第7章 路上的石头 The Rock in the Road
佚名/Anonymous
Once upon a time, there was a queen. This queen ruled a large and wealthy kingdom. She was a good and wise person and an excellent ruler.
The queen was interested in her subjects. She wanted them to be good and honest people. Every once in a while, she would hear rumblings of dissatisfaction or disapproval from the people of the kingdom.
The queen didn't like complainers. She was a believer in taking matters into her own hands and making the best of a situation.
One day, she decided to conduct an experiment. She had some of the castle's employees close off the main road to the castle. They also created a narrow path that led to the castle.
This narrow little path was now the only way for her subjects to reach the castle. She hid in some trees beside the path to see how people would react to the obstacle.
One man approached. He saw the rock in the road and turned around and left. A woman approached. She tried to climb over the rock but it was too big. She turned back. Another man approached. He tried to walk around it but when he got scratched by a tree branch, he also turned back.
Many people approached the rock, loudly complained about how unfair it was to have a rock in the road, and gave up. Others blamed the queen and criticized her as a ruler.
At last, an old woman approached. She tried to walk around the rock but couldn't. She tried to climb over the rock but couldn't. She tried digging under the rock to no avail.
She waited for another person to come so she could ask for help pushing the rock out of the way. She waited a long time but no one came.
Finally, the old woman started pushing the rock out of the way all by herself. It took her a very long time. The queen watched, fascinated.
The old woman had to take lots of breaks. Eventually, she pushed the rock out of the way enough that she could now squeeze past it.
As the old woman started to walk past the rock to get to the castle, the queen stepped forward.“I've been watching you,”she said to the woman,“I'm very impressed. You didn't give up. You tried everything you could think of to get around the rock in the road. You were successful.”
“Even if you hadn't succeeded, I still would have been impressed that you tried everything you could think of. I want to give you this as a reward for your tenacity.”
The queen handed the old woman a purse. In it were hundreds of diamonds, rubies, and emeralds.
The old woman gasped. She was rich. Her family would be rich for generations to come.
很久以前，有一位女王。她统治着一个强大而富饶的国家，女王贤明睿智，是个出色的领导者。
女王体察民情，希望臣民们善良、正直。偶尔，她会听到百姓的一些反对和抱怨声。
抱怨声使女王感到很厌恶。她相信，只有亲自去考察，才能掌握真实情况。
一天，她决定做一个试验。她让城堡维护员封堵了通往城堡的要道，另外又建了一条通往城堡的狭窄小路。
这条狭窄的小路成了国民通往城堡的唯一通道。女王想看看百姓们对她所设的障碍有何反应，于是躲在了路旁的树后。
一个人走了过来，看到挡在路中央的石头扭头就走了。接着，一个妇女想要爬过石头，但石头太大，还是折了回去。又来了一个人，他试图从旁边挤过去，不料被树枝弄伤，也无功而返。
有很多人走近石头，都埋怨它放得不是地方，转身走了。也有人责备女王治理无方。
最后有一位老妇人走近石头，她试图从石头旁边穿过，但是没有成功；试着爬过石头，最后还是失败了；又试着在石头底下挖洞，结果还是徒劳。
老人等着能有人来，这样她就可以请他帮忙一起推动这块石头，让出一条道来了。等了许久，最终没有人来。
最后，老人开始自己推石头。一直推了好长时间。女王望着她，完全被她的努力吸引了。
老妇人休息了好几次。最后，推开了一条她能挤过去的小缝。
当老妇人挤过石头往城堡走时，女王走上前说：“我观察你很久了，你的坚持不懈给我留下了深刻的印象。你没有放弃。你尝试各种可能翻过石头的方法，你成功了。”
“即便你失败了，我仍然对你刮目相看，因为你肯尝试你所想到的每种方法。我想以此奖赏你的坚韧。”
女王给了老妇人一个装有很多钻石、红宝石和翡翠的袋子。
老妇人深吸了一口气，她有钱了，足够她们一家好几代用。
记忆填空
1.The queen was interested____________her subjects. She wanted them to be____________and honest people. Every once in a while, she would____________rumblings of dissatisfaction or disapproval from the people of the____________.
2.This narrow little____________was now the only way for her subjects to____________the castle. She hid in some trees beside the path to see____________people would react to the obstacle.
3.“Even if you hadn't____________, I still would have been impressed that you tried everything you could____________of. I want to give you this as a____________for your tenacity.”
佳句翻译
1.一个人走了过来，看到挡在路中央的石头扭头就走了。
译___________________________________________________
2.有很多人走近石头，都埋怨它放得不是地方，转身走了。
译___________________________________________________
3.你尝试各种可能翻过石头的方法，你成功了。
译___________________________________________________
短语应用
1.Once upon a time, there was a queen.
once upon a time：从前；很久以前
造___________________________________________________
2.She was a believer in taking matters into her own hands and making the best of a situation.
make the best of：充分利用，妥善处理
造___________________________________________________