英語美文欣賞：釘子和籬笆

    The Nails and the Fence

    There was a little boy with a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper， to hammer a nail in the back fence.

    The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence.

    Then it gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

    Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.

    The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said， "You have done well， my son， but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger， they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry， the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

    Friends are a very rare jewel， indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear， they share a word of praise， and they always want to open their hearts to us. Show your friends how much you care.

    以前，有個小男孩，脾氣很壞，他爸爸就給他一包釘子，讓他每次發脾氣的時候就往籬笆上釘釘子。

    就在第一天，小家伙就已經在籬笆上釘了37個釘子。

    慢慢地，他釘的越來越少了，原來他發現控制住自己的脾氣要比往籬笆上釘釘子容易得多。

    最后，終于有一天，小家伙脾氣都不發了。他對爸爸說了這件事，可爸爸卻建議他每天再從籬笆上拔出一顆釘子，這樣他的脾氣就能控制住了。

    日子一天天過去，最后，那個男孩告訴他爸爸說釘子他都拔完了。爸爸就牽著他的手，帶他去籬笆那兒。爸爸說：“兒子，你做的很好。但是，你看看籬笆上的小洞，每根籬笆都絕不會相同的。每次你發脾氣的時候，它們都會就像這個一樣留下傷疤。你用刀刺傷一個人，可以把刀拔出來。 但是，無論你說多少遍對不起都是沒用的，因為傷還在那里。言語里的傷害和身體上的傷害都同樣糟糕。

    事實上，朋友是珍貴的珠寶。他們給你歡笑，給你走向成功的鼓勵；他們傾聽你的心聲，分享成功的歡樂；而且，他們始終都向你敞開他們的胸懷，這些都說明你應該更加珍惜你的朋友。