"Relationships have to be cared for, " he added, "like the roof of a barn.Letters unwritten, thanks unsaid, confidences violated, quarrels unsettled—all this acts like rainwater seeping into the pegs ,weakening the link between the beams."
My friend shook his head. "It was a good barn. And it would have taken very little to keep it in good repair. Now it will probably never be rebuilt."
Later that afternoon I got ready to leave. "You wouldn't like to borrow my phone to make a call, I don' t suppose?" he asked.
"Yes, " I said, "I think I would. Very much."
昔日的友情逐渐淡漠，曾经的亲密无间，如今只有剑拔弩张了。现在，强烈的自尊心让我无法拿起电话。
后来，有一天，我去拜访另一位老朋友，他做了多年的外交官和法律顾问，他的书房里堆放着上千本书籍。我们坐在那里无话不谈，从小型计算机聊到了贝多芬历经磨难的一生。
最后，话题又转到友谊上，谈到现在的友情似乎很容易变质，我举例提到了自己的经历。朋友说：“关系是神秘的，有些能耐久，有些却易破裂。”
他凝视着窗外那郁郁葱葱的弗蒙特山丘，指着附近的一个农场说道：“那儿曾是一个大谷仓。”我看到，在一栋红木屋旁，有一个庞大建筑物的地基。
“它是一座坚固的建筑物，大概建于19世纪70年代。因为人们往中西部更富饶的地区迁移，它就像这儿的许多建筑物一样，慢慢地塌陷了。这个谷仓无人照管，仓顶需要维修了，雨水流到屋檐下，渗进柱子和横梁里。
“有一天，刮起了大风，整个谷仓开始摇晃起来，刚开始，你能听到那种吱吱的响声，就像古老的木制帆船所发出来的声音，然后是一连串刺耳的断裂声，紧接着是巨大的轰鸣声，转眼间，它就成了一堆碎裂的木头了。
“暴风雨过后，我下山去看，发现这些漂亮的老橡木还是那么结实。我问当时谷仓的主人是怎么回事。他说，估计是雨水渗进了木钉孔里，而正是这些木钉使它们结合在一起的。这些钉子一旦腐烂，巨大的横梁就没法连接了。”
我们向山下望去，昔日的谷仓如今就只剩下一个地窖口和一堆丁香灌木丛了。
我的朋友说，他反复琢磨这件事，终于认识到，建造谷仓和建立友谊之间有些相似之处：不论你是多么强大，不论你的成就多么辉煌，只有在与他人交往的过程中，你才有长久的价值。
“要创造健全的生活，就应该为他人服务，同时发挥自身的潜能。”他说，“必须记住，没有他人的支持，不论你的力量多么强大，也不可能持久。孤身挺进，势必栽跟头。”
“关系就像谷仓顶一样，需要精心维护。”他补充道，“不通信，不表示感谢，就会有损于彼此间的信任，使争执得不到解决。所有这些行为就像雨水渗进钉子眼里，削弱了横梁之间的连接力。”
朋友摇了摇头，说：“这是一座好谷仓，只要好好维护，不需要花多少精力就能保存下来。而现在，也许再也不能重建了。”
黄昏时分，我准备离开了。“你不想借用一下我的电话吗？”他说。
“是的，”我说，“我想，我非常希望。”
torment ['t:ment] v. 使苦恼；拷问；烦扰；纠缠
She torments everyone with silly questions.
她用无聊的问题来烦扰大家。
perishable ['peribl] adj. 易腐坏的；会枯萎的；会死的
It must be accepted that wood is perishable.
众所周知，木材是容易腐朽的。
patching ['p鎡i] n. 修补（接线）
Maybe you can try reinstalling the game and patching it to the latest
update.
也许你可以尝试重新安装游戏及修补它的最近更新。
scrap [skr鎝] n. 小片；残余物；废料
The ship was broken up for scrap metal.
