A poor farmer had a friend who was famous for the wonderful apple he grew.

One day, his friend gave the farmer a young apple tree and told him to take it home and plant it.

The farmer was pleased with the gift, but when he got home he did not know where to plant it.

He was afraid that if he planted the tree near the road, strangers would steal the fruit. If he planted the tree in one of his field, his neighbors would come at night and steal some of the apples. If he planted the tree near his house, his children would take the fruit.

Finally he planted the tree in his wood where no one could see it. But without sunlight and good soil, the tree soon died.

Later the friend asked the farmer why he had planted the tree in such a poor place.“What’s the difference?” the farmer said angrily. “If I had planted the tree near the road, strangers would have stolen the fruit. If I had planted the tree in one of my field, my neighbors would have come at night and stolen some of the apples. If I had planted it near my house, my own children would have taken the fruit.”

“Yes,” said the friend, “but at least someone could have enjoyed the fruit. Now you not only have robbed everyone of the fruit, but also you have destroyed a good apple tree!”

一個(gè)窮困的農(nóng)夫有一個(gè)朋友，這個(gè)朋友因?yàn)榉N了神奇的蘋(píng)果樹(shù)而遠(yuǎn)近聞名。

有一天，農(nóng)夫的這個(gè)朋友送給他一棵小蘋(píng)果樹(shù)。農(nóng)夫?qū)@個(gè)禮物非常高興。但當(dāng)他回到家時(shí)，卻不知道將它栽在什么地方。

他擔(dān)心他把蘋(píng)果樹(shù)栽在路邊，陌生人會(huì)偷樹(shù)上的蘋(píng)果，他把樹(shù)種在自己的一塊地里，鄰居們夜里就會(huì)過(guò)來(lái)偷蘋(píng)果。他把樹(shù)栽在自己的房子邊，他的孩子們就會(huì)摘蘋(píng)果。

最后，他把那棵樹(shù)栽在了林子里，那里沒(méi)人能看見(jiàn)。但沒(méi)有陽(yáng)光和泥土，樹(shù)不久就死了。

后來(lái)，朋友問(wèn)農(nóng)夫他為什么把樹(shù)栽在那樣貧瘠的地方。

“那有什么不一樣？”農(nóng)夫生氣地說(shuō)， “我把蘋(píng)果樹(shù)栽在路邊，陌生人就會(huì)偷樹(shù)上的蘋(píng)果，我把樹(shù)栽在自己的一塊地里，鄰居們夜里就會(huì)來(lái)偷蘋(píng)果。我把樹(shù)栽在自己的房邊，我自己的孩子們就會(huì)摘蘋(píng)果。”

“是的，”他的朋友說(shuō). “但至少可能有人來(lái)分享這些果實(shí)。現(xiàn)在你不僅剝奪了每個(gè)人的果實(shí)，也毀了一棵好蘋(píng)果樹(shù)！”