Once upon a time， there lived a huge oak tree. The oak tree was proud that it was the biggest and strongest in the world. “Despite any hardships， I can survive till the end. There is nothing as powerful as me.”

One day， a severe windstorm began. Watching the other trees fall down one by one， the oak tree was triumphant， “Ill be fine.”

However， the oak tree collapsed when the windstorm was blowing. Flowing on the water， the oak tree thought， “How did I end up like this？”

As it was swept away by the river， the oak tree passed a field of reeds. The reeds were standing there without being broken. “Oh， Mr Reed！ How did you survive the windstorm with your fragile body？” The oak tree envied the reeds.

One of the reeds kindly said to the oak tree flowing down， “Mr Oak Tree， you showed that you were the strongest in the world， right？ The windstorm brings down anything with an air of importance.”

“We never think highly of ourselves， but lower our heads when we come across a windstorm. If you had lowered your head without being so proud， you would have survived the rainstorm.”

從前，有一棵巨大的橡樹(shù)。橡樹(shù)覺(jué)得自己是世界上最大最強(qiáng)壯的樹(shù)，因此非常驕傲?！安还苁鞘裁蠢щy，我都能安然度過(guò)。沒(méi)有什么比我更強(qiáng)大?！?/p>

一天，突然起了一場(chǎng)風(fēng)暴。看著其他的樹(shù)一棵一棵地倒下，橡樹(shù)油然而生一種勝利感。“我會(huì)沒(méi)事的?！?/p>

然而，橡樹(shù)還是被風(fēng)暴吹倒了。橡樹(shù)隨水漂流著，心想：“我怎么就這樣結(jié)束了此生？”

當(dāng)被河水沖走時(shí)，橡樹(shù)路過(guò)了一片蘆葦叢。那里的蘆葦并沒(méi)有被吹倒?！芭叮J葦先生！你這么脆弱，是如何躲過(guò)風(fēng)暴的？”橡樹(shù)很羨慕蘆葦。

蘆葦親切地對(duì)漂流而過(guò)的橡樹(shù)說(shuō)：“橡樹(shù)先生，你自夸是世界上最強(qiáng)壯的，對(duì)嗎？風(fēng)暴會(huì)把任何趾高氣揚(yáng)的人打到的?！?/p>

“我們從來(lái)不會(huì)自以為是，當(dāng)風(fēng)暴來(lái)襲時(shí)，我們會(huì)謙卑地低下頭。如果當(dāng)時(shí)你低下頭，你也會(huì)在風(fēng)暴中存活下來(lái)。”

Vocabulary

proud adj. 驕傲的;自豪的

survive v. 生存;存活

collapse v. 倒下，昏倒

envy v. 羨慕;忌妒