第2章 玫瑰人生路 The Rose

一朵花里的世界 The World in a Flower

佚名/Anonymous

Envision a rose. Can you see the strong green stem laced with a few thorns that were carefully placed leading up to the blossom like a staircase or rungs on a ladder? Or how about the soft, silky, velvet petals varying in colors and sizes that gently kiss our noses or lovingly brush our cheeks as we hold them close? And who can forget the unique sweet fragrance of a healthy, well-maintained and well-groomed rose?

Like you, I started, as a seed long ago. Even a seed somehow must take shape. As each year passed I grew stronger, better rounded, and more evenly distributed, yet not ready to be planted. As a seed I have had to learn valuable lessons in the art of patience. An art, I say, that is well worth its weight in soil. As I busied myself strengthening my seed and practicing patience, knowing that at any given moment I would be planted, I grew by leaps and bounds! It is amazing what can take place in a seed over time. Without even realizing it, without a specific time to pin point and without warning, I was planted.

My seed took root in the deep dark nurturing soil, branching out and securing a base. Long and wide my roots expanded in preparation for a stem. Hurriedly, I wanted to assemble my stem because it would soon lead to my rose. Again patience reared its head, this time was a little easier for me to accept. As if reacquainted with an old and comfortable friend, I again learned how to embrace patience. As I did, I unknowingly began to grow and my stem began to rise. As my stern grew, I produced a thorn. A harsh and hard thorn grew, one that would not be dismissed or overlooked. The thorn was not only unbearable, but also seemingly grew slow in full materialization. Why? Why would I have a thorn? No good would ever come of this. It was unfair, hard, and unwarranted. I cried continuously.

I wore my emerging thorn for all to see. As time passed, I learned to divert other's attention from the unsightly thorn to rose to come. That is where I'd set my sights and that was where I would be. My tears turned out to be blessings as my stem was always well watered. Thankfully I had worked past my thorn and my stem continued to grow. I was growing and getting closer and again had to stop, for another thorn had emerged. Again, the pain was unbearable, unjust, and seemingly unfair. But then I noticed something. The past thorn, if I stood on it at just the right angle, would position and equip me with the footing to step beyond the new thorn and I would continue grow. And so process goes—growth, thorn, another step, growth, thorn, and another step until finally I was a bud.

As a bud I was tightly closed, wanting to stop and enjoy what I had so long struggled for, but couldn't because I was still feeling incomplete. A beautiful creation, yet not in full bloom. The tests were still there, but now of a different sort. As with anything new, once accustomed and again beaten in the match with patience, I grew. One by one my petals relaxed and unfolded. The Rose, as I envisioned it, has been recreated to capture things I had not foreseen. Today, the Rose is more beautiful than I could ever have imagined, as it had been planned from the beginning.

The Rose does not stop, and it is never at rest. For from a rose comes a seed, comes a stem, comes more thorns, comes another rose. And from that rose comes a seed, comes a stem, comes more thorns, comes yet another rose. Each year that passes, another rose is added and over time. The Rose becomes the Rose Garden that it would be!

So plant your seeds with care for YOU are the seed that forms a rose that forms a garden that forms a bouquet that will be given as a gift to another.

试想一朵玫瑰。你能看到粗壮的绿茎上，嵌着少许的小刺，像楼梯或梯子似的排列有序，慢慢伸向盛开的花朵吗？或是当我们将花朵捧近时，看到那颜色、形状各异的柔软、丝滑、光滑的花瓣，温柔地亲吻我们的鼻子，或亲切地拂过我们的脸颊？谁又能忘得了这独特的甜美芳香？那种健康的、养分充盈的、妙曼盛开的玫瑰的气息。

同你一样，很久以前我是从一粒种子开始的。不管怎么样，即使是一粒种子，也一定会成长。随着时间的流逝，我变得更加强壮、圆润、匀称，但还是没有准备好被栽植。作为一粒种子，我需要学会忍耐艺术中重要的课程。那是生长在土壤中的一门很有价值的艺术。在我忙着壮大自己的种子，练习耐性的同时，我知道自己随时都可能被栽种。我飞跃般地生长，那速度是发生在一粒种子的生长中的惊人的跳跃。甚至没有意识，没有一个特定的时间，没有任何征兆，我就被栽种了。

