我发现玫瑰不仅仅是一些特殊场合的精致饰品，而且它们自身也有一种生机勃勃、不屈不挠的精神。反观现实生活，我们是否也曾经带有偏见地误会了其他看起来娇弱无力然而生命顽强的东西呢？
Ihadaprejudiceaboutreceivingflowers.EventhoughIhadaskedmycolleaguesandfriendsnevertogetmeroses,theystilldiditfromtimetotime.ItwashardtoconcealthedisappointmentthatdistressingmewhenIsawthatexquisitewhiteboxtiedwithabeautifulvelvetribbon.“Alittleflowercoffin(棺材)”wasthefirstthingthatcameintomymind.Itwastruetheyweregrowntobecutdownjustforjoyousmoments,butevensoasIlookedattheflawlessbrightbudswaitingtoopen,Istillcouldn’tstopthinkingaboutthemsittingonmydiningroomtable,dryingupanddroppingpetals(花瓣).AndallthewhileIwasthinking,"prettysoonI’mgoingtohavetothrowthoserosesinthegarbageandI’llfeelbadaboutthattoo.”Theycouldbepressedinabookbuteitherwayitwasallthesametothem.
SoprettymuchIhadavoidedrosesaltogetheruntilrecentlywhenabouttwentyrosebushescameintomylife.Theonlyinstructionthatcamewiththeroseswastotrimthemofftowheretherewerefiveleaves.BeingsomewhatoverwhelmedaboutwhatIconsideredthedifficultytotakecareoftheroses,Ianxiouslypressedformorereliableinformationandaugmentedknowledgeinrosecultivating.Ratherthanreceivedmystical(神秘的)flowerknowledgefromtheexperiencedgardener,Iwastoldsimplytowaterthem.Aswithallthings,Idecidedtodomybestandseewhatwouldhappen.
Thefirstrosesoftheyearcameinlikearowoffire.Quiteunexpectedlyinthelatespring,arowofrosebushesonthesideofmyhousebloomedwithachorusofhundredsofpinkflowers.Therewasn’tmuchsmelltothembutasIhadfoundout,everydifferenttypeofrosehaditsownmaturityperiod.Whiletheotherthinnerbushesweretakingtheirtimegrowingtheirbuds,thesepricklyweedy(似野草的)roseswerepastmaturityandreadytobetrimmed.
Knowingnothingaboutthephysicalstructureofrosesexceptthesimpletipsfromthepreviousgardener,Iwenttoshearthemwithapairofkitchenscissors.Grabbingawithered(枯萎的)pinkrose,Ilookedatitslateralstem.Everyfewincheswereasetofleaves.Thosefartherawayfromtheflowerhadfiveleaveswhilethosecloserhadonlythree.Wherethesetofthreeconnectedtothestem,therewasasmallbud—nothingmuch,justapointofcolor.Therewasnothinglikethisnearthesetwithfiveleavesbutfollowingtheinstruction,Icutofftheroseherelosingbudandall.Afterseveralhours’work,apileofrosepetalsandstemslayonthegroundandIsweptthemupwithoutabitofremorse(怜悯).
Oftenwhiletrimmingthebush,Iwouldwatchthetinyworldinside.Spiderwebshunginsidebranchesandwhilethespiderusuallyhidfromthescissors,Iexaminedtheirhomes.Someofthemweredriedandtornfromtheiroriginalfoundationswhileotherswerefreshandshiny.
Eventhoughtherosesbloomedwildlyinmyyard,likegrassinthepasture,Istilldidn’tfeelcompletelyconfidentinmyknowledgeoftheircare.OnedaywhilepassingbyagardenshopIwentinandbrowsedthroughtheflowersection.Aftergettingboredwiththehow-topamphlets,Iwanderedaroundandendedupbythefloral(花卉的)coolers.Downatthebottomwerecanvasbags,bucketandsmallpailscrammedfull(填满)ofladybugs(瓢虫)!Thebagdidn’tmovetoomuchlikeyouwouldexpectabagof500insectstodo,butItookabagtothecounterfornootherreasonthanpurecuriosityandthejoyofhavinginmypossessionforafewmomentsabagfullofthegentlefairytalecreatures.
