读点好英文:Purgatory May Be Paradise 炼狱能成天堂

Purgatory May Be Paradise 炼狱能成天堂

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.”

国王带着一个奴隶坐在一条船上。奴隶从未出过海，也从未经历过坐船之苦。他开始哭泣、哀号，四肢不停地颤抖。人们想尽办法安抚他，但他仍无法平静。国王原本愉快的派对被他给搅了，但人们却束手无策。一个医师也在船上，他对国王说：“如果您允许，我有办法让他平静。”国王说道：“那就太好了。”

医师吩咐人们把奴隶扔到了海里，让他反复沉浮几次后，才抓住奴隶的头发把他拖到船边，奴隶双手紧紧抓住船舷，爬上甲板，缩到一个角落里坐下来，不再吭声了。

国王很满意，问道：“这是什么道理？”医师回答道：“先前他没有经历过溺水的危险，所以不珍惜在船上的安全；就像一个人只有感受过病痛的折磨，方知健康的可贵一样。”

Practising&Exercise 实战提升篇

单词注解

gunnysack['gʌnisæk]n.粗布麻袋

straw[strɔ：]n.稻草，麦秆；吸管

radiance['reidiəns]n.发光；光辉；辐射

实用句型

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

就是在这间房子里，我制订出了如何积累财富的计划。

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

国王带着一个奴隶坐在一条船上。

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

奴隶从未出过海，也从未经历过坐船之苦。

智慧点津

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

真正的富有是让世间充满光明和希望。

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

人们往往只有经历痛苦后，才知道幸福的滋味。