英文幽默小故事:苹果籽约翰尼

【英文原文】

摘要：苹果籽约翰尼的真名叫约翰•恰普曼，由于在边疆地区种了大量苹果树而被后人怀念。他少年时代的事迹不详，但后来据说他用了50年时间走遍宾西法尼亚，俄亥俄和印第安纳，到处播种苹果树。

Johnny Appleseed is the nickname of a man whose real name was John Chapman, an American pioneer who planted large numbers of apple trees along the early frontier. Nothing is known about his childhood. According to legend, for almost fifty years, Johnny Appleseed walked through Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana. Everywhere he went he carried bags of apple seeds and planted them. He also gave apple seeds and apple saplings to everyone he met. He is said to have planted thousands of seeds during his travels. Thousands of settlers came to know this strange, lonely man. He had a tin pot as a hat, a coffee sack as a shirt, and no shoes, looking like a scarecrow. Some nights he spent at farmhouses, and told stories for his supper. Other times he camped out alone in the fields and woods. No harm ever came to Johnny Appleseed in his lonely travel through the wilderness. The Indians knew him and treated him as a friend, and even the wild animals left him alone. Johnny Appleseed was a religious man, and he loved nature. He believed it his duty to go up and down the land planting apple seeds. He wanted Americans to enjoy the beauty and delicious fruit of the apple trees.

【中文译文】

苹果籽约翰尼的真名叫约翰•恰普曼，由于在边疆地区种了大量苹果树而被后人怀念。他少年时代的事迹不详，但后来据说他用了50年时间走遍宾西法尼亚，俄亥俄和印第安纳，到处播种苹果树。他还把种子和树苗送给所遇到的人。就这样，他种下了千千万万棵苹果树。边民们都认识这个孤独的怪人。他用一口铁锅当帽子，咖啡口袋当衬衫，赤着双脚，活像个稻草人。赶上了就在农舍里过夜，吃过晚饭，给主人讲故事，聊表谢意。有时候就在野地里或林子里过夜。他虽然只身一人在荒野里游荡，却从来没遇到过什么危险。印第安人都认识他，待他很友好。甚至野兽都不去碰他。苹果仔约翰尼敬神，热爱大自然，以毕生跋涉栽种苹果树为己任。他希望美国人能多看到些绿色，能品尝美味的苹果。

题外话：美国人很早就意识到树木对环保的重要意义。西奥多•罗斯福总统在1901年就制订了保护森林、植树造林的计划。他的前任已将1800多万公顷的林地置于法律保护之下，而罗斯福则将面积扩大到近6000万公顷。