哲理故事：
小故事里也有大道理
Chapter 1
A merchant prince collected many precious antiques, calligraphy and paintings, various pearls, emeralds and the like.
In order to prevent theft, he installed a tight security system and rarely went to enjoy them every day, only as part of his personal wealth to show off.
One day, seized by a whim, the rich merchant decided to let the building dustman widen his view.
When he entered, the dustman didn't reveal his envy, but slowly looked through them one by one and enjoyed them carefully. Out of the thick steel door, the businessman couldn't help flaunting, "What about them? Having seen so many good things, aren't you well worth your lifetime?"
The dustman said, "Yes, I now feel myself as rich as you, and happier than you."
The businessman was extremely puzzled, looking unhappy.
"I have seen all your treasures, so am I not rich as you? And I don't have to worry about those things, so am I not happier than you?"
哲理故事：小故事里也有大道理 Chapter 1
词汇笔记
collect vt. 收集，收藏 show off 炫耀
enter vi. 进入 puzzle vt. 使迷惑
如，He was puzzled how to do it. 他不知如何做此事。
worry about 担心 appreciate vt. 欣赏
possess vt. 拥有，占有 如，What skills should he possess?
他应该具备什么样的技能？
精品译文
一位富商收藏了很多珍贵的古董、字画以及各种珍珠、翡翠等。为了 防止被盗，他安装了严密的保安系统，平时很少进去欣赏，只当成自己财 富的一部分用来炫耀。
有一天，富商忽然心血来潮，决定让大厦清洁工进去开开眼界。
清洁工进去后，并未流露出羡慕的神情，只是慢慢地逐一浏览，细细 欣赏。走出厚厚的铁门时，富商忍不住炫耀说：“怎么样？看了这么多好 东西，你感觉这一辈子也值了吧？”
清洁工说：“是，我现在感到和你一样富有，而且比你更快乐。”
富商大惑不解，面露不悦。
“你所有的宝贝我都看过了，不就是与你一样富有了吗？而且我又不 必为那些东西担心，这不是比你更快乐吗？”
欣赏常常比拥有更快乐。
There was once a wise old woman who lived back in the hills.
All the children used to come back and ask her questions. She always gave the right answers.
There was a naughty little boy among the children. One day he caught a tiny bird and held it in his cupped hands. Then he gathered his friends around. He said, "Let's trick the old woman. I'll ask her what I'm holding in my hands. Of course, she'll answer that I have a bird. Then I will ask her if the bird is living or dead. If she says the bird is dead, I'll open my hands and let the bird fly away. If she says the bird is alive, I'll quickly crush it and show her the dead bird.
Either way, she'll be wrong."
The children agreed that this was a clever plan. Up the hill, they went to the old woman's hut.
"Granny, we have a question for you," they all shouted.
"What's in my hands?" asked the little boy.
"Well, it must be a bird," replied the old woman.
"But is it living or dead?" demanded the excited boy.
The old woman thought for a moment and then replied, "It is
哲理故事：小故事里也有大道理 Chapter 1
词汇笔记
wise adj. 博学的，聪明的 naughty adj.调皮的
gather vi. 聚集，集合
如，The clouds are gathering. 云朵正在聚集起来。
quickly adv. 很快地 granny n. 奶奶 think vi. 想，思索
精品译文
从前，后山住着一位博学的老妇人。所有的孩子都常来找她问问题。
她总是有求必应。
其中有一个调皮的小男孩。一天，他抓到一只小鸟，将它捧在手里，
然后把伙伴们叫到身边，说：“咱们去捉弄一下那个老太太。我会问她我 手里握着什么东西。她肯定会回答说我握的是小鸟。然后，我问她小鸟是 活的还是死的。如果她说鸟是死的，我就张开手让小鸟飞走；如果她说小 鸟是活的，我就马上用劲一捏，让她看到那只死鸟。不管她做出哪种回答，
她都是错的。”
孩子们一致认为这是一个聪明的计划。他们爬上山，来到了老妇人的 小屋。
“奶奶，我们要问您一个问题。”他们大声说道。
“我手里有什么东西？”那个小男孩问道。
“噢，肯定是一只小鸟，”老妇人回答说。
“但它是活的还是死的呢？”小男孩兴奋地问道。
老妇人想了一会儿，然后回答说：“孩子，这由你来决定。”
The carpenter I hired to help restore an old farmhouse had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit and now his ancient pick up truck refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands.
Af ter opening the door, he under went an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles, and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss. Afterward he walked me back to my car. We passed the tree, and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.
"Oh, that's my trouble tree." He replied, "I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing for sure, troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and children. So I just hung them up to the tree every night when I came home, then in morning I pick them up again."
