书城外语双语学习丛书-青春之火
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第13章 When the Wind Blows准备

“Well, I can sleep when the wind blows,” answered the little man.

When the Wind Blows

Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands.

Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged rage vi.大怒, 狂吹, 风行 across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.

“是的,起风的时候我可以睡觉,”那个矮个男人回答道。

准备

好多年前,大西洋沿岸有一个地主,为了他的那块沿岸土地,经常贴广告雇佣人手。

但是,因为害怕大西洋上空剧烈的风暴会破坏房屋和庄稼,很多人都不愿意到他的农场干活。

As the farmer interviewed applicants applicant n.申请者, 请求者 for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.

Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. “Are you a good farmhand?” the farmer asked him.

“Well, I can sleep when the wind blows,” answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate desperate adj.不顾一切的, 拼死的, 令人绝望的 for help, hired him.

The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the mans work.

Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hands sleeping quarters.

所以这个农场主招工时经常遭到拒绝。

最后,过来一个中年男人,他个头不高、略显瘦弱。“你是个干农活的好手吗?”农场主问他。

“是的,起风的时候我可以睡觉,”矮个男人回答道。

尽管农场主对他的回答有点迷惑,可苦于没有别的选择,于是雇佣了他。

那个矮个男人干活很卖力,他在农场从天亮一直忙到天黑,因此农场主对他的工作很满意。

一天晚上,海面上刮起了大风,咆哮声阵阵,农场主从床上跳了起来,抓起灯笼就向旁边雇工住的地方冲去。

He shook the little man and yelled, “Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!”

The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, “No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.”

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm.

To his amazement amazement n.惊愕, 惊异, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins tarpaulin n.防水油布 . The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away blow awa v.吹走,驱散 .

The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

他冲着那个矮个男人喊道:“起来!起风暴了!快去把东西系好,别让风刮跑了!”

那个矮个男人在床上翻了一下身,平静地说道:“不,先生,我告诉过你,刮风的时候我可以睡觉。”

农场主被他的回答激怒了,气得真想当场把他解雇。不过,他还是跑出去应付暴风雨。

然而,令他惊奇的是,他发现一切都已安排得井井有条:干草垛已经盖好了防水油布,牛在牲口棚里面,小鸡在鸡笼里,门闩好了,百叶窗也关紧了,一切都拴牢了,什么东西都刮不走了。

此刻,农场主才明白了雇工那句话的意思,于是,利风的时候,他也到自己的床上睡觉了。

当精神上、心理上和物质上都做好准备的时候,一切就无所畏惧了。当你的生活刮起风波的时候,你是否能睡着觉呢?故事中那个雇来的帮手能睡着,因为他已经为农场做好了抵御风暴的准备。做好人生的准备,我们就能在机会到来时,一手抓住,就能在困难到来时,不惊不慌,从容处理。