我的种子根植在深深的充满养分的黑土中，伸展根须，加固根基。我的根极力向四处延展，为茎做好准备。仓促中，我想强壮我的茎，因为它很快就要开出花朵。“耐性”再一次展露它的头脚，而对于我来说，这次更容易接受。就像重逢旧友，我再次学会如何拥抱忍耐。与此同时，不知不觉中我开始生长，我的茎也开始长高。随着茎的生长，我长了刺。一根粗大坚硬的刺长成了，它根本没办法折掉，也无法让人忽视。这根刺，不仅让我难以忍受，而且表面看来完全物质化是很慢的。这是为什么呢？为什么我会长刺？这并不能带来一点好处。这是不公平的、艰苦的、不能被接受的。我不停地哭泣着。

我身上不停生长的刺太引人注目了。随着时间的推移，我学会了将人们的注意力从丑陋的刺上转移到花上。那里才是我希望留住人们目光的地方，也是我可以留住的地方。在我的茎干得以充分浇灌的时候，我的泪水便化作了祝福。感谢上苍，我终于从长刺期挺了过来，我的躯茎继续生长。我不断长大并越来越接近花朵，可是又要停下来了，因为另一根刺出现了。痛苦再一次令我难以忍受，这是不公正的、不公平的。但是后来，我明白了些什么。长出的刺都以正确的角度排列着，超越先前长出的，远离那些新生的来使我继续生长。过程这样周而复始：生长、生刺、另一阶段，生长、生刺、又一阶段，直到最终我成为蓓蕾。

作为一个花蕾，我紧紧地包着花瓣，期待着进程在这里停止，享受一些长久奋斗来的花朵。但这是不可能的，因为我依旧觉得不完美。一朵美丽的花朵，却没有完全绽放。考验仍然存在，但是现在却是不同的形式了。不管有怎样全新的方式，一旦习惯了，就会在忍耐中挫败，于是我成长。我的花瓣一个接一个地绽放。玫瑰花，如我想象的那样，孕育出我未预见的东西。如今，这朵花的美丽超出了我的想象，正如当初设想的一样。

玫瑰没有停止它的努力，也从没有停歇过。因为，一朵玫瑰源自一粒种子，渐渐长出根茎，生出刺儿，然后长成另一朵玫瑰。每过一年，就会有另一枝玫瑰加入，年复一年，玫瑰就成了玫瑰园。

所以，精心地种下你的种子，因为你就是形成玫瑰园的一朵玫瑰，作为花束送予他人的一粒种子。

记忆填空

1.Like you, I started, as a____________long ago. Even a seed somehow must take____________. As each year passed I grew stronger,____________rounded, and more evenly distributed, yet not ready to be planted. As a seed I have had to____________valuable lessons in the art of patience.

2.My seed took root in the deep____________nurturing soil, branching out and securing a base. Long and____________my roots expanded in preparation for a stem. Hurriedly, I wanted to assemble my stem because it would soon lead to my____________.

3.The Rose does not____________, and it is never at____________. For from a rose comes a seed, comes a stem, comes more____________, comes another rose.

佳句翻译

1.不管怎么样，即使是一粒种子，也一定会成长。

译___________________________________________________

2.随着时间的推移，我学会了将人们的注意力从丑陋的刺上转移到花上。

译___________________________________________________

3.作为一个花蕾，我紧紧地包着花瓣，期待着进程在这里停止，享受一些长久奋斗来的花朵。

译___________________________________________________

短语应用

1.Even a seed somehow must take shape.

take shape：成行；体现；形成

造___________________________________________________

2.My seed took root in the deep dark nurturing soil, branching out and securing a base.

take root in：生根；扎根

造___________________________________________________