"The funny thing is," he smiled, "When I came out in the
哲理故事：小故事里也有大道理 Chapter 1
词汇笔记
hire vt. 雇用 invite vt. 邀请
amazing
adj. 令人惊奇的
如，This is an amazing keyboard that can be rolled up easily. 这是一个神奇的键盘，可以很轻易地卷起来。
get the better of 打败
trouble n. 麻烦，问题 funny adj. 有趣的
精品译文
我雇了一位木匠修理旧农舍。工作第一天，他很倒霉：一条轮胎漏气 了，导致他浪费了一个小时的工作时间，接着是电锯罢工，现在又轮到他 的古董小卡车无法启动。我开车送他回家的路上，他像石头一样坐在那里 一声不吭。到他家后，他邀请我去认识他的家人。我们向前门走去的时候，
他在一棵小树前停留了一小会儿，双手摸着树枝末端。
开门的时候，他顿时变成了另外一个人，晒黑的脸上绽放着笑容，他 抱了抱两个年幼的孩子，并吻了一下妻子。之后，他送我回到车上。我们 又经过那棵树，忍不住好奇心地问起他刚才的举动。
“噢，那是我的烦恼树，”他回答说，“我知道工作中总会遇到些困难，
但有一点是肯定的，那就是不能把烦恼带回家，它们不属于我的妻子和孩 子。所以每晚回家时我会把它们挂在树上，早上再去取下来。”
“有趣的是，”他笑着说，“当我早上出门去取它们的时候，它们并 没有像记忆中前一天晚上挂上去的那么多了。”
我们每个人都需要一棵烦恼树。
In the bowels of a mountain of frontier zone, a little boy lived in a crude house, which could only accommodate five people of his household. There was not any railroad, freeway, highway or even a pub around the mountain. His ancestors and he were the exclusive inhabitants on the mountain for several centuries.
As he was 6 years old, he could see a wonderful house across the valley on a higher altitude of the other mountain, which had a golden window. He fancied that the emperor, prince and princess in fable must have been living in that kind of house. Sometimes, in order to assure himself that it was an authentic house, the innocent boy often stared at it, with exceeding thirst for living in it.
Six years later, the little boy believed that he had acquired plentiful knowledge and skills to dominate his life. Accordingly, he made a farewell to his parents, and flung himself on the road with a manual kit, which was made of the fabric that was weaved by his mother. There was a coil of nylon cord, a saw and other implements in it.
In spite of the hindrance of the muddy and slippery slope, for the impulse of his keen desire, he probed the road with a stick, and
哲理故事：小故事里也有大道理 Chapter 1
phenomenon—the house vanished weirdly and was replaced by an ugly house, which was comparable with his little house, and its windows were plain and rather dirty.
After opening the door, he found that the house was a discarded mill in a state of disorder. In the center of the house, the tools which could grind wheat into flour were covered with thick dust and the trace of mice, a rude donkey saddle and some stained sacks lying nearby it. In one corner, a primitive rack was full of cracks, a spider was spinning web on it, and some fragments of mat were underneath it. In another corner, there was a stack of straw in mess, a rusted spade and a leaky barrel.
The little boy was extremely disappointed. When he was ready to leave, he detected a sight which amazed him—there was his little house across the valley on the lower mountain and its window was shining with golden color—as the midday daylight (sunshine) was shinning on the glass of its window…
词汇笔记
crude adj. 简陋的 inhabitant n. 居民，居住者 emperor n. 皇帝，帝王，君主 dominate vt. 支配
如，You must dominate your passions. 你必须控制好你的情感。
hindrance n. 妨碍，障碍 discard vt. 遗弃，丢弃 spade n. 铲，铁锹 disappointed adj. 失望的
小男孩六岁的时候，隔着山谷看见另一座更高的山上有一座镶金色窗 户的房子！他幻想着传说中的帝王、王子和公主一定就住在那样的房子里。
有时，为了使自己确信那是真正的房子，天真的小男孩经常凝望着它，梦 想着自己能住在里面。
六年以后，小男孩觉得自己已经掌握了足够的知识和技能来主宰自己 的生活。于是，他告别了父母，背着母亲亲手纺织的帆布包匆匆上路了。
背包里装着一卷尼龙绳、一把锯子和一些其他的工具。
虽然泥泞光滑的山坡阻碍着他前行的道路，但由于内心强烈的渴望，
他用树枝探路，坚持不懈地朝着那个房子前进。
当登上山顶，他的目光从通向房子的小路移到那座房子。似乎出现了 一个不同寻常的现象——那个房子神秘地消失了，取而代之的是一个丑陋 的、跟他家类似的小房子，房子的窗户很普通而且很脏。
打开房门，他才发现那是一个杂乱不堪、被人废弃了的磨坊。房间中 间的磨具上盖着厚厚的灰尘和老鼠的脚印，旁边是一个粗糙的驴鞍和脏兮 兮的麻袋片。房间角落里，老式的搁物架满是裂纹，一只蜘蛛正在上面结 网，架子下面是一些草席的碎片。房屋另一个角落里是一堆乱糟糟的稻草、
一把锈迹斑斑的铁锹和满是漏洞的水桶。
小男孩非常失望。正当他准备离开的时候，小男孩吃惊地发现——隔 着山谷的低处那个山峰上，他家的房子正闪着金光——当时，正午的太阳 正照耀在房子的玻璃上……
