彩虹的顏色

Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel. All claimed that they were the best. The most important. The most useful. The most beautiful. The favorite.

Green said，“Clearly I am the most important. I am the sign of life and of hope. I was chosen for grass， trees and leaves. Without me， all animals would die. Look over the countryside and you will see that I am in the majority1.”

Blue interrupted，“You only think about the earth， but consider the sky and the sea. It is the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea. The sky gives space and peace and serenity2. Without my peace， you would all be nothing.”

Yellow chuckled3，“You are all so serious. I bring laughter， gaiety4， and warmth into the world. The sun is yellow， the moon is yellow， and the stars are yellow. Every time you look at a sunflower， the whole world starts to smile. Without me there would be no fun.”

Orange started next to blow her trumpet5，“I am the color of health and strength. I may be scarce6， but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life. I carry the most important vitamins. Think of carrots， pumpkins， oranges， mangoes， and papayas7. I don’t hang around all the time， but when I fill the sky at sunrise or sunset， my beauty is so striking that no one gives another thought to any of you.”

Red could stand it no longer that he shouted out，“I am the ruler of all of you. I am blood—life’s blood! I am the color of danger and of bravery. I am willing to fight for a cause. I bring fire into the blood. Without me， the earth would be as empty as the moon. I am the color of passion and of love， the red rose， the poinsettia8 and the poppy9.”

Purple rose up to his full height. He was very tall and spoke with great pomp10:“I am the color of royalty and power. Kings， chiefs， and bishops have always chosen me for I am the sign of authority and wisdom. People do not question me! They listen and obey.”

Finally Indigo11 spoke， much more quietly than all the others， but with just as much determination:“Think of me. I am the color of silence. You hardly notice me， but without me you all become superficial. I represent thought and reflection， twilight and deep water. You need me for balance and contrast， for prayer and inner peace.”

And so the colors went on boasting， each convinced of his or her own superiority12. Their quarreling became louder and louder. Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening， thunder rolled13 and boomed14. Rain started to pour down relentlessly15. The colors crouched16 down in fear， drawing close to one another for comfort.

In the midst of the clamor， rain began to speak.“You foolish colors， fighting amongst yourselves， each trying to dominate the rest. Don’t you know that you were each made for a special purpose， unique and different? Join hands with one another and come to me.”

Doing as they were told， the colors united and joined hands.

The rain continued，“From now on， when it rains， each of you will stretch across the sky in a great bow of color as a reminder that you can all live in peace.” And so， whenever a good rain washes the world and a Rainbow appears in the sky， to let us remember to appreciate one another.

很久以前，世上的各種顏色開始爭吵不休。他們都稱自己是最棒、最重要、最有用、最漂亮、最受人喜愛的色彩。

綠色說：“顯而易見，我是最重要的。我是生命和希望的象征。我被選作小草、樹木和葉子的顏色。要是沒有我，所有的動物就會死亡。放眼鄉郊，你會看到我是主色?！?/p>

藍色插嘴說：“你只考慮了陸地，還是想想天空和海洋吧！水才是生命的基本要素，云將水分從深海帶到天空。天空給了我們空間、平靜和寧謐。要是沒有我藍色的平靜，你們所有顏色都將什么也不是?！?/p>

黃色咯咯笑道：“你們都太嚴肅啦！我給世界帶來了笑聲、歡樂和溫暖。太陽是黃色的，月亮是黃色的，繁星也是黃色的。每當你注視一朵向日葵花，你眼前的整個世界都在綻放微笑。要是沒有我，世界就沒有歡樂?！?/p>

橙色緊接著自吹自擂起來：“我是健康和力量的顏色。我可能很罕見，但我很珍貴，因為我滿足了人類的生存需求。我身上有最重要的維生素，想一想胡蘿卜、南瓜、橙子、芒果和木瓜就知道啦。我雖不是到處可見，但每當日升日落，我為天空上色時，人們看到我的美驚艷絕倫，根本想不起你們中的任何一個?！?/p>

紅色此時忍無可忍，喊道：“我是你們的統治者。 我是血——生命的鮮血！我是危險和勇氣的顏色。我愿為理想而戰。我將狂熱注入血液。如果沒有我，地球會像月球一樣毫無生氣。我是激情與愛的顏色，是紅玫瑰、一品紅和罌粟花之色。”

紫色起身站直。他個頭很高，講話擲地有聲?！拔沂腔适液蜋嗬念伾?。國王、首領、主教總是很青睞我，因為我是權威和智慧的象征。人們從不質疑我！他們總是聽我的話，服從我的命令?！?/p>

最后，靛青色說話了，聲音比其他所有色彩都從容許多，但同樣斬釘截鐵：“你們想想我。我是沉默之色。你們很少注意我，但少了我，你們都會變得膚淺。我代表著思考與反省，暮色和深海。你們需要我來平衡色彩和對比反差，需要我來做禱告，獲得內心的平靜?！?/p>

就這樣，所有的顏色繼續自我吹捧，個個都對自己的優越性深信不疑。他們的爭吵聲變得越來越大。突然，空中出現一道耀眼的閃電，接著雷聲轟鳴，隆隆作響。大雨開始毫不留情地傾盆而下，各種顏色恐懼地蜷縮在一起，彼此依偎，尋求安慰。

在一片喧鬧聲中，雨開口說話了：“你們這些愚蠢的顏色，相互爭斗，都想主導其他色彩。難道你們不知道每個顏色都有自己專屬的特殊意義，都是獨一無二、與眾不同的嗎？拉著彼此的手，到我這里來。”

按照雨的指示，七種顏色聚到一起，手拉著手。

雨繼續說道：“從現在開始，每當下雨時，你們每種顏色都要伸展身體橫跨于空中，形成一抹漂亮的色彩弧以提醒自己你們七色可以和平共處?！彼裕慨斠粓龃笥晗此⑹澜绾?，一道彩虹就會現于空中，提醒我們記得要彼此欣賞。

注釋

1. in the majority: 占多數；屬多數

2. serenity n. 平靜；安詳，寧靜

3. chuckle vt. 以輕聲笑表示

4. gaiety n. 快樂，歡樂；高興

5. blow one’s (own) trumpet: 自吹自擂，向別人炫耀自己、稱贊自己

6. scarce adj. 罕見的

7. papaya n. 【植】番木瓜樹；番木瓜果

8. poinsettia n.【植】一品紅

9. poppy n. 罌粟花

10. pomp n. 排場；氣派

11. indigo n.【化】靛藍色，靛色

12. superiority n. 優勢；上等；優等

13. roll vi. (雷、鼓等)發出連續而低沉的聲音

14. boom vi. 發隆隆聲

15. relentlessly adv. 殘酷地，無情地，無慈悲心地

16. crouch vi. (動物由于恐懼或為了準備跳躍等而)蜷伏