老苹果树

这个树很老了，树上的苹果很小，也不好吃。

This tree is very old. The apples on it are small, and they don't taste good either.

苹果不好吃，你想做什么？

If the apples don't taste good, what do you want to do?

我想砍了这个老树。

I want to chop down this old tree.

为什么要砍这个老树？

Why do you want to chop down this old tree?

因为这个树的苹果小，没有用。

Because the apples on this tree are small. They're no use.

爸爸，这个老树很有用！天气热的时候，我们都坐在树下喝茶，说话，你觉得这不是用吗？

Dad, this old tree is very useful! When the weather is hot, we all sit under it drinking tea and talking. You don't think that counts as use?

坐在树下喝茶，这也是用？

Sitting under a tree drinking tea, that's use?

是。你看，那些树的苹果很大，很好吃，人都砍了那些树。这个老树苹果小，没有人砍，所以还在这里，我们也还能坐在这里喝茶。

Yes. Look, those trees over there have big, tasty apples, and people chopped every one of them down. This old tree has small apples, so no one chops it, and it's still here, and we can still sit here drinking tea.

你是说，苹果小，没有用，所以没有人砍，苹果大，有用，人都砍了？

Are you saying, small apples, no use, so no one chops it down, big apples, useful, so everyone chops them down?

对！所以这个老树，因为没有用，就还在这里。

Exactly! So this old tree is still here precisely because it has no use.

我知道了。这个老树很有用，我们不砍了，好吗？

I get it now. This old tree is very useful. We won't chop it down, all right?

好！我们现在就坐在树下喝茶吧。

Good! Let's go sit under the tree and drink tea right now.