薛濤 桃子

許多年前，一只綠色的鳥(niǎo)把兩顆種子無(wú)意中撒落在曠野上。陽(yáng)光的溫暖，雨露的潤(rùn)澤，土壤的滋養(yǎng)，兩顆種子萌發(fā)了。他們剛從土殼中晃出頭就看見(jiàn)了對(duì)方，曠野空曠也很寂寞，他們看著對(duì)方長(zhǎng)大，把對(duì)方當(dāng)成了伴，但他們無(wú)法交流。

有一天，一只喜鵲從遠(yuǎn)方飛來(lái)，累了，見(jiàn)曠野中有兩棵銀杏，就飛過(guò)去，落在其中那棵高些的銀杏上。高些的銀杏是個(gè)男孩，他覺(jué)得機(jī)會(huì)來(lái)了。他想讓頭頂這只喜鵲飛到對(duì)面的矮銀杏上，帶去他的問(wèn)候。矮銀杏是個(gè)女孩子。

喜鵲歇夠了，就飛走了。在以后的日子里，高銀杏與矮銀杏相互望著，望久了，心里產(chǎn)生了關(guān)懷之情。而高銀杏則幾乎每分每秒都深情地望著矮銀杏，他說(shuō)不清楚自己這是怎么了。

Many years ago， a green bird accidentally dropped two seeds on a meadow. With the warm sunlight and fertile soil， moistened by rain and dew， the seeds started to grow. They immediately beheld each other when they could just be seen above the ground. Vast was the meadow and lonely. They grew up and took each other as companion. But， what a pity - they could not speak to each other.

A magpie flew over one day. She had flown a long way and wanted to rest. She saw the two Ginkgo trees and landed on the taller tree. This tree was a boy， and he thought this was his best chance to talk to the other tree， who was a girl. So he asked the magpie to bring his greetings to the other ginkgo tree nearby.

The magpie had a good rest and away she flew， so the short ginkgo tree did not receive greetings from the tall tree. In the days that followed， the tall ginkgo and the short ginkgo looked at each other， and mutual care entered their hearts. The tall ginkgo， who gazed at the girl for every second and almost never took his eyes away from her， had a warm and fuzzy feeling he'd never felt before.

高銀杏還想找個(gè)機(jī)會(huì)把自己的心情告訴矮銀杏，比如再求助鳥(niǎo)，或者別人。

不知過(guò)了多少個(gè)日夜，機(jī)會(huì)又來(lái)了，從東北吹來(lái)一縷風(fēng)。高銀杏趕緊抖掉一片葉子，想托這縷風(fēng)捎給對(duì)面的矮銀杏?？墒沁@縷風(fēng)把事辦得太毛糙，“呼”的一下把葉子卷走了，矮銀杏根本就沒(méi)收到那片葉子。

高銀杏只好苦苦地立在曠野上，深情地望著矮銀杏。

總算又有鳥(niǎo)飛來(lái)了，是一只山雀?？筛咩y杏還沒(méi)來(lái)得及把自己的想法說(shuō)出來(lái)，這只性急的山雀就銜著樹(shù)枝飛走了，她將那片樹(shù)枝壘窩用了。

高銀杏傷感地站立著。

在以后的日子里，高銀杏把地下屬于自己的那份水和養(yǎng)分讓給了矮銀杏一些。矮銀杏收到了這意外的禮物，卻不知它從何而來(lái)。一只蚯蚓爬過(guò)來(lái)把這一切歪曲了：“盡情享用吧，這是我從那棵高銀杏那里為你搞到的，他長(zhǎng)得比你高，不該再享用那么多的水和養(yǎng)分了?！?/p>

He wanted to tell the girl how he felt. But he had to wait for another chance. Maybe， it would be a bird. Maybe it would be someone else.

Many days and nights passed until his new chance appeared. A gust of wind came from the Northeast. The tall ginkgo shook his body in haste and let go a leaf， which he had hoped to be carried by the wind to the short tree. The wind had not done her work well. She blew by so fast that the leaf， swirled in her arms， was carried away. The short ginkgo did not receive the message.

