三棵小樹的傳說

Once upon a mountaintop, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up. The first little tree looked up at the stars and said: “I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I’ll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!”

從前在一個山頂上，站立了三棵小樹，他們夢想著將來長大的時候會變成的樣子。 第一棵小樹仰望著天上 的星星說：「我要被用 來保存寶藏。在我裡面 滿是黃金和寶 石。我會是天 下最美的寶藏 箱！」

The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on its way to the ocean. “I want to travel mighty waters and carry powerful kings. I’ll be the strongest ship in the world!”

第二棵小樹看見一條小溪潺潺流入大海。它說：「我要載著偉大的國王，旅遊在雄偉的大海裡。我會是世界上最堅固的大船！」

The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. “I don’t want to leave the mountaintop at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they’ll raise their eyes to Heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world.”

第三棵小樹往山谷下看，見到人們在市區裡忙碌的工作著。「我一點都不想離開山頂。我要長得高壯，所以當人們停下來看我時，他們會放眼望著天堂和想著上帝。我會是世上最高大的樹。」

One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain. The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, “This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me.” With a swoop of his shining ax, the first tree fell. The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, “This tree is strong. It is perfect for me.” With a swoop of his shining ax, the second tree fell. The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way. She stood straight, tall, and pointed bravely to Heaven. But the woodcutter never even looked up. “Any kind of tree will do for me,” he muttered. With a swoop of his shining ax, the third tree fell.

幾年過後，雨過又天晴，三棵小樹慢慢長大了。有一天，三位伐木工人上了山頂。第一位伐木工人看見第一棵樹說：「這棵樹太美了，正好適合我用。」他高舉斧頭，第一棵樹就這麼被砍下。 第二位伐木工人望著第二棵樹說：「這棵樹非常強壯，正好適合我用。」他高舉斧頭，第二棵樹也就這麼被砍下。 當最後一位伐木工人看著第三棵樹時，它的心沉了下去。它站的又直又高，勇敢的指向天堂。但是伐木工人根本不曾往上看。「任何一棵樹對我來說都可以」他喃喃自語的說著。他高舉斧頭，第三棵樹也就這麼被砍下。

The carpenter fashioned the first tree into a feed box for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, or with treasure. She was coated with sawdust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals. The second tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail an ocean, or even a river. Instead she was taken to a lake.

木匠卻第一棵樹製造成飼養動物用的牧草箱。這棵曾經是非常漂亮的樹，裡面盛放的不是黃金或寶藏。它被鋸屑覆蓋著，且被用來裝滿餵養動物的草。 第二棵樹被雕製成一艘簡單的小漁船。它既小又弱，無法在大海甚至河流上航行，因此它被帶到湖邊。

The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard. “What happened?” the once tall tree wondered. “All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountaintop and point to God. …”

當伐木工人將第三棵樹砍成橫樑，只是把它放在木材堆置場時，它覺得非常的困惑。「這到底是怎麼一回事？」這棵曾一時高大的樹驚嘆的說：「我只要求能留在山頂上，高聳站立指向上帝...」

One night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box. “I wish I could make a cradle for him” her husband whispered. The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and sturdy wood.

“This manger is beautiful,” she said. And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.

但有一天晚上，當金黃閃爍的星光照在第一棵樹上時，一位年輕的女孩將她的新生兒放在牧草箱裡。「但願我能為他做個搖籃來睡」她的丈夫輕聲這麼說。嬰兒的母親緊握他的手微笑著，夜晚的星光明亮的照在平滑堅固的木頭上。

「這個馬槽真是太美了」她說。第一棵樹突然覺醒到它正抱著全天下最偉大的寶藏。

One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree sailed out into the lake. Soon a storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She knew she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely in the wind and the rain. The tired man woke up. He stretched out His hand, and said, “Peace.” The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the King of Heaven and Earth.

一天傍晚，一位疲累的旅行者和他的朋友們擁進一艘老舊的漁船。這位旅行者在第二棵樹平靜的駛入湖裡時就睡著了。不久，天氣開始變得雷雨交加。小樹害怕的顫抖起來。它知道它沒有足夠的力量來載這麼多的乘客安全渡過暴風雨。就在那時，這位疲累的旅行者醒了過來。祂站起來伸出祂的手說：「平靜下來！」暴風雨馬上就停止了。突然之間，第二棵樹了解到它正乘載著那統管天堂和地上的偉大國王。

One Friday morning the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the wood-pile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry, jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man’s hands to her. She felt ugly, harsh, and cruel. But three days later, Jesus rose from the dead and the third tree knew that God’s love had changed everything. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God. That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.

一個星期五的早晨，第三棵樹驚嚇了一跳，因為有人從那堆被遺忘的木材堆裡將它的橫樑拉了出來。它畏縮的被扛過一群嘲弄人的憤怒群眾中間。最後它顫抖著讓士兵們將一個人的雙手釘在它上面。它覺得好噁心、粗暴而冷酷。但是三天過後，耶穌從死裡復活和第三棵樹知道上帝的愛已改變了一切。之後每當人們想起第三棵樹時，他們就會聯想到上帝。那比成為世上最高大的樹要更好的多了呢。

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© The Family International

Art © Treasure Attic / Phillip Martin (used under creative commons license)/various clipart sources