種子的神奇力量 The Power of Seed
傑克·倫敦/Jack London
Some one asked: what in the world has the greatest power? There came various answers. Some said elephant; some said lion; some even jokingly said that King Kang was the most powerful. How powerful is King Kang? Nobody knows, of course.
It turned out that none of these answers is correct, for the most powerful thing in the world is seed. The power exhibited by a seed can surpass almost everything.
Here comes another story.
The skull of human being is very compactly and solidly formed. Both physiologists and anatomists tried every possible means to separate the skull intact but failed. Then suddenly some one found a way: put some seeds into the skull that is to be anatomized. Given the right temperature and humidity, the seeds will begin shooting up. When shooting up, the seeds can separate the skull perfectly with an amazing power while all mechanical powers failed. Here, you can see the power of a plant's seed.
Perhaps this example is a little too particular, thus common people usually don't get it. Then, have you seen a grass growing up from under rubbles and stones? Yearning for sunlight and longing for life, the grass keeps shooting up to the ground, circuitously and persistently, despite how heavy the stones are over it and how narrow the space is between the stones. Its root deepens into the earth while its sprout pierces up to the ground. It has an irresistible force which can overturn the stones that stand in its way. Here, you can see the power of a seed.
Though no one would ever call a grass Hercules, the power of a grass is matchless in the world. The power is vitality which is invisible to common people. This power will emerge as long as there is life and the stones above cannot stop it from claiming its presence, for it's a "long-persisting" fighting force, flexible and tenacious.
A living seed will not feel pessimistic nor sigh if it falls into rubbles instead of fertile soil, because it believes that obstruction means trial. A tough grass is the one with fight from the beginning of its life. Only this kind of grass can laugh at the potted flowers nursed in glasshouses.
有人問：世界上什麽東西的力氣最大？答案種類繁多。有人說是象，有人說是獅子，甚至有人開玩笑似的說是金剛。金剛的力氣到底有多大呢？當然，沒有人知道。
結果，所有的答案都不正確，因為世界上氣力最大的是植物的種子。一粒種子產生的力量，簡直可以超越一切。
由此引出了另一個故事。
人的頭蓋骨結構非常致密、堅固。生理學家和解剖學家為了把頭蓋骨完整地分開，嚐試了一切能用的方法，可是最終都沒有成功。後來忽然有人想出了一個解決的方法：就是把一些植物的種子放在準備剖析的頭蓋骨裏，保持適當的溫度和濕度，讓種子發芽。一發芽，這些種子便以驚人的力量，將所有機械力都不能分開的骨骼，完整地分開了。由此，你可以看出植物種子巨大的力量。
也許這個例子有些特殊，一般人不容易理解。那麽，你見過一棵小草壓在瓦礫和石塊下麵的成長過程嗎？向往陽光，渴望成長，無論上麵的石塊有多重，石塊與石塊之間有多狹窄，小草總要曲曲折折地、頑強不屈地伸出地麵。它的根深深地紮入土壤，它的芽則衝出地麵。種子擁有一種不可抗拒的力量，可以掀翻阻止它的石塊。由此我們認識到了一粒種子的力量。
盡管沒有人將小草叫做大力士，可是它的力量之大，確實是無與倫比的。一般人看不見這種生命力。隻要還有生命，就能顯現出這種力量，上麵的石塊根本不可能阻擋它，因為這是一種“長期抗戰”的力，有彈性，能屈能伸的力；有韌性，頑強的力。
如果一粒有生命的種子落在了瓦礫中而沒有落在肥土中，它決不會悲觀、歎氣。因為它相信唯有阻力才有磨煉。堅強的小草是那種在生命開始的一瞬間就滿懷鬥誌的草。也唯有這種草，才可以嗤笑那些玻璃棚中養育的盆花。
exhibit[ig?zibit]v.展現；陳列；表現；呈現
She exhibited great power of endurance during the climb.
她在攀登過程中表現出極大的耐力。
surpass[s?:?pɑ:s]v.超越；淩駕；勝過
A turtle in the right direction, can surpass a lost rabbit.
一隻方向正確的烏龜，可以賽過一隻迷失方向的兔子。
flexible[?fleks?bl]adj.靈活的；易彎曲的；柔韌的
I need to find a simple and flexible way to design such a complex interface.
我需要找到一種簡單且靈活的方式來設計這樣一個複雜的界麵。
pessimistic[?pesi?mistik]adj.悲觀的
Optimistic about the appearance, but the heart are pessimistic.
保持樂觀的外表，但內心是悲觀的。
一粒種子產生的力量，簡直可以超越一切。
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隻要還有生命，就能顯現出這種力量，上麵的石塊根本不可能阻擋它，因為這是一種“長期抗戰”的力，有彈性，能屈能伸的力；有韌性，頑強的力。
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堅強的小草是那種在生命開始的一瞬間就滿懷鬥誌的草。
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It turned out that none of these answers is correct, for the most powerful thing in the world is seed.
turn out：製造；關燈；結果是；出席（某項活動）
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Given the right temperature and humidity, the seeds will begin shooting up.
shoot up：迅速成長；上升；猛增；聳立；射中
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