Standing fast on the meadow， the taller tree still gazed at the short tree with affection. How bleak and lonely the meadow sometimes seemed to be！

At last， another bird came. It was a sparrow. But before the tall tree could utter a word， the impatient sparrow flew away with a twig in her mouth. The twig would be used in her nest.

The tall tree stood still， but with sadness.

In the following days， he spared some of his water and food for the girl. The short tree received the gift from underground， but did not know how it had come. An earthworm crawled up to her and said， “Enjoy！ I took them from the tall ginkgo tree. He is so tall and ought to give you some.”

高銀杏不知道蚯蚓出賣(mài)了他，仍舊把一些水和養(yǎng)分讓到矮銀杏的那邊。他衷心希望弱小的矮銀杏能長(zhǎng)得再高些強(qiáng)壯些。時(shí)間一長(zhǎng)，高銀杏的體質(zhì)壞了下來(lái)。但他挺住了。

矮銀杏也發(fā)覺(jué)了高銀杏的病態(tài)，很想問(wèn)問(wèn)他怎么了，但卻無(wú)法與他溝通。矮銀杏不知道這其中的究竟。

這時(shí)，高銀杏卻已看出矮銀杏正一天天地強(qiáng)壯起來(lái)，心里也就安慰多了。那么即便她不知道自己的感情又怕什么呢！

有一天凌晨，空中正一塊一塊聚集云團(tuán)。這一切都在悄悄進(jìn)行。高銀杏與矮銀杏，還有整個(gè)曠野都在沉睡?？罩幸粋€(gè)閃電，耀眼的光芒把矮銀杏刺醒了，而就在同時(shí)，這道閃電正朝她劈來(lái)！矮銀杏驚呆了?？墒腔鹎蝻w著飛著卻突然改變了方向……

砰！一道火光閃過(guò)，矮銀杏不知道發(fā)生了什么，只是，受傷的并不是她。

天亮了，晴朗了，一切都看明白了。高銀杏被閃電擊過(guò)的傷口還冒著藍(lán)煙。他大半個(gè)身子被燒煳了，原來(lái)，夜里他揚(yáng)起枝條攔住了那個(gè)朝矮銀杏飛去的火球。

矮銀杏吃驚地望著受傷的高銀杏—受傷的不該是他?。?/p>

高銀杏輕輕呻吟著，但帶著快意。

The tall ginkgo did not know the earthworms lie. He kept giving his water and food to the girl. He heartily wished the girl could grow stronger and be healthier. As the days went by， the tall tree started to grow slowly and was not as strong. But he hung in there.

The short ginkgo noticed. She wanted to ask what was happening to her companion， but again， she could not speak. Indeed， she knew nothing of the whole deal， not a bit.

And the tall tree noted that the smaller tree was growing up！ Taller and stronger. He was very relieved. Why would it matter if she never knows anything then， he said to himself.

Early one morning， the clouds were coming from all directions and building up slowly. Nobody noticed what was going on. The tall ginkgo， short ginkgo and the vast meadow were all in their deep sleep. Lightning danced across the sky and the sharp light blinded everything with eyes -and awakened the short ginkgo. Alas！ It was piercing toward HER！ Stunned and unable to move， the short ginkgo watched the lightning strike closer and closer. What a miracle！ The fire ball suddenly changed its route and went another way...

“Thunk！” was what she heard. The short tree was not hurt but she didn't know what happened either. She herself was not hurt， so much to her knowledge.

Dawn approached and the sky grew brighter. Now she could see clearly. Blue smoke was still rising out of a wound in the tall ginkgo tree. When the lightning struck， half his body had been burned. He had saved the girl by flinging his arms-his branches and twigs-toward the horrible thing to lure it away from his friend.

I should be hurt， not him， the short ginkgo said to herself， bewildered.

And the tall tree moaned， but with secret pleasure in his heart.

