Once upon a mountain top, three little trees

stood and dreamed of what they wanted to

become when they grew up.

 

从前，在一座山的山巅，生长着三棵小树，梦想着长大以后她们将成为什么样的材料。

 

 

 

The first little tree looked up at the stars

and said:

 

第一棵小树仰望着星星，说道： 

 

"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!"

 

“我要能装宝贝；要披着金子的衣裳，肚里还盛满贵重宝石。我要成为这世间最美丽的珠宝箱。” 

 

The second little tree looked out at the

small stream trickling by on it's way to

the ocean. "I want to be traveling mighty

waters and carrying powerful kings. I'll

be the strongest ship in the world!"

 

第二棵小树面朝着潺潺流过，直奔大海的小溪：“我愿载着那些位高权重的君王，航行在浩荡的水域。我要成为这世间最坚固的船！”

 

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 mountain top 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."

 

第三棵小树俯瞰着山谷，那个男男女女熙来攘往的小镇：“我一点儿也不希望离开这里。我想要长得很高很高，当人们驻足我脚下，望着我的时候，他们就会抬起双眼看到天空，想到那至高的神。我要长成这世间最高大的树。”

 

 

 

Years passed. The rain came, the sun shone,

and the little trees grew tall.

 

几年过去了，经过甘霖的滋润，阳光的沐浴，小树长大了。

 

One day three woodcutters climbed the

mountain.

 

有一天三个伐木工爬上了这座山。

 

The first woodcutter looked at the first tree

and said,

 

第一个伐木工看着第一棵树说：

 

 "This tree is beautiful.It is perfect for

 me."

 

“这棵树真是美丽，正好是我想要的。”

 

With a swoop of his shining ax, the first

tree fell.

 

他手上斧光一闪，第一棵树应声而倒。

 

 "Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest,

I shall hold wonderful treasure!" The first

 tree said.

 

“现在我就要被制成一个漂亮的箱子了。我要装最棒的珠宝！”第一棵树说道。

 

The second woodcutter looked at the second

tree and said,

 

第二个伐木工看着第二棵树说：

 

 "This tree is strong. It is perfect for me."

With a swoop of his shining ax, the second

tree fell.

 

“这棵树真是壮硕，正好是我想要的。” 他手中闪亮的斧头一砍，第二棵树也随即倒下。

 

"Now I shall sail mighty waters!" thought

the second tree."I shall be a strong ship

formighty kings!"

 

“现在我就要在浩浩水中航行了！”第二棵树心里思量着，“我要成为大能君王的坚固的船舰！”

 

 

 

The third tree felt her heart sink when the

last woodcutter looked her way. She stood

straight and tall and pointed bravely to

heaven.

 

当最后那位伐木工朝她的方向看过来时，那第三棵树心头一沉。她高高地挺直腰背，勇敢地指向天际。

 

But the woodcutter never even looked up.

 

然而那个伐木工甚至没有往天空瞧上一眼。

 

 "Any kind of tree will do for me." He

 muttered.

 

 “什么树对我来说都行。”他嗫嚅道。 

 

With a swoop of is shining ax, the third tree

fell.

 

随手一挥闪亮的斧子，第三棵树也轰然倒地。

 

 

The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to a carpenter's shop.

 

当第一棵树被伐木工带去一个木匠的店铺时，她满心欢喜。

 

But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a

feedbox for animals.

 

但那木匠把她加工成一个喂食牲口用的食槽。

 

The once beautiful tree was not covered with

gold, nor with treasure. She was coated with

saw dust and filled with hay for hungry

farm animals.

 

棵一度秀颀的树并没有披上金子的衣裳，肚里更没有宝石，却蒙上了一层木屑，被那些为饥饿的农场动物们准备的干草所充塞。

 

 

 

The second tree smiled when the woodcutter

took her to a shipyard, but no mighty sailing

ship was made that day.

当第二棵树被伐木工带到一个造船所时，她笑了。可是那天船厂并没有造什么大的航船。

 

Instead the once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or

even a river; instead she was taken to a

little lake.

 

出乎预料，这棵曾经坚固的树被打造成一条简易的小渔船。她那么小，那么弱，根本不适合在海洋中航行，甚至一条河流都不可能，她只被带到了一汪小湖中。

 

 

 

 

The third tree was confused when the

woodcutter cut her into strong beams

and left her in a lumberyard.

 

第三棵树被伐木工砍成了大木条，搁置在木材堆里，她心生困惑。

 

 "What happened?" The once tall tree wondered. "All I ever wanted was to stay

on the mountain top and point to God..."

 

“到底怎么了？”，这曾经挺拔的大树问，“我只不过是想留在山顶上，将人们的目光引向神呀……”