蒲公英

Lessons from a dandelion

I recall as a young child bringing bouquets of brilliant yellow flowers to my mother.

我想起了孩提时代我把几束鲜艳的黄色花朵送给妈妈的事。

It didn't matter that the stems felt sticky or that both my parents cursed the presence of these flowers in the lawn.

我记得那些花的华茎很黏，我爸妈当时都在埋怨草坪里怎么会长出这些花，但我都没在意，

I thought they were beautiful!

因为我觉得这些花非常美丽。

And there were so many of them!

而且这美丽的花是那么多！

We spent hours picking the flowers and then popping the blossoms off with a snap of our fingers.

那天我们花了几个小时拔这些蒲公英，然后再用手把花给掐掉。

But the supply of dandelions never ran out.

不过，草坪里一直都没少了蒲公英，

My father or brothers would chop off all the heads with the lawn mower at least once a week,but that didn't stop these hardy wonders.

要么爸爸，要么我的兄弟们至少每星期都会用除草机割蒲公英，但那根本不能阻止这些坚强的小生命继续生长。

And for those flowers that escaped the honor of being hand-delivered to my mother or the sharp blades of the lawn mower,there was another level of existence.

而那些无缘被拔掉送到我妈妈那里或是被除草机锋利的刀锋割掉的蒲公英却以另外一种生命高度存活了下来。

The soft, round puffs of a dandelion gone to seed caused endless giggles and squeals of delight as we unwittingly spread this flower across the yard.

蒲公英那柔软的圆圆的蓬松的绒球里结满了种子，逗得我们不停地又喊又笑，我们无意中把这种花儿播撒到了整个院子里。

As I worked in my garden last week, pulling unwanted weeds out of the space that would become a haven for tomatoes, corn, peas and sunflowers,I again marveled at the flower that some call a weed.

上周，当我在花园里拔杂草，给西红柿，玉米，豌豆和向日葵腾地方的时候，我又惊奇地发现了这个有人称之为杂草的花。

And I thought, If only I had the staying power of a dandelion.

我心里想:要是我能有蒲公英这样的生命力该多好啊。

If only I could stretch my roots so deep and straight that something tugging on my stem couldn't separate me completely from the source that feeds me life.

如果我能像蒲公英一样深深地，直直地扎根该多好，那样即便有人用力拽我的茎也不能完全把我和培育我生命的大地分离。

If only I could come back to face the world with a bright, sunshiny face after someone has run me over with a lawnmower or worse,purposely attacked me in an attempt to destroy me.

如果有锄草机在我身上碾过或是更糟糕些—有人意图彻底摧毁我，而我却能像蒲公英一样依然微笑着面对这个世界，那该有多好。

If only my foliage was a nutritious source of vitamins that help others grow.

如果我的叶子是营养源，富含维他命，可以帮助他人成长该有多好。

If only I could spread love and encouragement as freely and fully as this flower spreads seeds of itself.

如果，我能像蒲公英自行传播种子一样传播我对他人的爱和鼓舞又该多好。

The lawns at my parents' home are now beautiful green blankets.

现在，我爸妈的草坪是一片美丽的绿色，

The only patches of color come from well-placed, well-controlled flowerbeds.

颜色不同的地方就是那些精心培育的花床了。

Chemicals have managed to kill what human persistence couldn't.

那些人们怎么除都没除掉的东西已经被化学药物除掉了。

I hope you and I can be different.

但愿你我能与此不同。

I hope that we can stretch our roots deep enough that the strongest poison can't reach our souls.

但愿我们的根能伸到即便是最猛烈的毒药也触及不到的地方。

I hope that we can overcome the poisons of anger, fear, hate, criticism and competitiveness.

但愿我们能抵抗得住愤怒，憎恶，批判还有攀比这些毒物。

I hope that we can see flowers in a world that sees weeds.

但愿，我们能在一个看到种子的世界里看到那美丽的花朵。