佚名/Anonymous
A water bearer in India had two large pots. One of the pots was perfectly made and never leaked. The other pot had a crack in it and by the time the water bearer reached his master's house it had leaked much of its water and was only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection.
After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.“I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.”“why?”asked the bearer,“What are you ashamed of?”“I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts,”the pot said.
The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said,“As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful fowers along the path.”
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild fowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again the pot apologized to the bearer for its failure.
The bearer said to the pot,“Did you notice that there were fowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side?That's because I have always known about your faw, and I took advantage of it. I planted fower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful fowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.”
印度有一個挑水工。他有兩個大罐子，其中一個罐子做工精細，從不漏水；另一個上麵則有一道裂縫。每當挑水工回到雇主家時，有裂縫的罐子裏的水就隻剩一半了。
這樣過了整整兩年，這個挑水工每天挑到雇主家的水僅有一罐半。當然，那個完好的罐子為自己的成就甚感自豪。而那個可憐的、有裂縫的罐子因自身的瑕疵而羞愧不已。
痛苦了兩年後，一天，那個有裂縫的罐子在小溪邊對挑水工說：“我很慚愧，想向你道歉。”“為什麽？”挑水工問，“你慚愧什麽呢？”“為這兩年來隻能讓你挑回一半的水。因為我身上的這個裂縫，每次你在回雇主家的路上，水都在漏，到家時就隻剩下半罐了。正是我的裂縫，你不得不多挑幾次水，這樣就浪費了你的部分勞動價值。”罐子說道。
挑水工對這個有裂縫的舊罐子感到很同情，他說道：“當我們返回雇主家時，我希望你能留心路旁那些美麗的花朵。”
的確如此，當他們上山時，這個有裂縫的舊罐子注意到路旁的野花，它們沐浴在陽光中，非常漂亮。它感到了一絲快樂。但到雇主家時，它又為自己漏了一半水而難過起來，於是，它再次為自己的失敗向挑水工道歉。
挑水工對罐子說：“你注意到了嗎？你這邊沿路都有花，而另一邊卻沒有？我早就注意到了你的裂縫，我就是利用這一點，在你這側的路邊種上花籽。每天，我們從小溪回來時，你就給它們澆了水。這兩年，我就采這些漂亮的花朵來裝點雇主的桌子。倘若你不漏水，他就沒有這麽美麗的鮮花來裝飾屋子了。”
W詞匯筆記
bearer['b??r?]n.送信人；搬運工；支撐物
例 I'm the bearer of the good news.
我是帶來好消息的人。
imperfection[,imp?'fek??n]n.不完全；不完備；缺點
例 My father never tolerated imperfection.
我的父親做什麽事都要求盡善盡美。
decorate['dek?reit]v.裝飾；裝修
例 We decorated the house for Christmas.
我們裝飾房屋過聖誕節。
grace[greis]n.優雅；魅力；恩惠；慈悲
例 She moved with grace.
她風姿秀逸。
S小試身手
那個完好的罐子為自己的成就甚感自豪。
譯________________________________________
這個有裂縫的舊罐子注意到路旁的野花，它們沐浴在陽光中，非常漂亮。
譯________________________________________
倘若你不漏水，他就沒有這麽美麗的鮮花來裝飾屋子了。
譯________________________________________
P短語家族
……the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.
be proud of：以……自豪；以……自負
造________________________________________
That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it.
take advantage of：利用；欺詐；從……中得到好處
造________________________________________