枝葉的)殘株，殘干 10. littervt. （常用于被動語態(tài)）使充滿(with)

11. carcass n. (鳥、獸的)尸體；(宰后去臟去頭的)畜體