0641翻译：桃花心木（林清玄）

Translation: Mahogany Tree (Lin Qingxuan)

(translated by: alexcwlin; edited by: Adam Lam)

乡下老家屋旁，有一块非常大的空地，

Beside the ancestor’s house of my hometown, there was a very big piece of vacant land.

租给人家种桃花心木的树苗。

It was rented out to other people in growing mahogany seedlings.

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桃花心木是一种特别的树，

Mahogany is a special type of tree.

树形优美，高大而笔直，

The shape is elegant, tall and straight.

从前老家林场种了许多，已长成几丈高的一片树林。

Some time ago in the tree farm of my old home, we grew a lot of those trees and they had developed into a forest with those trees at several zhangs in height.

所以当我看到桃花心木仅及膝盖的树苗，有点儿难以相信自己的眼睛。

Therefore when I saw mahogany seedlings that only measured knee-high, it was hard for me to believe my eyes.

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种桃花心木苗的是一个个子很高的人，

The person who planted mahogany seedlings was a very tall individual.

他弯腰种树的时候，感觉就像插秧一样。

When he bent down to plant trees, it seemed like he was transplanting rice seedlings.

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树苗种下以后，他常来浇水。

After the tree seedlings were planted, he often came to irrigate.

奇怪的是，他来得并没有规律，

Strange enough he did not follow a regular time pattern.

有时隔三天，有时隔五天，有时十几天才来一次；

Sometimes it was every three days, at times it was every five days, and other times it was every ten days before he came.

浇水的量也不一定，

There was no set amount of water he put in to irrigate.

有时浇得多，有时浇得少。

Sometimes it was more and other times it was less.

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我住在乡下时，天天都会在桃花心木苗旁的小路上散步，

When I was living in the village, every day I would stroll along the small path beside those mahogany seedlings.

种树苗的人偶尔会来家里喝茶。

Occasionally the tree-seedling planter would come to our house for tea.

他有时早上来，有时下午来，时间也不一定。

Sometimes he came in the morning and other times he came in the afternoon, and there was no regularity as well on when he came.

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我越来越感到奇怪。

I became increasingly curious.

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更奇怪的是，桃花心木苗有时莫名其妙地枯萎了。

More strangely the mahogany seedlings sometimes withered for no apparent reasons.

所以，他来的时候总会带几株树苗来补种。

Therefore when he came, he always brought along several tree seedlings to fill the void.

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我起先以为他太懒，有时隔那么久才给树浇水。

At first I thought he was too lazy and as such it would take him a long time to come and water.

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但是，懒人怎么知道有几棵树会枯萎呢？

But how could a lazy person know several trees would wither?

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后来我以为他太忙，才会做什么事都不按规律。

Later I thought he was too busy and so he would do things in such irregular manner.

但是，忙人怎么可能做事那么从从容容？

But then how could a busy person conduct matters in such a relaxed fashion?

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我忍不住问他：到底应该什么时间来？

At last I couldn’t help myself and asked him: “After all when would you come?

多久浇一次水？

How often should you water?

桃花心木为什么无缘无故会枯萎？

Why would mahogany tree wither for no apparent reasons?

如果你每天来浇水，桃花心木苗该不会枯萎吧？

If you water every day, mahogany seedlings would not have withered, isn’t it?”

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种树的人笑了，他说：“种树不是种菜或种稻子，

The tree planter smiled and said: “Tree-planting is not like planting vegetables or rice.

种树是百年的基业，不像青菜几个星期就可以收成。

It is a hundred-year endeavor unlike green vegetables which could be harvested in a few weeks’ time.

所以，树木自己要学会在土里找水源。

Therefore trees need to learn how to find their own water sources.

我浇水只是模仿老天下雨，

In watering, I only imitate what nature does in rainfall.

老天下雨是算不准的，

The timing of when it rains cannot be predicted with precision.

它几天下一次？

Would it be once every few days?

上午或下午？

Would it be morning or afternoon?

一次下多少？

How much rain would fall down every time?

如果无法在这种不确定中汲水生长，树苗自然就枯萎了。

If these tree seedlings cannot draw water and grow in these uncertainties, then they would naturally wither.

但是，在不确定中找到水源、拼命扎根的树，长成百年的大树就不成问题了。”

But if they could find water sources in uncertainties and make all-out efforts to take roots, then growing to become hundred-year-old trees would not be a problem.”

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种树人语重心长地说：“如果我每天都来浇水，每天定时浇一定的量，树苗就会养成依赖的心，

He continued to say sincerely and earnestly: “If I water every day at a set time in a set amount, then the tree seedlings would develop a habit of dependency.

根就会浮在地表上，无法深入地下，

The roots would stay on the surface and not go deep into the ground.

一旦我停止浇水，树苗会枯萎得更多。

Once I stop watering, more seedlings would wither.

幸而存活的树苗，遇到狂风暴雨，也会一吹就倒。”

The ones that are lucky enough to survive would topple over when rainstorm strikes.”

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种树人的一番话，使我非常感动。不只是树，人也是一样，

I was very moved by what the tree-planter had said.

在不确定中生活的人，能比较经得起生活的考验，会锻炼出一颗独立自主的心。

His wisdom would apply not only to trees but to people as well is in a world of unpredictability, since those individuals who could come through tests in lives would develop an independent and assertive mind.

在不确定中，就能学会把很少的养分转化为巨大的能量，努力生长。

In times of uncertainties, they would have learned how to convert small amounts of nutrients into huge energy and strive on to grow.

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现在，窗前的桃花心木苗已经长得与屋顶一般高，是那么优雅自在，显示出勃勃生机。

Now the mahogany seedlings have grown to reach the height of the roof, and they are so gracious, carefree, and vivacious.

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种树的人不再来了，桃花心木也不会枯萎了。

The tree-planter does not come anymore, and the mahogany trees would not wither.

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