Enjoying the Process

陸友軍

Have you ever been sad because you failed in something？ If so， please remember， often， achieving what you expect is not the most important thing. Here is a story to tell you why.

One day a little boy decided to dig a hole behind his house after watching a science programme. As he was working， a couple of boys stopped by to watch. “What are you doing？” asked one of them. “I want to dig a deep hole all the way through the earth！” the boy answered excitedly. ①The older boys began to laugh， telling him that it was impossible to do it. Then they left.

The little boy kept on digging and digging. Suddenly， a few small colorful stones caught his eyes. He collected them patiently and put them into a glass jar（瓶子，罐子）. ②Humming（哼） a song， he went on digging. The jar was full soon. Then he talked to himself calmly and proudly， “Maybe I can’t finish digging all the way through the earth， but look at what I have found in the process of digging ！”

The boy’s goal was too difficult， ③but finding the colourful stones did cause him to go on. ④In other words， it encouraged him to keep working！

Not every goal will be achieved. ⑤Not every job will end up with a success. Not every dream will come true. But when you can’t achieve your goal， maybe you can say， “yes， but look at what I’ve found along the way！ There are so many wonderful things that have come into my life because I tried to do something！”It is in the digging that life is lived. ⑥It is the unexpected joy on the journey that really has a meaning.

[精彩譯文]

你有沒有因為失敗而傷心過？如果有的話，請記住，實現你的期望往往不是最重要的事情。這里有一個故事告訴你為什么。

一天，一個小男孩在看完一個科學節目后決定在房子后面挖一個洞。當他在挖的時候，幾個男孩停下來看他。“你在干什么？”其中一個男孩問道。“我想在地球上挖一個深洞！”小男孩興奮地回答。大一點的男孩開始笑，告訴他這是不可能的。然后他們離開了。

小男孩不停地挖啊挖。突然，幾塊五顏六色的小石頭吸引了他的目光。他耐心地把它們收集起來，放進一個玻璃罐里。哼著歌，繼續挖。罐子很快就滿了。然后他平靜而自豪地自言自語：“也許我一路挖不完，但看看我在挖的過程中所發現的東西！”

這個男孩的目標太難了，但找到那些五顏六色的石頭確實促使他繼續前進，換句話說，這鼓勵了他繼續努力！

不是每一個目標都能實現。不是每一項工作都能取得成功。不是每一個夢想都能實現。但是當你不能實現你的目標時，也許你可以說：“是的，但是看看我一路上發現了什么！因為我想做點什么，所以我的生活中出現了很多奇妙的事情！”生活是在“挖掘”中度過的，真正有意義的是旅途中意想不到的快樂。

[難點解讀]

①The older boys began to laugh， telling him that it was impossible to do it.

句中的telling him是現在分詞短語，在句中作伴隨狀語。

例如：We throw snowballs at each other， screaming and laughing.

我們向對方扔雪球，叫著、笑著。

②Humming（哼）a song， he went on digging.

go on doing sth. 表示“繼續做原來沒有做完的事”;go on to do sth. 表示“接著做另一件事”，即接下去做與原來不同的一件事。

例如：It is raining hard， but the farmers go on working on the farm.

雖然天在下大雨，但農民們繼續在農場干活。

After reading the text， the students went on to do the exercises.

學生們讀完課文后，接著做練習。

③...but finding the colourful stones did cause him to go on.

句中的did是助動詞，后接動詞原形，用來加強語氣。

例如：She does look like her mother.

她確實看上去像她媽媽。

④in other words 換句話說

例如：He is honest. In other words， he never tells lies.

他很誠實。換句話說，他從不說謊。

⑤Not every job will end up with a success.

end up with... 以……結束

例如：Without your help， the experiment will end up with failure.

沒有你的幫助，實驗將以失敗告終。

⑥It is the unexpected joy on the journey that really has a meaning.

該句是一種強調句型，結構為：It is + 被強調的部分 + who/that + 原句其他部分，用于加強語氣。

例如：It is you who shape your life and your future.

你的生活和你的未來都掌握在你的手中。

（作者單位：江蘇省興化市安豐初級中學）