苹果园之旅：你做好收获的准备了吗？
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老桑说
苹果的到来，是收获的季节。我们也可以反思自己的人生收获——过去、现在和未来，再继续向前，播下更多的种子。
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「 朋友，你好，我是老桑。」
希望大家度过了一个愉快的黄金周假期，再次祝贺中国成立70周年。
我相信这周你有了一段愉快的旅行、家庭聚会、庆祝祖国生日和私人休息的时间。我一直很享受在北京度过的黄金周，或许当时我总是少数留下来的人之一！
本周，我们将继续开始工作。这是很难保持干劲的一周，你甚至可能会觉得自己在休息了这么长时间之后回到工作中会心情低落。我们在春节假期后也有着同样的感受，所以如果你需要一些动力，可以看看我的文章——《满血复活:春节后如何恢复工作状态?》。
与中国的新年不同，那时我们需要在寒冷的天气和短时间内返回工作岗位，每年十月的国庆节后的天气几乎是完美的。蔚蓝的天空、凉爽的气温和秋天的落叶都在召唤我们出去享受冬天寒冷到来之前的天气。这会让我们在一年中的这个时候重返工作更具挑战性。
我理解这一切。最近,我花了一个周末在纽约州北部拜访我的表妹詹妮弗。我的父母从佛罗里达飞过来，我们在一起度过了美好的家庭时光。我们还游览了这个地区，欣赏了壮观的景色，到处是小山、山谷、农场和落叶。星期天开车回费城，第二天就要开始工作了，这可真不容易!
由于我们都度过了希望置身室外游玩的一周，我在纽约也获得了一些灵感，可能会有助于在本周回到正轨上。我在最意想不到的地方发现了一些智慧：苹果。
在这次旅行中，我们参观了纽约库珀斯敦附近的飞溪苹果酒厂和果园（Fly Creek Cider Mill and Orchard）。这座历史悠久的水力苹果酒压榨厂坐落在河岸上，150多年来一直以酿造新鲜香甜的苹果酒而闻名 。我看着他们用老式的方法做苹果酒，把各种各样的苹果grind（磨）成苹果酱，用布包起来，然后挤压果泥滤出果汁。
Apple Cider有翻译成“苹果西打”或者“苹果酒”，但一般是不含酒精的。这是一款美国传统饮料。
苹果酒（apple cider）和苹果汁（apple juice）是不同的。
苹果酒是过滤过苹果泥之后，所制作的一种深色浑浊的饮品。为了制作苹果汁，原料需要经过过滤和巴氏杀菌以延长保质期。尽管明亮、清澈的苹果汁可能看起来更有吸引力，但苹果酒可能对你的健康更好，因为它加工处理较少。
苹果酒只有一种成分：新鲜的苹果。苹果的收获期因品种而异，但一般来说，成熟的苹果在9月和10月的几周中可以采摘。如果你错过了收获的季节，苹果就会掉在地上腐烂。因此时间就是生命，农民们不能错过这个时节。
可自行装取苹果的货架
在中国，陕西省以苹果闻名，我曾经参观过咸阳市礼泉县茨林村的家庭苹果农场。农民们解释说，在收获的那几个星期里，所有的人都在紧张忙碌。之后他们把苹果储存在天然的地窖里，在那里可以存放几个月。一直以来，我都会从村里的农民那里买几箱苹果。
由于苹果并不能有假期，农民也不能休假。但是，一位姓陈的农民说他并没有把他们的工作看成是一件苦差事，他说，丰收是一个reap（收获）他们所播种的东西的机会。他们播下种子，耕种肥沃的红土，浇灌sapling（树苗），等待着。在采摘的这几个星期里，他们收获了劳动的果实。
苹果园中的栈房
我们都可以用同样的方式看待自己的工作或学业。为了得到你的工作，你必须播下正确的种子。你接受了教育，经历了求职，并且尽了最大的努力。如果你仍然是一名学生，通过准备和参加各种考试，以考取自己目前所在的学校。如果你退休了，证明了自己一生都在播种，现在可以享受回报。
所以，当你正坐在办公桌前努力度过这一周时，不妨重新想想自己这周做了什么。你不必抱怨“我今天得去上班”，你可以说“我有幸可以上班”。当你坐在教室里听一堂课的时候，与其说“我今天必须去上学了”，不如说“我有幸可以上学”。你在哪里是自己的权利。
但你可能会说：“老桑，这听起来很好，可能它对你有用，但你不知道我的情况。我的工作没有什么前途。我只是想要挣钱。”或者，你可能会说：“当然，老桑，你说得容易，因为你不再是学生了。但我仍然在学校里，一次又一次地参加考试，试图在比赛中保持领先。这里只有痛苦。”
