英语名篇诵读 成长

Growth

成长

When we plant a rose seed in the earth, we notice it is small, but we do not criticize it as

“rootless and stemless ”. We treat it as a seed, giving it the water and nourishment¹

required of a seed.

When it first shoots up out of the earth, we don't condemn² it as immature³ and

underdeveloped, nor do we criticize the buds for not being open when they appear. We stand in

wonder at the process taking place, and give the plant the care it needs at each stage of its

development.

The rose is a rose from the time it is a seed to the time it dies. Within it, at all times, it

contains its whole potential. It seems to be constantly in the process of change: Yet at each state, at

each moment, it is perfectly⁴ all right as it is.

A flower is not better when it blooms than when it is merely a bud; at each stage it is the

same thing — a flower in the process of expressing its potential .

在土中种下一粒玫瑰种子的时候，我们注意到它很小，但是我们不会批评它“不生根，

不长茎”。我们就以种子相待，按种子的需要浇水施肥。

种子从土壤中冒出来的时候，我们不会指责它不成熟，发育不全。我们也不会批评蓓

蕾刚长出的时候不开放。我们饶有兴致地立于一旁，看着蓓蕾慢慢绽开，在玫瑰发育生长

的每个阶段给它必要的护理。

从种子到枯死，玫瑰就是玫瑰。它的体内始终包含着全部的生长潜力。它似乎始终处

于变化之中；然而，它的每个生命形态，它成长的每时每刻，都无可指责，完美自然。

盛开的鲜花并不比初绽的蓓蕾更好；它在每个生长阶段都是同样的东西——一朵展示

自己潜能过程中的花。

1 nourishment   

n.食物，营养品；营养情况

参考例句：

• Lack of proper nourishment reduces their power to resist disease.营养不良降低了他们抵抗疾病的能力。
• He ventured that plants draw part of their nourishment from the air.他大胆提出植物从空气中吸收部分养分的观点。

2 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

3 immature   

adj.未成熟的，发育未全的，未充分发展的

参考例句：

• Tony seemed very shallow and immature.托尼看起来好像很肤浅，不夠成熟。
• The birds were in immature plumage.这些鸟儿羽翅未全。

4 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。