英語美文欣賞：秋天是收獲的季節

    Autumn－the Harvest Season

    The autumn， with its ripening fruits， and waving harvest， is now with us. We see on every hand the results of the farmer‘s toil and forecast in the springtime. Then it was that he broke up the soil， sowed the seed， pruned his trees， and guarded the tender plants. Now we see the ripening crops. The trees are bending with golden fruit， and abundance rewards farmer’s toil.

    But suppose in spring the farmer had left the soil unturned， the seed unsown， the trees untrimmed， and everything neglected， what would now be the result？ We should see nothing but barren fields， overrun with weeds and biers； and the farmer would feel that a winter of want and distress is before him.

    And let us remember that the autumn of life will come on apace； and that what we now sow， we shall then reap. If we would reap an abundant harvest， and gather precious fruit， and secure an autumn of plenty prosperity， we must now， in the springtime of life， be diligent and careful in the cultivation of our hearts. We must form only those habits which will produce good fruits. Our acts must be noble， our thoughts and our words must be pure， and our feelings must be kind. As we now sow， we shall then reap. If we “sow to the wind， we shall reap the whirlwind”。

    伴著成熟的果實和翻騰的谷浪，秋天來到了我們身旁。從每一位農民的手上，我們看到了辛勤勞作的成果和春天期望的實現。在春天，是他們耕耘土地，撥下種籽，修剪果樹，照看嫩苗。現在我們看到了成熟的莊稼。金黃的果實壓彎了果樹枝頭，豐厚地回報農民的勞作。

    但是，假定農民們在春天土地不耕，種籽不播，果實不修剪，什么都不干，那么現在會是什么結果呢？我們只會看到貧瘠的土地，野草瘋長，荊棘叢生。這個時候農民們就會感覺到，一個匱乏而憂傷的冬季就在他們面前。

    讓我們記住，人生的秋天很快就會來臨；我們現在播種什么，到那時就會收獲什么。如果我們要獲取豐碩的收成，摘取珍貴的果實，確保充裕旺盛的秋天，現在，在這個人生的春天，我們就必須勤勤懇懇、小心翼翼地培育我們的心靈。我們必須養成只會產生好的結果的習慣。我們的行為必須高尚，我們的思想和言語必須純潔，我們的情操必須善良。我們現在播種，到時候定有收獲。如果我們“風中播種，將來必然收獲旋風”（“現在做壞事，將來必收惡果”）。