正文

A water bearer（搬运工） in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.

印度有个挑水工，他有两个大罐子。他肩扛一根扁担，扁担两端各挂着一个罐子。其中一个罐子裂了条缝，另一个完好无损，能装满满一罐水。

At the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived 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.

挑水工从小溪走到主人家得走很长一段路。等到家的时候，破罐子里的水能漏半罐。 足足有两年，每天挑水工只能往主人家挑回一罐半的水。

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable（痛苦的） that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

当然了，没有裂缝的罐子对自己的成绩感到很骄傲，觉得自己是个称职的罐子。可是破掉的罐子却因为自己不完美而感到惭愧，它觉得自己只能完成一半的使命，痛苦万分。

After two years of what it perceived（认为） 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?”

两年来它一直觉得自己是个辛酸的失败者，终于有一天在小溪边，它对挑水工说：“我都为自己感到难为情，我要向你道歉。” “为什么呀？”挑水工问，“你有什么可难为情的？”

“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（缺陷）, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts,” the pot said.

“过去这两年里，因为我的边上有个口子，回主人家的路上，我的水能漏一路，我只能装半罐水回去。因为我有瑕疵，却让你受这份罪，不值啊。”破罐子说。

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 flowers along the path.”

挑水工觉得这个又旧又破的罐子很可怜，心生怜悯地对它说：“咱们回主人家的路上，我要让你看看路边的美丽花朵。”

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers 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 it apologized to the bearer for its failure.

其实，他们爬坡的时候，这个罐子就注意到了路边的野花沐浴在阳光里，娇艳动人，这让它稍稍打起了精神。可是走完全程的时候，它又难过起来，因为它又漏了半罐水，于是它再次因为自己的失败向挑水工道歉。

The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them.

挑水工对它说：“你注意到了吗？一路上只有你在的这一边有花，那个罐子的一边却没有？这是因为我早就知道你有瑕疵，故意利用了你的这个特点。我在你这边种下花种，每天我们从小溪走回来的路上，是你浇灌了它们。

For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.”

两年来，我总能摘到漂亮的花装饰主人的餐桌。要不是因为你就是你，主人家也不会如此美丽啦。”

劣势若得巧妙利用，也会带来惊喜收获。

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