一个小男孩几乎认为自己是世界上最不幸的孩子，因为患脊髓灰质炎而使他留下了瘸腿和参差不齐的牙齿。他很少跟同学们玩耍；老师叫他回答问题时，他总是低着头一言不友。
One spring, the boy's father asked for some saplings from the neighbor. He told his children to plant a sapling each person. The father said, "Whose seedling grows best, I will buy a favorite gift." The boy also wanted to get his father's gift. But seeing his brothers and sisters carrying water to water the trees bouncily, anyhow, he hit upon an idea: he hoped the tree he planted would die soon. So watering it once or twice, he never attended to it.
一年春天，小男孩的父亲从邻居家讨了些树苗。他叫他的孩子们每人种一棵。父亲对孩子们说：“谁的树苗长得好，我就给谁买一件他最喜欢的礼物。”小男孩也想得到父亲的礼物。但是看到兄弟姐妹们蹦蹦跳跳的背影，不知怎的，他萌生出一种想法，他希望自己栽的那棵树早日死去。因此，浇过一两次水后，他再也没去管它。
A few days later, when the little boy went to see his tree again, he was surprised to find it not only didn't wilt, but also grew some fresh leaves, and compared with the trees of his brother and sister, his appeared greener and more vital. His father kept his promise and bought the little boy his favorite gift.
几天后，小男孩再去看他种的那颗树时，他惊奇地发现它不仅没有枯萎，而且还长出几片新叶，显得很嫩、更有生机。父亲兑现了他的诺言，为小男孩买了一件他最喜欢的礼物。
Since then, the little boy slowly became optimistic. One night, the little boy lay on the bed but couldn't sleep He wanted to go to see the tree. When he came to the courtyard on tiptoe, he found his father was splashing something under his tree with a ladle. All of a sudden, he understood: his father had been secretly fertilizing his small tree! He returned to his room, tears running without restraint.
从那以后，小男孩慢慢地变得乐观起来。一天晚上，小男孩躺在床上睡不着，他想去看看那棵小树。当他轻手轻脚地来到院子时，却看见父亲用勺子在向自己栽种的那棵树下泼洒什么。顿时，他一切都明白了，原来他父亲一直在偷偷地为自己栽种的那棵小树施肥！他返回房间，任凭泪水肆流。
Decades passed. The little boy was elected President of the United States. His name was Franklin Roosevelt.
几十年过去了。那个小男孩成为了美国总统，他的名字叫富兰克林·罗斯福。
Love is the best nourishment of life; even if it just one ladleful of clear water, it can make the tree of life thrive.
爱是生命的养料，哪怕只是一勺清水，它都能使生命之树苗壮成长。