这艘船拆毁了当废铁用。
不论你是多么强大，不论你的成就多么辉煌，只有在与他人交往的过程中，你才有长久的价值。
要创造健全的生活，就应该为他人服务，同时发挥自身的潜能。
关系就像谷仓顶一样，需要精心维护。
Then one day I dropped in on another old friend who's had a long career as a minister and counselor.
drop in：顺便走访（某人）
It was a heap of scrap lumber.
a heap of：许多；大量
如果今天是世界末日
I Will Live This Day as if It Is My Last
佚名 / Anonymous
I will live this day as if it is my last. And what shall I do with this last precious day which remains in my keeping? First, I will seal up its container of life so that not one drop spills itself upon the sand. I will waste not a moment mourning yesterday's misfortunes, yesterday's defeats, yesterday' s aches of the heart, for why should I throw good after bad?
Can sand flow upward in the hour glass? Will the sun rise where it sets and set where it rises? Can I relive the errors of yesterday and right them? Can I call back yesterday's wounds and make them whole? Can I become younger than yesterday? Can I take back the evil that was spoken, the blows that were struck, the pain that was caused? No. Yesterday is buried forever and I will think of it no more.
And what then shall I do? Forgetting yesterday neither will I think of tomorrow. Why should I throw note after maybe? Can tomorrow's sand flow through the glass before today's? Will the sun rise twice this morning? Can I perform tomorrow's deeds while standing in today's path? Can I place tomorrow's gold in today's purse? Can tomorrow's child be born today? Can tomorrow's death cast its shadow backward and darken today's joy? No! Tomorrow lies buried with yesterday, and I will think of it no more.
I will live this day as if it is my last. This day is all I have and these hours are now my eternity. I greet this sunrise with cries of joy as a prisoner who is reprieved from death. I lift mine arms with I. consider all who greeted yesterday's sunrise who are no longer with the living today. I am indeed a fortunate man and today's hours are but a bonus, undeserved. Why have I been allowed to live this extra day when others, far better than I, have departed? Is it that they have accomplished their purpose while mine is yet to be achieved? Is this another opportunity for me to become the man I know I can be?
I have but one life and life is naught but a measurement of time. If I waste today I destroy the last page of my life. Therefore, each hour of this day will I cherish for it can never return. It cannot be banked today to be withdrawn on the morrow, for who can trap the wind? Each minute of this day will I grasp with both hands and fondle with love for its value is beyond price. What dying man can purchase another breath though he willingly give all his gold? What price dare I place on the hours ahead? I will make them priceless!
The duties of today I shall fulfil today. Today I shall fondle my children while they are young; tomorrow they will be gone, and so will I. Today I shall embrace my woman with sweet kisses; tomorrow she will be gone, and so will I. Today I shall lift up a friend in need; tomorrow he will no longer cry for help, nor will I hear his cries. Today I shall give myself in sacrifice and work; tomorrow I will have nothing to give, and there will be none to receive.
我要把今天当做生命中的最后一天。我的手里余存着最宝贵的最后一天，那么，我该做些什么呢？首先，为了不让一个瞬间溅落，我将会密封生命的容器。我不会浪费一秒去追悼昨天的不幸、失败和心痛。为什么要为过去的不幸抛弃现有的美好呢？
时光沙漏里的沙能倒流吗？太阳会在落下的地方升起，并在升起的地方落下吗？我能再次经历昨天犯错误的时刻，并纠正它们吗？我能挽回昨天的伤害，让它们不复存在吗？我能比昨天更年轻吗？我能收回说出口的恶言、挥出去的拳头、已造成的伤害吗？不，昨天已被永远埋葬，我不想再次提及。
那么，我应该怎么做呢？我会忘掉昨天，也不会去想明天。我为什么要在可能发生的事情上耗费精力呢？明天能比今天先来临吗？今天的太阳能升起两次吗？我能在今天做完明天的事情吗？我能把明天的钱放在今天的钱包里吗？将来的孩子能在今天出生吗？明天的死亡能给今天的欢乐蒙上阴影吗？不！我已把明天像昨天一样埋葬，不会再去想它了。