A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert-like island. The two survivors who have been good friends, not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other recourse but to pray to God.
一艘航行中的船在海上遇到暴風雨而沉沒，只有兩個人能遊到一個像沙漠一樣的小島上。兩位倖存者一直是好朋友，不知如何是好，他們別無選擇，只能向上帝祈禱。
wreck n. 沉船； 嚴重損毀的船； (事故中)遭嚴重毀壞的汽車(或飛機等) ； (身體或精神上) 受到嚴重損傷的人； v. 破壞； 損壞； 毀壞； 毀滅； 毀掉； 使(船舶)失事； 使遇難； 使下沉。recourse 英[rks] 美[rikrs] n. 依靠； 依賴； 求助。
However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.
但是，為了找出誰的禱告更有效果，他們同意將彼此的領土分開，各自留在島的一邊。
The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man’s parcel of land remained barren.
他們祈禱的第一件事是食物。第二天早上，第一個人在他的土地上看到一棵結了果的樹，他能夠吃它的果子。另一人的土地仍然貧瘠。
fruit-bearing adj. 結果（實）的
After a week, the first man was lonely and he 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 land. On the other side of the island, there was nothing.
一周後，第一個人就感到寂寞了，他決定求一個妻子。第二天，另一艘船失事了，唯一的倖存者是一個女人，遊向了他那邊。而在島的另一邊，什麼也沒有發生。
Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing. Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could leave the island.
不久，第一個人又求了房子，衣服和更多的食物。第二天，所有這些東西就像變魔術一樣都歸他了。但是，第二個人仍然一無所有。最後，第一個人祈禱一艘船，以便他和老婆可以離開該島。
In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island.
早晨，他發現一艘船停靠在島上。第一個人和他的老婆登上了船，決定把第二個人留在島上。
He considered the other man unworthy to receive God’s blessings since none of his prayers had been answered.
他認為另一個人不配得到上帝的祝福，因為他的祈禱都沒有得到回應。
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?」
船快將要駛離時，第一個人聽到了天堂傳來的聲音：「你為什麼要把同伴留在島上？」
「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 does not deserve anything.」
「祝福都是我一個人的，因為我是祈禱的那個人」第一個人回答。 「他的祈禱都沒有得到答覆，因此他不值得任何回報。
「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！」這聲音呵斥了他。 「我回應了他唯一的祈禱。如果不是那樣的話，你不會得到我的任何祝福的。」
「Tell me,」 the first man asked the voice, 「What did he pray for that I should owe him anything?」
第一個人問道：「告訴我，他祈禱了什麼，我欠他什麼？」
「He prayed that all your prayers be answered 」
「他祈禱你所有的祈禱都得以實現」
Moral: Value your friends, don’t leave your loved ones behind.
寓意：珍惜你的朋友，對你所愛不要棄之腦後。