3.Mandela's Garden(717)

Ninth grade rewrite

Mandela's Garden

【1】In early 1977, the prison authorities announced the end of manual labor and allowed us to work in the courtyard, which meant we could spend our days in our own section. This change was liberating.

【2】I could now spend my time reading, writing letters, discussing issues with my fellow inmates, or preparing legal documents. The extra time also allowed me to pursue two hobbies that became my favorites on Robben Island: gardening and playing tennis.

【3】To survive in prison, one must find ways to take satisfaction in daily life. You can feel fulfilled by washing your clothes so they're very clean, by sweeping a hallway so it's dust-free, or by organizing your cell to save space. Just as you can take pride in important tasks outside of prison, you can also take pride in doing small things inside.

【4】From the start of my time on Robben Island, I asked the authorities for permission to start a garden in the courtyard. For years, they refused without giving a reason. But eventually they agreed, and we were able to create a small garden on a narrow patch of earth against the far wall.

【5】The soil in the courtyard was dry and rocky because it was built over a garbage dump. To start my garden, I had to remove many rocks to give the plants room to grow. Some of my fellow inmates joked that I was a miner at heart, because I spent my days in a wasteland and my free time digging in the courtyard.

【6】The authorities provided me with seeds. I initially planted tomatoes, chilies, and onions, which are hardy plants that don't need rich soil or constant care. The early harvests were not great, but they improved over time. The authorities didn't regret giving permission, because once the garden flourished, I often shared my best tomatoes and onions with the guards.

【7】I've always enjoyed gardening, but it wasn't until I was in prison that I could have my own garden. My first experience in gardening was at Fort Hare, where, as part of the university's manual labor requirement, I worked in one of my professors' gardens and enjoyed the contact with the soil as an alternative to my intellectual work. Once I was in Johannesburg studying and working, I didn't have time or space for a garden.

【8】I started reading gardening books and learned different techniques. I tried growing peanuts, using different soils and fertilizers, but eventually, I gave up. It was one of my few failures.

【9】A garden was one of the few things in prison that I could control. Planting a seed, watching it grow, tending it, and then harvesting it, offered a simple but enduring satisfaction. The sense of being the owner of that small patch of earth offered a small taste of freedom.

【10】In some ways, I saw the garden as a metaphor for my life. Leaders must also look after their gardens; they plant seeds, watch them grow, and then harvest the results. Like gardeners, leaders must take responsibility for what they cultivate, they must mind their work, try to protect it from harm, save what can be saved, and eliminate what can't succeed.

【11】I wrote two letters to Winnie about a particularly beautiful tomato plant. I told her how I grew it from a tiny seedling into a strong plant that produced deep red fruit. But then, either through a mistake or lack of care, the plant began to wither and decline, and nothing I did could save it.

【12】When it finally died, I removed the roots from the soil, washed them, and buried them in a corner of the garden. I shared this story in detail. I don't know what she thought about it, but when I wrote it, I had mixed feelings.

【13】I didn't want our relationship to end like the plant, and yet I felt that I had been unable to nourish many of the most important relationships in my life. Sometimes, no matter what you do, some things just can't be saved.

九年级改写

曼德拉的花园

【1】1977年初，监狱当局宣布结束体力劳动，允许我们在院子里劳动，这意味着我们可以在自己的区域里度过我们的日子。这种变化是一种解放。

【2】我现在可以把时间花在读书、写信、与狱友讨论问题或准备法律文件上。额外的时间也让我有了两个爱好:园艺和打网球，这两个爱好后来成为我在罗本岛上的最爱。

【3】一个人要想在监狱里活下去，就必须想办法从日常生活中获得满足。把衣服洗得干干净净，把走廊扫得无尘，或者整理一下房间，节省空间，这些都能让你感到满足。就像你可以为监狱外的重要任务感到自豪一样，你也可以为在监狱里做的小事感到自豪。

【4】从我在罗本岛开始，我就请求当局允许我在院子里种一个花园。多年来，他们没有给出任何理由就拒绝了。但最终他们同意了，我们就能在靠墙的一小块土地上建一个小花园。

【5】院子里的土壤又干又多石，因为它是建在垃圾堆上的。为了开始我的花园，我不得不移走许多石头，给植物生长的空间。我的一些狱友开玩笑说，我骨子里是个矿工，因为我白天在荒地上度过，空闲时间在院子里挖土。

【6】当局给我提供了种子。我一开始种了番茄、辣椒和洋葱，这些都是耐寒的植物，不需要肥沃的土壤或持续的照料。早期的收成并不好，但随着时间的推移，收成有所改善。当局并不后悔给了他们许可，因为一旦菜园长得茂盛，我就经常把最好的西红柿和洋葱分给警卫。

【7】我一直很喜欢园艺，但直到进了监狱我才有了自己的花园。我第一次接触园艺是在黑尔堡，在那里，作为大学体力劳动要求的一部分，我在我的一位教授的花园里工作，享受着与土壤的接触，这是我脑力劳动的另一种选择。当我在约翰内斯堡学习和工作时，我没有时间和空间来打理花园。

【8】我开始阅读园艺书籍，学习不同的技术。我试着种植花生，用不同的土壤和肥料，但最终，我放弃了。这是我为数不多的失败之一。

【9】花园是监狱里我能控制的为数不多的东西之一。种下一粒种子，看着它成长，照料它，然后收获它，这给人一种简单而持久的满足感。作为那一小块土地的主人，这种感觉让我尝到了一点自由的滋味。

【10】在某种程度上，我把花园看作是我生活的隐喻。领导者还必须照顾好自己的花园;他们播种，看着它们成长，然后收获果实。就像园丁一样，领导者必须对自己培育的东西负责，他们必须关注自己的工作，努力保护它免受伤害，保存可以保存的，消除不能成功的。

【11】我给温妮写了两封信，说一株特别漂亮的番茄。我告诉她我是如何把它从一棵小小的幼苗培育成一棵结实的植物，结出深红色的果实。但后来，要么是由于一个错误，要么是由于缺乏照顾，这棵植物开始枯萎和衰落，我做什么都救不了它。

【12】当它最终死去时，我把它的根从土里拔出来，洗干净，埋在花园的一个角落里。我详细地分享了这个故事。我不知道她是怎么想的，但当我写的时候，我的心情很复杂。

【13】我不希望我们的关系像这株植物一样结束，但我觉得我无法滋养我生命中许多最重要的关系。有时候，无论你做什么，有些事情就是无法挽回。