英文童話故事：橡樹和蘆葦（雙語）

　　An oak got talking with a reed one day: "you certainly have cause of nature to complain; why even a sparrow's weight for you is quite a strain. At even the slightest breeze that makes the ripples1 play, you quake as if you're touched with blight2; you bend and bow so desolate3, indeed you are a sorry sight."

　　"Now I, like Caucasus in all his pride and state 'Tis little that the rage of Phoebus I abate4; Laughing at hurricanes; beneath thunder's roar at ease, I stand as strong and straight, as though I bore a shield of peace inviolate5. For you each breath's a storm, for me the storm's a breeze. For you each breath's a storm, for me the storm's a breeze. If only you were growing somewhere close, then in the depths of shade that my broad boughs6 could lend you form stress of weather I could easily defend you.Alas7 that nature for your dwelling8 chose the banks of a Eolus, the stormy realm of air; No doubt, for such as you she found no time to care. 'You are full of charity,' the reed replied with scorn; 'But do not be distressed9! My lot can well be borne! If storms I fear, it is not for my sake."

　　"Though bend I must I shall not break; Tis little harm they do to me. Methinks, for you yourself more danger there may be Tis true that up till now, beneath the fiercest blast Your sturdy from stands firm and fast; from all its angry blows you face you never hide; but wait and see the end!"

　　And scarce the reed had thus replied when see, all sudden from the North. The boisterous10 aquilo with hail and rain broke forth11. The oak stood firm; the reed down to the earth must bend. On raged the storm still fiercer than before Till, roaring, from his root it tore, The tree that close to heaven his towering summit flaunted12 and in the realm of shade his sturdy foot had planted.

　　一天，一棵橡膠樹和蘆葦交談。橡樹說：“你的確有權(quán)抱怨老天，不是嗎?即使是一只麻雀，你也會覺得沉重不堪。即使是引起漣漪的微風(fēng)，你也會顫抖地像遇到災(zāi)難，你搖搖擺擺，俯首低頭，十分凄涼，看著真讓人悲哀心痛。”

　　“而我卻像高加索山脈一樣威嚴自豪……太陽的威嚴，對我只是小事一樁，狂風(fēng)大作，我敢嗤之以鼻，雷聲咆哮，我仍然安然自在，我矗立得筆直直遒勁，仿佛握著弓不破的和平之盾。對于你，清風(fēng)拂過就是風(fēng)暴，對于我，一場風(fēng)暴只是徐徐和風(fēng)。只要你生長在我的周圍，我寬廣的枝葉就可以借給你濃蔭，遇到險厄的天氣，我就可以庇護你?？上Ю咸鞛槟氵x擇的住所是風(fēng)神的河岸，是狂風(fēng)暴雨的國土。無疑，像你這樣，老天來不及照顧。”

　　蘆葦鄙夷地說：“你真是一片好心，可你不用擔(dān)心，我的的命令自能安然無恙!即使我害怕風(fēng)暴，也不是因為我自己，雖然我要俯首彎腰，但是不會折斷，暴風(fēng)雨對我的損害并不大。我認為，你自己的危險倒可能更大，的確，到現(xiàn)在為止，再猛烈的風(fēng)暴中，你茁壯的身體屹立不動，你也從未躲避過狂風(fēng)暴雨的正面打擊，可是，還是看看最后得結(jié)果吧!”

　　蘆葦剛剛這樣說完，突然之間，呼嘯的北風(fēng)夾帶著冰雹，還有暴雨從北方襲來。橡樹屹立不動，而蘆葦必須俯倒在地，風(fēng)雨更加狂暴了，那樹尖鉆入云霄、炫耀夸口的橡樹，那跟深入濃蔭下土壤內(nèi)，茁壯的橡樹，最終被呼嘯的風(fēng)連根拔起來了。