讀點好英文:Purgatory May Be Paradise 煉獄能成天堂

Purgatory May Be Paradise 煉獄能成天堂

A king was embarked on board a ship, which also carried a slave. The boy had never been at sea, nor experienced the inconvenience of a ship.He set up a weeping and wailing, and all his limbs were in a state of trepidation；and, however much they soothed him, he was not to be pacified.The king's pleasure party was disconcerted by him；but they offered no help.On board that ship there was a physician.He said to the king，“If you will order it, I can manage to silence him.”The king replied，“It will be an act of great favor.”

The physician directed that they throw the boy into the sea, and after he had plunged repeatedly, they seized him by the hair of the head and drew him close to the ship, where he grabbed the redder with both hands and, scrambling up on to the deck, slunk into a corner and sat down quiet.

The king, pleased with what he saw, said，“What art is there in this?”The physician replied，“Originally he had not experienced the danger of being drowned, and undervalued the safety of being in a ship；just as a person is aware of the preciousness of health only when he is overtaken with the calamity of sickness.”

國王帶著一個奴隸坐在一條船上。奴隸從未出過海，也從未經(jīng)歷過坐船之苦。他開始哭泣、哀號，四肢不停地顫抖。人們想盡辦法安撫他，但他仍無法平靜。國王原本愉快的派對被他給攪了，但人們卻束手無策。一個醫(yī)師也在船上，他對國王說：“如果您允許，我有辦法讓他平靜?！眹跽f道：“那就太好了?！?/p>

醫(yī)師吩咐人們把奴隸扔到了海里，讓他反復沉浮幾次后，才抓住奴隸的頭發(fā)把他拖到船邊，奴隸雙手緊緊抓住船舷，爬上甲板，縮到一個角落里坐下來，不再吭聲了。

國王很滿意，問道：“這是什么道理？”醫(yī)師回答道：“先前他沒有經(jīng)歷過溺水的危險，所以不珍惜在船上的安全；就像一個人只有感受過病痛的折磨，方知健康的可貴一樣。”

Practising&Exercise 實戰(zhàn)提升篇

單詞注解

gunnysack['g?nis?k]n.粗布麻袋

straw[str?：]n.稻草，麥稈；吸管

radiance['reidi?ns]n.發(fā)光；光輝；輻射

實用句型

It was in this room that I made plans on how to build up my fortune.

就是在這間房子里，我制訂出了如何積累財富的計劃。

A king was embarked on board a ship, which also carried a slave.

國王帶著一個奴隸坐在一條船上。

The boy had never been at sea, nor experienced the inconven-ience of a ship.

奴隸從未出過海，也從未經(jīng)歷過坐船之苦。

智慧點津

The real fortune is to fill the world with light and hope.

真正的富有是讓世間充滿光明和希望。

People can hardly realize the importance of happiness until they experience the pain.

人們往往只有經(jīng)歷痛苦后，才知道幸福的滋味。