Helping Others Can Help Us Too

王秀凤

How would you feel if your best friend got better grades than you？ Would you ask him or her to help you improve your own grades？

Once upon a time， there was a farmer who grew very good corn. ① Each year， he would take part in the state farmers’ fair（展览会） and win a top award （奖）for his corn.

The story of the farmer’s success reached the ears of a reporter who wanted to interview the farmer. While he was learning about the farmer’s growing skills， he found that the farmer shared his best quality seeds （优质种子）with his neighbors.

“How can you afford to share your best corn seeds with your neighbors when some of them might go to the fair as well？” the reporter asked.

“Why wouldn’t I ？” the farmer replied. “ The wind picks up pollen（花粉） from the corn and moves from field to field. If my neighbors grow poor quality corn， cross pollination （交叉授粉）will finally degrade（降低） the quality of my corn too. ② If I am to grow high quality corn， I must help my neighbors grow good corn too.”

The farmer’s answer made the reporter understand how aware（明白的） the farmer was about connections in life.

It is the same with our lives. Those who choose to live in peace must help others around them to live in peace too. Those who wish to be loved must first learn to love others too. ③Those who wish to live well must help others live well too， as the value （价值）of our lives has something to do with the lives we touch.

精彩译文

帮助别人也可以帮助我们自己

如果你最好的朋友成绩比你好，你会怎么想？你会让他或她帮助你提高自己的成绩吗？

從前，有个农民种了高质量的玉米。每年，他都会参加国家农产品展览会，并获得最高奖。

这位农民成功的故事传到了一位记者的耳朵里，他想采访这位农民。当他了解农民的种植技术时，他发现农民与邻居分享他最优质种子。

“你怎么能承受得起和邻居分享你最好的玉米种子，而他们中的一些人可能也会去参加农产品展览会？”记者问。

“我为什么不呢？”农民答道。“风从玉米上吹起花粉，从一块地传到另一块地。如果我的邻居种的是劣质玉米，那么交叉授粉最终也会降低我的玉米质量。如果我要种高质量的玉米，我必须帮助我的邻居种上高质量的玉米。”

农民的回答让记者明白了这位农民对生活中的关系理解的是多么透彻。

我们的生活也是如此。那些选择和平生活的人也必须帮助他们周围的人和平地生活。那些希望被爱的人必须先学会爱别人。那些希望自己活得好的人也必须帮助别人活得好，因为我们生命的价值与我们所接触的一切都有关。

难句解析：

1. Each year， he would take part in the state farmers’ fair and win a top award for his corn.

本句中take part in意为“参加”。辨析join， join in， take part in， attend。

这几个词（组）意思相近，但它们在用法上有何区别呢？

★join 指“加入党派组织或团体，并且成为其中的一员”，后面可跟团体等作宾语;也可跟人作宾语，表示参与某种活动。如：

He is good at swimming， so he wants to join a swimming club.

他擅长游泳，所以他想加入一个游泳俱乐部。

Will you join us for dinner？ 你愿意和我们一起吃晚饭吗？

★join in通常指“参加某种活动，尤其指和其他人一起参加某项活动”。注意：如果说“与某人一起做某事”“和……在一起”则用join sb. in sth./doing sth.。如：

Would you join me in a walk？ 和我一起去散步好嗎？

I hope you can all join in the discussion. 我希望你们都能参加讨论。

★take part in指“参加群众性活动、会议、劳动、游行等”，往往指“参加者持有积极的态度，起一份作用”，有时与join in可互换。如：

Can you take part in the English evening？ 你能参加英语晚会吗？

★attend 主要指“以观众或听众的身份参加，一般指参加会议、典礼、婚礼、葬礼及去听课、听报告等”。如：

Our teacher attended the meeting yesterday. 我们的老师昨天参加了会议。

2. If I am to grow high quality corn， I must help my neighbors grow good corn too.

句中to grow high quality corn是动词不定式作表语，表示对未来的安排。如：

The boy’s dream is to be basketball player in the future.

这个男孩的理想是将来成为一名篮球运动员。

3. Those who wish to live well must help others live well too， as the value of our lives has something to do with the lives we touch.

句中who wish to live well是定语从句，修饰those。as 在句中表示原因， have something to do with…意为“与……有关”。如：

Those who want to go to the Great Wall sign up here. 想去长城的人在这里报名。

Which holiday has something to do with autumn？ 哪个节日和秋天有关？

跟踪训练：

1. From the passage above， we know that the farmer .

A. was good at growing corn              B. didn’t have special growing skills

C. sold best corn to his neighbors          D. started the state farmers’ fair

2.What did the reporter think about the farmer sharing his seeds？

A. It was clever of him to do this.

B. It was a nice thing to do.

C. It might make him lose the award.

D. It would make him poor.

3. The farmer’s corn grew well partly because .

A. his neighbors also grew good corn

B. his neighbors gave him the best seeds

C. he was good at doing cross-pollination

D. he stopped others from growing good corn

4. What does the story tell us？

A. Hard work leads to success.

B. We should try to improve our lives.

C. Helping others is good for us.

D. Loving others makes life more valuable.

Keys： 1. A 2. B 3.A 4. C