关于苹果的俗语
我也是从学生时代一路走来的，是个过来人，对那时的情景记忆犹新。作为一名教师，我时时刻刻都记得学生们所面临的挑战。我有过工作，也做过一些没有给我带来职业成就感的项目。仅仅站起来出门就已经非常有挑战性了。但你还可以改变现状。
如果你是一名学生，当下就是在为自己的未来播下种子。你上的每一节课，写的每一篇论文，领导的每一个学生小组活动，以及你的每一次实习经历都为你的简历和职业生涯提供了宝贵的经验。它可能并不充满乐趣，但你为自己储备了非常多的经历。这些收获让你为找工作做好了准备。
如果你已经走入社会，你现在的工作可能是下一份工作的垫脚石。你获得的经验可以帮助你所在的公司或其他公司得到提升。通过排除的过程，你也获得了关于你不喜欢做什么的自我意识。这种洞察力会让你更好地找到一份更适合你的工作。所以你还在播撒着种子。
如果你现在有一个苹果在你的桌子上，不妨去看看它。思考你当前的收获，同时思考如何为下一个收获播种。如果你需要帮助，这里有一些来自苹果的启发思想:
希腊和罗马神话将苹果视为爱和美丽的象征。同样，“瞳孔”也曾被称为“apple”。因为我们透过瞳孔看东西，所以眼睛里的“瞳孔”很重要。今天，我们仍然把我们珍视的人称为“掌上明珠”。成为自己的“苹果”，对自己说你是自我最大的奖赏。
英语中有一句流行的谚语是叫做：“一天一苹果，医生远离我。”因为苹果是维生素A、C和铁的极佳来源。在《圣经》时代，所罗门王将苹果奉为治愈之果。今天就去吃一个苹果吧，感觉不错，因为你对自己很好。
苹果佬约翰尼（Johnny Appleseed）(1774-1845)是美国拓荒者，他把苹果树种在了美国边境上。他没有随意撒种，而是在拓荒者西进之前种下苹果苗，这样他们到达时就能拥有苹果园。想想你如何能在自己未来的果园里播种收获果实。
“大苹果城（The Big Apple）”是20世纪30年代爵士音乐家使用的表达方式之一。当时人们想要看到纽约城俱乐部的优秀表演就“来自大苹果城”。今天，纽约市仍然被称为“大苹果”，充满机会和资源，等待着任何愿意“咬一口”的人。“今天你能抓住什么机会?”
在中国文化中，苹果是calmness（平静）的象征。所以，当你忍受上班第一周的混乱时，休息五分钟，让苹果把你带回到平静的状态，把你的注意力转移到生活中重要的事情上。
作为几个世纪以来人们可口而喜爱的对象，苹果仍然是世界上最受欢迎的水果之一。仅在美国就有3000多万棵苹果树。
我的朋友，苹果的到来提醒我们现在是收获的季节。同样，我们也可以反思自己的人生收获——过去、现在和未来。想想你播下的种子，是它们让你走到了今天的位置，对自己目前的生活状态应该心存感激，然后再继续向前，播下更多的种子。让对未来果园的愿景带给你希望，帮助自己perk（重振）信心。
本文苹果园照片均由老桑拍摄。
往期文章
谢谢收看《老桑说》。
给你启发，激励你上进，陪伴你坚持。
敬请期待下一集。
英文版
English
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Apple picking:
prepare for your own harvest
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「 Hello, my friend！
I'm John Smagula. 」
And this week, we’re back to work. It’s kind of a tough week to stay motivated, and you may even feel like you’re in a low mood to be back in the grind after having so much time off. We went through this same drill after the Chinese New Year break, so if you need a boost, check out my article, How to get back to work after vacation.