Ilearnedsomethingthatday.Whilewaitingatthecounter,recollectingabouttheyouthfuljoyofacquiringevenoneladybug—achildhoodmemorywasmorepreciousthangold—Iaskedthecashierinbewildermenthowanyonecouldcatchsomany.Ilearnedthattheseladybugsaregrown,notcaught.
Onthecarridehome,thebagbegantobuzz(嗡嗡声)andmoveasitwarmedup.Oncehome.Ijusthadtolookattheladybugs’spots.Eachonehadfourorsix.Didthattellthesexofthebugoritsage?Icarefullycutalargeholeinthecanvasandheldthebagovertherosebushes.
Afewladybugsweaklyflewafewinchesfromthebagthendroppedonthenearestbranchwhilethemajority,stillremainedcrawlingovereachotherinsidethebag.Afterbeingshakenoutofthebag,theresthungslowlyonthebush.Agustofwindblewacross,andtheirinstinctmadethemflyawayinalldifferentdirections.Eventhoughitwasnotthemassmotionlhadexpected,foronebriefmomentlfeltthejoyofaliberator(解放者),asacompensationfortheiraction.
Trimmingofftherosesbecamemydailywork.Afteratime1wentbacktowhereIhadtrimmedbeforeandnoticedhowthebushhadgrown.Evenifabranchwascuttothesetoffiveleaveswheretherewasnobud,soonasmallcoloredclawwouldappear,growoutwardandeventuallybecomearose.Sometimestwowouldgrowfromthesamebranchandtheseinturnwouldcreatetwonewbudseach.Ibegantonoticeapatternandstartedexperimenting.Bycuttingbacktowheretheclosestbudappeared,nomatterhowsmall,andnomatterhowmanyleavesitwasattachedto,youcoulddoubleoreventriplethenumberofflowers.Ialsofoundyoucouldn’thurttherosebushnomatterwhereyoutrimmedit.Thedecisionwheretocuthadtobemadewithfiguringoutwherethemostbudswouldlikelyappearifcreatingmoreflowerswasthegoal.Sometimesthedecisiontotrimwasmadeonbalancingthebranchonewayoranotherbecausetherosesthemselvesaddedalotofweight.Sometimesitbecamenecessarytotrimbackhugebranchesthemselveswhenabushgrewoveritsboundaries.Roses,Ifoundout,werenotonlydelicateadornments(装饰品)forspecialoccasionsbutalsoarepresentation(代表(权))ofakindofvigorousandenduringspirit.Arosebranchheldupbyabough(大树枝),grewuptotheroofonmyhousethendescendeddownflecking(饰以斑点)thebrickwallwithdelicate,redorwhitedotslikeawatercolor(水彩画).
Thereisonerosebushthat’sstillamystery.Itnevergrowsabovetwofeethighanditstwoerectbranchesarenothickerthanapencil.Everyfewweeks,however,thirtyofsohugeredbudssimultaneouslypopuponitsbranches.Watchingthisbushislikewatchingacomedianyouknowwhoisgoingtosliponabananapeel.Onedaythebudsallopenandthebusharchesfromtheweight.IthasdonethistimeandagainwithnodamagetothebranchessoIjustleaveitalone.ApparentlythisbushhassomeseriousbusinesstoworkoutandwhyshouldIinterfere?
SoIguessIdon’tfeelsobadanymoreabouttherosesthathavedrieduponmydiningroomtable.ForsureI’vetrimmedbackahundredtimesthatmanysincecaringformybushes.I’mstillnotaccustomed(使习惯)tothethoughtofboxedflowersandmaybenowIrealizewhy.Rosesthatcomeinboxesareamerefragmentoftheexperienceandperhapstheleastrewardingpartofthewhole.
注释:
prejudice
colleague
flawless
bud
trim
somewhat
reliablerely
augment
cultivateagriculture
unexpectedly
bloom
chorus
maturity
prickly
physicalphysics
shear
scissors
follow
web
originalorigin
pasture
confidentconfidence
bore
pamphlet
wander
canvas
pail
insectinsect
recollect
acquire
cashiercase
gust
motion
compensation
claw
outward
beattachtoattack
triple
likely
occasion
representation
vigorous
bough
descendscale
brick
dot
erect
pop
comedian
slipslip
peel
arch
apparently
accustomcustom
mere
rewarding