《来自天堂的一片叶子》，1855 年

A Leaf from heaven, 1855

在清澈纯净的高空中，一位天使飞翔着，手中拿着从天堂花园里采来的一朵花。

high up in the clear, pure air flew an angel, with a flower plucked from the garden of heaven.

当他亲吻这朵花时，一片极小的叶子从花上掉落，掉进了树林中央的松软泥土里。

As he was kissing the flower a very little leaf fell from it and sunk down into the soft earth in the middle of a wood.

它立刻生根、发芽，在其他植物中间长出了新枝。

It immediately took root, sprouted, and sent out shoots among the other plants.

“多么可笑的一根新枝啊！” 有一株植物说。

“what a ridiculous little shoot!” said one.

“没人会认得它的；就连蓟草和荨麻也不会。”

“No one will recognize it; not even the thistle nor the stinging-nettle.”

“它肯定是某种园子里的植物。” 另一株植物说；于是它们都嘲笑并鄙视这株植物，把它当作是来自园子的东西。

“It must be a kind of garden plant,” said another; and so they sneered and despised the plant as a thing from a garden.

“你从哪儿来的？” 那些叶子上都长满刺的高大蓟草问道。

“where are you ing?” said the tall thistles whose leaves were all armed with thorns.

“你这样冒出来真是愚蠢至极；我们可不是来扶持你的。”

“It is stupid nonsense to allow yourself to shoot out in this way; we are not here to support you.”

冬天来了，这株植物被雪覆盖，但雪在它上面闪闪发光，仿佛它上下都有阳光照耀。

winter came, and the plant was covered with snow, but the snow glittered over it as if it had sunshine beneath as well as above.

春天来了，这株植物开满了花：比森林里的任何其他植物都要美丽。

when spring came, the plant appeared in full bloom: a more beautiful object than any other plant in the forest.

这时，植物学教授出现了，他能把自己的知识用白纸黑字解释清楚。

And now the professor of botany presented himself, one who could explain his knowledge in black and white.

他对这株植物进行了检查和测试，但它不属于他的植物学体系，他也完全弄不清它到底属于哪一类。

he examined and tested the plant, but it does not belong to his system of botany, nor could he possibly find out to what class it did belong.

“它肯定是某种退化的物种。” 他说；“我不认识它，而且在任何体系里都没提到过它。”

“It must be some degenerate species,” said he; “I do not know it, and it is not known in any system.”

“在任何体系里都没提到过！” 蓟草和荨麻重复道。

“Not known in any system!” repeated the thistles and the nettles.

生长在它周围的大树看到了这株植物，也听到了那些议论，但它们一言不发，不论是好话还是坏话，对于无知的人来说，这才是最明智的做法。

the large trees which grew round it saw the plant and heard the remarks, but they said not a word either good or bad, which is the wisest plan for those who are ignorant.

有一个穷苦无辜的女孩穿过这片森林；她心地纯洁，信仰让她的悟性不断提高。

there passed through the forest a poor innocent girl; her heart was pure, and her understanding increased by her faith.

她最主要的遗产是一本旧《圣经》，她常常阅读并珍视它。

her chief inheritance had been an old bible, which she read and valued.

从《圣经》的书页里，她听到上帝对她说话的声音，告诉她当有人想要伤害她时，要记住约瑟兄弟们的遭遇。

From its pages she heard the voice of God speaking to her, and telling her to remember what was said of Joseph’s brethren when persons wished to injure her.

“他们心里怀着恶意，但上帝却将它变为善举。”

“they imagined evil in their hearts, but God turned it to good.”

如果我们遭受不公正的待遇，如果我们被误解或被鄙视，我们就必须想到那位纯洁神圣的主，他曾为那些把他钉在十字架上的人祈祷：“父啊，赦免他们，因为他们所做的，他们不晓得。”

If we suffer wrongfully, if we are misunderstood or despised, we must think of him who was pure and holy, and who prayed for those who nailed him to the cross, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

女孩在这株奇妙的植物前停住了脚步，因为绿叶散发出一种甜美宜人的芬芳，花朵在阳光下闪烁发光，如同彩色的火焰，悦耳的和声萦绕在它们周围，仿佛每一朵花里都藏着一个深不见底的旋律源泉，即便历经数千年也不会枯竭。

the girl stood still before the wonderful plant, for the green leaves exhaled a sweet and refreshing fragrance, and the flowers glittered and sparkled in the sunshine like colored flames, and the harmony of sweet sounds lingered round them as if each concealed within itself a deep fount of melody, which thousands of years could not exhaust.

怀着虔诚的感激之情，女孩望着上帝这一壮丽的杰作，俯身靠近一根枝条，以便能仔细观赏花朵并吸闻那甜美的香气。

with pious gratitude the girl looked upon this glorious work of God, and bent down over one of the branches, that she might examine the flower and inhale the sweet perfume.

这时，一道灵光在她脑海中闪现，她的心扉敞开了。

then a light broke in on her mind, and her heart expanded.

她本很乐意摘下一朵花，但又克服不了那种不愿折断花枝的心情。

Gladly would she have plucked a flower, but she could not overe her reluctance to break one off.

她知道花儿很快就会凋谢；所以她只摘了一片绿叶，带回家后，把它夹在了《圣经》里，在那儿它一直保持着翠绿、鲜嫩，永不褪色。