许地山

At the back of our house there was half a mu of vacant land. “Its a pity to let it go to waste like that，” Mother said. “Since you all enjoy eating peanuts， let us open it up and make it a peanut garden.” At that my brother， sister and I were all delighted and so were the young housemaids. Some went to buy seeds， some dug the ground and others watered it and， in a couple of months， we had a harvest！

“Let us have a party tonight to celebrate，” Mother suggested， “and ask Dad to come for a taste of our fresh peanuts. What do you say？” We all agreed， of course. Mother cooked the peanuts in different styles and told us to go to the thatched pavilion in the garden for the celebration.

The weather was not very good that night but， to our great delight， Dad came all the same. “Do you like peanuts？” Dad asked.

“Yes！” we all answered eagerly.

“But who ran tell me what the peanut is good for？”

“It is very delicious to eat，” my sister took the lead.

“It is good for making cooking oil，” my brother followed.

“It is inexpensive.” I said. “Almost everyone can afford it and everyone enjoys eating it. I think this is what it is good for.”

“Peanut is good for many things，” Dad said， “but there is one thing that is particularly good about it. Unlike apples， peaches or pomegranates that display their fruits up in the air， attracting you with their beautiful colours， peanut buries its fruit in the earth. It does not show itself until you dig it out when it is ripe and， unless you dig it out， you cant tell whether it bears fruit or not just by its frail sterns above ground.”

“Thats true，” we all said and Mother nodded her assent. “So you should try to be like the peanut，” Dad went on， “because it is useful， though not great or attractive.”

“Do you mean，” I asked， “we should learn to be useful but not seek to be great or attractive？”

“Yes，” Dad said. “It is what I wish you to be.”

We stayed up late that night， eating all the peanuts Mother had cooked for us. But Fathers words remained vivid in my memory till this day.

我們屋后有半亩隙地。母亲说：“让它荒芜着怪可惜，既然你们那么爱吃花生，就开辟来作花生园吧。”我们几姊弟和几个小丫头都很喜欢——买种的买种，动土的动土，灌园的灌园;过不了几个月，居然收获了！

妈妈说：“今晚我们可以做一个收获节，也请你们爹爹来尝尝我们的新花生，如何？”我们都答应了。母亲把花生做成好几样食品，还吩咐这节期要在园里的茅亭举行。

那晚上的天色不大好，可是爹爹也到来，实在很难得！爹爹说：“你们爱吃花生吗？”

我们都争着答应：“爱！”

“谁能把花生的好处说出来？”

姊姊说：“花生的气味很美。”

哥哥说：“花生可以制油。”

我说：“无论何等人都可以用贱价买它来吃;都喜欢吃它。这就是它的好处。”

爹爹说：“花生的用处固然很多;但有一样是很可贵的。这小小的豆不像那好看的苹果、桃子、石榴，把它们的果实悬在枝上，鲜红嫩绿的颜色，令人一望而发生羡慕的心。它只把果子埋在地底，等到成熟，才容人把它挖出来。你们偶然看见一棵花生瑟缩地长在地上，不能立刻辨出它有没有果实，非得等到你接触它才能知道。”

我们都说：“是的。”母亲也点点头。爹爹接下去说：“所以你们要像花生，因为它是有用的，不是伟大、好看的东西。”

我说：“那么，人要做有用的人，不要做伟大、体面的人了。”爹爹说：“这是我对于你们的希望。”

我们谈到夜阑才散，所有花生食品虽然没有了，然而父亲的话现在还印在我心版上。

Vocabulary

vacant adj. 空缺的，闲置的

pomegranate n. 石榴

assent  n. 同意;赞成

vivid adj. 生动的;逼真的