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内布拉斯加州有一个农民，他种的玉米有口皆碑。每年，他带着自己的玉米参加州里举办的交易会，总能获得最高的荣誉。 一年，一位报社记者采访了他，发现他种出好玉米的秘诀很有意思。记者发现这个农民总是把他的优质玉米种子分给邻居。 "你的邻居们每年也都参加交易会，他们是你的竞争对手。你怎么会把最好的种子和他们分享呢？”记者问。 "为什么？先生，"农民回答说，‘‘难道你不知道吗？风帮助成熟的玉米传播花粉，花粉随风从一片田野飘散到另一片。如果我的邻居种的玉米品质欠佳的话，由于交叉授粉,我自己的玉米质量也必然上不去。如果我要种出好玉米，我必须帮助我的邻居种出好玉米。” 他对于生命的关联性了然于胸。如果他邻居种的玉米品质得不到提高，他也种不出好玉米。 世事皆然。如果想要和邻居和平共处，首先要给邻居一个和平安宁的环境。如果想要生活得更好，首先要学会助人为乐。因为生命的价值有赖于与之共存的其他生命。如果想要获得幸福，必须要帮助他人获得幸福，因为每个人的幸福都和所有人的幸福都紧密相连。 这个小故事告诉我们:如果想种出好玉米，我们必须帮助邻居种出好玉米。 Growing Good Corn There was a Nebraska farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting a- bout how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. “How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?” the reporter asked. “Why sir,” said the farmer, “didn’t you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn. ” He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor’s corn also improves. So it is in other dimensions. Those who choose to be at peace must help their neighbors to be at peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all. The lesson for each of us is this： if we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbors grow good corn. |