曠野上出事了。那只自私的山雀飛來(lái)了，胡說(shuō)八道的蚯蚓也爬來(lái)了。他們愧疚地把當(dāng)時(shí)的真相告訴了矮銀杏：當(dāng)初有片葉子是高銀杏送給她的……水和養(yǎng)分也是高銀杏分給她的……

矮銀杏不住地點(diǎn)頭，她明白了一切。于是她用盡力氣朝高銀杏靠近。她想撫摸高銀杏那正在流血的傷口?？梢耆龅竭@一切是要很多時(shí)間的。一年過(guò)去了，矮銀杏離高銀杏還是遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)的。

高銀杏的呻吟越來(lái)越虛弱了。秋風(fēng)剛一來(lái)，他枝頭上的葉子就弱不禁風(fēng)，紛紛飄落下來(lái)。

矮銀杏沒(méi)有放棄努力。她感動(dòng)了許多喜鵲和山雀，連螞蟻都來(lái)了，他們把矮銀杏身上的葉子搬走，埋在高銀杏的根下，那些葉子慢慢腐爛就能變成高銀杏的養(yǎng)料了。

第二年，春天來(lái)了。一陣春風(fēng)一場(chǎng)春雨，矮銀杏發(fā)出一片片新葉?？墒且豢锤咩y杏，他身子光禿禿的，沒(méi)有醒來(lái)的跡象，矮銀杏充滿(mǎn)柔情地伸出枝頭，能夠觸到高銀杏了。原來(lái)，又經(jīng)過(guò)半年多不停的努力，她已經(jīng)不知不覺(jué)與高銀杏靠近了幾分。于是矮銀杏就輕輕撫摸著高銀杏，撫摸著他被閃電擊打過(guò)的傷口……

這樣就到了暮春。

一對(duì)踏春的戀人來(lái)曠野中旅行。他們一眼就看見(jiàn)了兩棵幾乎纏在了一起的銀杏。他們久久望著這兩棵情意綿綿的樹(shù)，不肯離去。

男孩說(shuō)：“那棵好像被火燒過(guò)，已經(jīng)死掉了?！?/p>

女孩不愿相信這個(gè)事實(shí)，走過(guò)去，惋惜地看著，突然女孩跳了起來(lái)：“他沒(méi)死，他發(fā)出了一片小葉兒！”

男孩不相信，走過(guò)去看：“不可能啊，他傷得多重啊……”

女孩想了想說(shuō)：“是雌銀杏的愛(ài)情救活了他。”

這時(shí)高銀杏確實(shí)蘇醒了，他感到全身的汁液又開(kāi)始流動(dòng)，他還看見(jiàn)了與他緊緊纏在一起的矮銀杏。他輕輕地說(shuō)：“我愛(ài)你！”

The big news soon spread over the meadow. The selfish sparrow came， and the earthworm came who always talked nonsense. Together， feeling ashamed， they told the short ginkgo the whole story， from the leaf， to the water and food from the tall tree.

The short tree nodded her head in enlightenment. She now knew it all. Trying to touch the bleeding wound and caress him， she made every effort to be closer， with all her might. But how long the work would take！ One year had passed when she found there was still a great distance between them.

Lower and lower was the voice of the tall ginkgo. The fall then came. The wind easily took the leaves off the tall ginkgo tree's branches， which were very weak now. His leaves fell down slowly， one by one.

The shorter tree kept on getting closer to him. The magpie was moved， so were the sparrows， and the ants. Together they removed the leaves of the shorter trees and buried them at the root of the tall tree. The rotting leaves became his food.

Spring came the next year with warm winds and soft rains. New leaves sprung up from the short ginkgo's branches. But no sign of awakening could be seen in the tall tree， whose body was still bare and bleak. Now the short tree could almost touch him. She stretched her tender twig and touched him. Now she caressed him， and she caressed the scar made by the lightning.

Now late spring was here.

A couple， who were on a spring outing， saw the two trees on the meadow， whose arms now entwined as lovers do. They looked at the two for a long time and were reluctant to leave.

“The taller tree is dead. He was struck by lightning and was set afire.” the boy said.

The girl approached the tree， not willing to believe what the boy said， and cried out ，“ No！ He is not dead. There is a small leaf， a new one！”

The boy walked closer disbelievingly.“This is impossible. You can see how badly he was hurt！” said he.

“It is the love of the other tree. She saved him！”the girl said decisively.

Now the tall ginkgo did wake up. He could feel the sap flowing again in his body. He opened his eyes and saw the smaller trees branches entwined with his. “ I love you！”said he softly.