友誼之船

陳榮生 譯

 （圖片欣賞——區(qū)怡攝/湛江）

一艘客輪在海上遇到暴風(fēng)雨失事了,，船上只有兩個人能夠游到了一個像沙漠一樣的小島。兩個幸存者一直都是好朋友，他們不知道該怎么辦,，但都認(rèn)為除了向上天祈禱之外，別無它法了,。不過,，為了看誰的祈禱更強(qiáng)大，他們同意將小島一分為二,，各自留在小島的一側(cè),。

他們祈禱的第一件事是要食物,。第二天早上，第一個人看到了在他那一側(cè)的地上有一棵結(jié)著果實的果樹,，他可以吃這些果實了。另外一個人的那一側(cè)仍然是荒地一片,。一個星期之后,，第一個人感到孤獨了，就決定祈禱要一個妻子,。第二天,，另外一艘船也出事了，唯一的幸存者是一位女性,，她游到了他那一側(cè),。而小島的另一側(cè)仍然是什么也沒有。

很快,，第一個人祈禱要房子,、衣服和更多的食物。第二天,，就像有魔法似的,，所有的這一切都給了他。然而,，第二個人仍然是什么也沒有,。最后，第一個人祈禱要一艘船,，這樣他和妻子就可以離開這個小島了,。第二天早上，他發(fā)現(xiàn)一艘船停泊在小島他的那一側(cè),。第一個人帶著妻子登上了這艘船,，并決定讓第二個人留在小島上。

他認(rèn)為另一個人不值得接到上天的祝福,，因為他的祈禱沒有一個得到回應(yīng),。

當(dāng)船就要離開的時候，第一個人聽到了天上一個聲音大聲說：“為什么你讓你的同伴留在島上,？”

“我的祝福應(yīng)該是我獨享的,，因為是我把它們祈禱來的，”第一個人答,?！八钠矶\全都沒有得到回應(yīng)，所以他不配得到任何東西,?！?/span>

“你錯了,！”那個聲音責(zé)備他?！八挥幸粋€祈禱,，而且得到回應(yīng)了。如果不是那樣的話,，你根本就不會得到我任何祝福,。”

“請告訴我,，”第一個人問那個聲音,，“他祈禱的是什么竟然會讓我欠他的了呢？”

“他祈禱說讓你的祈禱全都得到回應(yīng),?！?/span>

我們應(yīng)該知道，我們的祝福不是我們獨自祈禱的結(jié)果,，而是其他人為我們祈禱的結(jié)果,。所以，請珍惜你的朋友,，別把你所愛的人拋在身后,。

（作者佚名，譯自《寓意故事》）

您若認(rèn)為此文對教育有益,，敬 請 傳 閱,、推 薦、轉(zhuǎn) 載,。

原文如下,，若有問題，可留言,，我將盡量回答,。

The Ship of Friendship

A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island.  The two survivors who have been good friends, not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.

The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man’s parcel of land remained barren.  After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land. On the other side of the island, there was nothing.

Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.  Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island.

He considered the other man unworthy to receive God’s blessings since none of his prayers had been answered.

As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven booming, “Why are you leaving your companion on the island?”

“My blessings are mine alone since I was the one who prayed for them,” the first man answered. “His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything.”

“You are mistaken!” the voice rebuked him. “He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings.”

“Tell me,” the first man asked the voice, “What did he pray for that I should owe him anything?”

“He prayed that all your prayers be answered ”

Moral: For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us (Congregational Prayer). Value your friends, don’t leave your loved ones behind.