兩個朋友的祈禱
A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men aboard were able to swim to a small, desert-like island. Not knowing what else to do, the two survivors agreed that they had no other recourse than to pray to God.
一艘客輪在海上遇到暴風雨而翻覆，只有兩個人游泳到一個荒涼的小島上。在無計可施的情況下，這兩個人都認為只有向上帝禱告是唯一之道。
However, to find out whose prayers were more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.
但是為了看誰的禱告比較有效，他們協議把小島分成兩半，每人各居一處。
The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the island, and he was able to eat its fruit. But the other man's parcel of land remained barren.
他們祈禱的第一件事就是食物，第二天早上，第一個人看到一棵結實累累的果樹長在他這一邊的土地上，現在他就有果子可以吃了。而另外一個人的土地上依舊一片荒蕪。
After a week, the first man became lonely and decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the island. But on the other side of the island, there was nothing.
一個星期以後，第一個人感到很孤單寂寞，所以他決定祈求能有一個妻子。第二天，又有一艘船失事了，唯一倖存的女人游泳到他這一邊的島上來。而另一邊的島上則什麼也沒有。
Soon thereafter the first man prayed for a house, clothes and more food. The next day, like magic, all of these things were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.
不久，第一個人又祈求得到一間房子、衣服和更多的食物。隔天，他所祈求的東西就像變魔術一樣全都出現了，而另一個人還是什麼都沒有。
Finally, the first man prayed for a ship so that he and his wife could leave the island, and in the morning he found a ship docked at his side of the island.
最後，第一個人祈求能有一艘船，讓他跟他的妻子可以離開小島。早上醒來，他看到一艘船就停泊在他這裡的岸邊。
The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island, considering the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings since none of his prayers had been answered.
第一個人和他太太上了船，他決定把第二個人留在那個小島上。他認為另一個人不值得得到上帝的恩賜，因為他的祈禱一個也沒應驗。
As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from Heaven booming, "Why are you leaving your companion on the island?"
正當船要離開的時候，第一個人聽到天上傳來轟隆的聲音說：「為什麼你把你的同伴留在島上？」
"My blessings are mine alone since I was the one who prayed for them," the first man answered. "His prayers were all unanswered and so he doesn't deserve anything."
第一個人回答說：「上帝的賜予都歸我獨享，因為是我祈求而來的。他的祈禱全都沒應驗，所以他不配得到任何東西。」
"You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him. "He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings."
你錯了９那個聲音責備他說：「我應允了他唯一的一個祈求，若非如此，你根本得不到我任何的賜予。」
"Tell me," the first man asked the voice, "what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?"
「告訴我，」第一個人問那個聲音說：「他到底祈求什麼，使我對他有所虧欠？」
"He prayed that all your prayers would be answered."
「他祈禱讓你的祈求都能應驗。」
For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us. So what you do for others is more important than what you do for yourself.
我們都知道，我們所得到的恩典並非只是我們自己祈求的結果，還因為別人為我們祈福。為了別人而做的，往往比為自己而做的更重要。
