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.
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.
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（贫瘠的） .
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.
Soon thereafter（自那时以后） 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.
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.
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.
As the ship was
"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."
"You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked（指责，非难） him. "He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings."
"Tell me," the first man asked the voice, "what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?"
"He prayed that all your prayers would be answered."
相关单词：wrecked
wrecked解释：adj.失事的，遇难的
wrecked例句：
the hulk of a wrecked ship 遇难轮船的残骸
the salvage of the wrecked tanker 对失事油轮的打捞
相关单词：survivor
survivor解释：n.生存者，残存者，幸存者
survivor例句：
The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。
相关单词：survivors
survivors解释：幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )
survivors例句：
The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者
相关单词：decided
decided解释：adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
decided例句：
This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
相关单词：blessings
blessings解释：n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福
blessings例句：
Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
相关单词：rebuked
rebuked解释：责难或指责( rebuke的过去式和过去分词 )
rebuked例句：
The company was publicly rebuked for having neglected safety procedures. 公司因忽略了安全规程而受到公开批评。
The teacher rebuked the boy for throwing paper on the floor. 老师指责这个男孩将纸丢在地板上。
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