Unlike Chinese New Year, where we go back to work in the cold weather with short days, the weather after National Day each October tends to be nearly perfect. Blue skies, cool temperatures, and fall foliage all beckon us to get out and enjoy the weather before winter’s icy grip comes back. This can make our return to work more challenging this time of year.
Apple Orchard
I understand. I recently spent a weekend in upstate New York visiting with my cousin Jennifer. My parents flew up from Florida, and we had some great family time together. We also toured the area, taking in the spectacular scenery full of hills, valleys, farms, and fall foliage. It was hard to drive back to Philadelphia on Sunday and get back to work the next day!
As we’re all in this boat together getting through a week where we’d rather be outside playing, I came upon some inspiration in New York that might help us get back on track this week. And I found some wisdom in the most unexpected of places: apples.
On this trip, we visited Fly Creek Cider Mill and Orchard near Cooperstown, New York. With its historic, water-powered cider mill on the banks of a river, the mill has pressed fresh, sweet cider for over 150 years. I watched them make cider the old-fashioned way, grinding a variety of apples into applesauce, wrapping it in cloth, then squeezing the mash to strain out the juice.
Apple cider and apple juice are different.
Apple cider is strained apple mash, leaving a beverage that is dark and cloudy. To make apple juice, the cider is filtered and pasteurized to extend the shelf life. Even though bright, clear apple juice may look more appealing, apple cider is probably better for your health because it undergoes less processing.
Apple Tree
Apple cider only has one ingredient: fresh apples. The harvest period for apples varies from one variety to another, but in general, mature apples can be picked for a few weeks in September and October. If you miss the harvest season, the apples will just fall to the ground and rot. Time is of the essence, and farmers can’t afford to let this chance pass them by.
Cider Mill
In China, Shaanxi Province is well known for its apples, and I once visited the apple farms in Cilin Village near Xianyang. The farmers explained how all hands are on deck during those few weeks of harvest. They then store the apples in natural cellars, where they can stay for several months. To this day, I continue to buy a few cartons of apples from the farmers in this village.
Pack Your Own Apples
As apples don’t take a vacation, the farmers can’t take a vacation, either. But rather than look at their work as a chore, one farmer named Chen said how harvest is an opportunity to reap what they sowed. They planted the seeds, cultivated the rich red soil, watered the saplings, and waited. During these few weeks of picking, they reap the benefits of their labors.
Cilin Village in March
We can all look at our jobs or schooling in the same way. To get your job, you had to plant the right seeds. You got the education, went through the job search, and did your best. If you’re still a student, you prepared for and took the tests to get to the school where you currently are. And if you’re retired, you sowed many seeds throughout life and can now enjoy the rewards.
So, as you’re sitting at your desk trying to get through this week, take a fresh look at how you got there. You don’t have to grumble that “I have to go to work today,” you can instead say, “I get to go to work.” As you sit in the classroom listening to yet another lecture, rather than say, “I have to go to school today,” you can say, “I get to go to school.” Where you are is a privilege.
But you may be saying, “John, that all sounds great, and it may work for you, but you don’t know my circumstances. I’m just in a dead-end job. I just need the money.” Or, you may be saying, “Sure, John, that’s easy for you to say, as you’re no longer a student. But I’m still in school, taking test after test and trying to stay on top of my game. It’s just miserable.”
I have been there. I remember quite vividly what it was like to be a student, and as a teacher, I am reminded each and every day of the challenges my students face. And I have had jobs and worked on projects that didn’t bring me much professional fulfilment. Just getting up and out the door was challenge enough. But you can change that, right where you are.
If you’re a student, you’re sowing seeds for your future. Each class you take, each paper you write, each student group activity you lead, and each internship you have is giving you valuable experience for your resume and your career. It may not be all fun and games, but you’re preparing yourself for something more. These seeds prepare you for the job market.
If you’re in the work world, your current job may be a stepping stone to the next. The experience you’re gaining helps you move up, either with your current employer or another. By process of elimination, you are also gaining self-awareness about what you don’t like to do. This insight will better position you to find a job more suited to you. You’re still planting seeds.
