Nails In The Fence 籬笆上的釘子

曲永華

你是否經常發脾氣后又懊悔不已呢？都說沖動是魔鬼，它不僅傷害別人更傷害自己。那么如何控制住自己的情緒呢？看看本文中的小男孩是怎樣做的吧。

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. ①He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.②Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. ③He 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 father④ 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 ⑤open their hearts to us. Show your friends how much you care.

[精彩譯文]

從前，有一個小男孩經常發脾氣。他的爸爸給了他一包釘子并告訴他，每次當他要發火的時候在院子后的籬笆上釘一顆釘子。

第一天他釘下了37顆釘子。然后釘在籬笆上的釘子的數量在逐漸減少。他發現控制怒火比將釘子釘在籬笆上容易。終于有一天，小男孩再也沒發脾氣。他將這件事告訴他的爸爸，他的爸爸建議當他每天成功抑制了自己的怒火時就拔下一個釘子。過了許多天，小男孩終于告訴爸爸籬笆上所有的釘子都被他拔掉了。

爸爸拉著兒子的手把他帶到籬笆前。他對兒子說：“干得漂亮，兒子，但是看看籬笆上留下的洞吧。籬笆再也不是以前那個籬笆了。你因一時之憤說過的話也會像籬笆上的洞一樣在別人的心里留下傷疤。你可以拔出你刺向他人的刀，但是不管你說過多少遍對不起，傷痕依舊還在。”

言語上的傷害和身體上的傷害一樣嚴重。朋友確實是一筆寶貴的財富。他們給你歡笑，鼓勵你成功。他們靜靜地傾聽你的心聲，他們不吝贊美之詞，總是向我們敞開心扉。讓你的朋友知道你有多在乎他們。

[詞語解讀]

1. temper ['temp?（r）] n.脾氣

2. nail [ne?l] n. 釘子

3. fence [fens] n.籬笆

4. dwindled ['dwindld] v. 逐漸變少或變小（dwindle的過去式）

5. scar [skɑ：（r）] n. 傷痕

6. jewel ['d?u：?l] n. 珠寶

[句式解讀]

1. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.他發現控制怒火要比將釘子釘在籬笆上容易。

句中it作形式主語，不定式to hold his temper和to drive those nails into the fence作真正主語。

2. Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. 終于有一天，小男孩再也沒發脾氣。

句中the day是先行詞，when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all是定語從句。為了避免主語太長而謂語太短的現象出現，將先行詞和定語從句分開。

3. 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. 他將這件事告訴他的爸爸，他的爸爸建議當他每天成功抑制了自己的怒火時就拔下一個釘子。

句中suggest表示建議的時候，賓語從句要用should加動詞原形表示虛擬。

4. took his son by the hand 拉著兒子的手。中文中身體部位的名詞前多用物主代詞，而英語中常用冠詞。常見的結構是：“動詞+sb.+介詞+定冠詞+身體部位名詞”。如果英語動詞的賓語不是“人”或者動詞為不及物動詞時，身體部位名詞前可用物主代詞或者其他限定詞等。

5. open their hearts to... 向某人敞開心扉。