If you have an apple sitting on your desk right now, take a good look at it. Contemplate your current harvest, while thinking how you can also plant seeds for your next. If you need some help, here are some inspiring thoughts derived from apples:
Greek and Roman mythology honored the apple as a symbol of love and beauty. Also, the eye pupil was once referred to as an apple. Since we see through the pupil, the “apple” of the eye is important. Today, we still refer to someone we prize as “the apple of my eye.” Be that apple, and say to yourself that you are your greatest prize.
A popular saying in English is “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” because apples are an excellent source of Vitamins A, C, and iron. In biblical times, King Solomon hailed the apple as a fruit of healing. Eat an apple today, and feel good about yourself knowing that you’re treating yourself well.
Johnny Appleseed (1774-1845) was a pioneer nurseryman who introduced apple trees to the American frontier. He did not randomly scatter seeds, but planted apple seedlings ahead of the pioneers moving west so they would have apple orchards when they arrived. Think about how you can plant seeds to reap fruit in your own future orchard.
“The Big Apple” was part of an expression used by jazz musicians in the 1930s. Getting a show in one of the better New York clubs was “making it in the Big Apple.” Today, New York City is still known as the Big Apple, full of opportunities and resources awaiting anyone willing to “take a bite.” What opportunities can you act upon today?
In Chinese culture, the apple is a symbol for calmness. So, as you endure the chaos of your first week back at work, take five, and let that apple bring you back to a state of calm and redirect your focus onto the things that are important in life.
A delicious favorite for centuries, apples are still one of the most popular fruits in the world. In the United States alone, there are over 30 million apple trees.
Pumpkins
Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard
My friend, the arrival of apples reminds us that we are now in harvest season. Likewise, we can reflect on our own life harvests—past, present, and future. Think of the seeds you planted that got you where you are, be grateful for your current state in life, and then go forth and plant more seeds. Let this vision of your future orchard give you hope to perk you up today.
All photos taken by John Smagula.
{ 今日英文速记卡 }
1.Grind \ ˈgrīnd \
a)含义：v. 磨碎；研磨
b)例句：
i.I watched them make cider the old-fashioned way, grinding a variety of apples into applesauce, wrapping it in cloth, then squeezing the mash to strain out the juice.
我看着他们用老式的方法做苹果酒，把各种各样的苹果磨成苹果酱，用布包起来，然后挤压土豆泥滤出果汁。
ii.When you only focus on a big goal someday, it’s easy to get burned out by the daily grind.
当你只将注意力放在一个大目标的时候，很容易你就被日常单调的事情磨得筋疲力竭。
c)近义词：drudge, toil, travail
2.Reap \ ˈrēp \
a)含义：v. 收获；收割
b)例句：
i.But rather than look at their work as a chore, one farmer named Chen said how harvest is an opportunity to reap what they sowed.
但是，一位姓陈的农民说他并没有把他们的工作看成是一件苦差事，他说，丰收是一个收获他们所播种的东西的机会。
ii.It helps an enterprise realize its goals and reap business benefits.
它帮助企业实现其目标，并且获得业务利益。
c)近义词：capture, harvest, realize
3.Sapling \ ˈsa-pliŋ \
a)含义：n. 树苗
b)例句：
i.They planted the seeds, cultivated the rich red soil, watered the saplings, and waited.
他们播下种子，耕种肥沃的红土，浇灌树苗，等待着。
ii.A sapling is meant to grow and develop, becoming more and more a tree—more and more of what it was meant to be.
一棵小树苗生来就是要成长的，也会越来越像一棵树——就像它注定要成为的那样。
c)近义词：seedling, sprout, young tree
4.Calmness \ ˈkälm- ˈnes \
a)含义：n. 平静
b)例句：
i.In Chinese culture, the apple is a symbol for calmness.
在中国文化中，苹果是平静的象征。
ii.I really like the calmness of my life here and now.
我真得很喜欢现在这种平静的生活。
c)近义词：peace, quietness, serenity
5.Perk (up) \ ˈpərk \
a)含义：v. 振作起来
b)例句：
i.Let this vision of your future orchard give you hope to perk you up today.
让对未来果园的愿景带给你希望，帮助自己重振信心。
ii.Perk up. No problem. You'll succeed.
振作起来，没问题你会成功的。
c)近义词：boost, lift, raise
Thank you for watching me to inspire, encourage, and accompany you.
See you next time.
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