The search road to the contentment

江苏无锡一中 高 蕙

精彩导读

国王厌倦了自己的职务，决定去和一个对自己生活感到满意的人交换身份。于是他乔装打扮到身份地位完全不同的几户人家，并和他们交流。结果无论是生活安逸的富商、自力更生的邻居，还是身居要职的大臣，抑或是诚实独立的木匠，都对自己的生活有诸多不满，并羡慕别人看起来更美好的生活。国王一度感到失望，但是最后在一个贫苦的工人那里找到满足感，并且对生活有了更深的思考。工人到底说了哪些发人深省的话呢？国王又有了哪些新的感悟？

全文词数466，难度适中，建议用时8分钟。

A king,who was tired of his duty,determined to seek a man who was perfectly contented.His desire was to change places with that man.So he disguised （伪装）himself,and set out on his search.

First he entered the house of a rich merchant,who had made his fortune in trade,and had now retired to enjoy a life of ease.But the merchant found this life boring.“I wish I were again enjoying an active life,like my neighbour over the way,”said he.

The king next entered the house of the“neighbour over the way”. “Contented! ” he shouted,in answer to a question of the king;“why,I am leading the life of a slave!I wish I could be an important office,who has nothing to do but enjoy his life.”

But as the king entered,he overheard the important office speaking to himself,“Why did I ever think of accepting this position?I should have been much better as head of a business of my own.”

Sadly the king turned away from this house.“Contentment must be found somewhere else,”he said,and he entered the shop of a carpenter（木匠）.He said,“A life of honest independence such as yours,my friend,must indeed be a life of contentment.”

“Who could be contented to work as a carpenter?” said the man，“ I work for some of the king's officers who have plenty of money,and servants to wait on them.And as for the king himself,what has he to do but to enjoy himself?”

The king turned away in silence,and left the city.Dressed as a traveller,he stopped at a laborer's cottage and was invited by its owner to step in and rest.

“I am afraid you must be very badly off,my friend,”said the king.

“Badly off?Not at all,” said the laborer,with a smile.“I am always sure of plenty of work here,and I am well paid for it.So long as I can work I shall never grumble（抱怨）.”

“Don’t you have troubles?”asked the king.“Oh,as to that,everyone has his own troubles.There is the rheumatism （风湿病）in my arm,which keeps me awake all night sometime.And then my landlord(房东)is not always so kind,but I am quite satisfied with what I have.”

The king took leave of his poor friend,and searched no further.“I have found a man who is perfectly contented;and I have learned that I need not change places with him in order to content myself.The secret of contentment is this—to accept the evil along with the good;and instead of throwing off burdens,to try to bear them,so that they shall lead to a greater happiness.”

Reading check

I.Read the text carefully and find the correct answers.

1.What was the king’s goal?

A.Beginning his search on contentment.

B.Finding out the satisfactory job and changing his duty.

C.Talking over the rich neighbour in his country.

D.Becoming a carpenter with a life of honest independence.

2.What does the underlined word “office”mean in the third paragraph?

A.a room.

B.a building.

C.a department.

D.a position.

3.Who was content with his life?

A.The king.

B.The traveller.

C.The laborer.

D.The carpenter.

4.What’s the key to contentment?

A.Completing plenty of work.

B.Gaining good salary.

C.Having servants to wait on.

D.Accepting the bad thing together with the good.

Ⅱ.Critical thinking

What conclusion can we get from the text?

Language study

I.Words in the text

Ⅱ.Vocabulary

1.contented adj.高兴的；满足的

2.ease n.容易；舒适；安逸

3.overhear v.无意中听到；偶然听到

4.independence n.自主；独立

5.laborer n.（尤指户外的）体力劳动者；劳工；工人

6.plenty pron.丰富；充足

Phrases

7.set out on sth出发去做某事

8.make one’s fortune 赚钱；发财

9.in answer to回答；应答；响应

10.as for至于；说起

11.be badly off生活贫困

12.be sure of确信；确保

13.take leave of向……告别

14.along with连同；和……一致

15.throw off摆脱；迅速脱掉

Ⅲ.句型积累

should have done本应该做……（实际未做……）

作为我自己生意的负责人，我应该会做得更好。

I__________________________as head of a business of my own.

【点石成金】“should+现在完成时”，常表示“过去本应该做某事，而实际未做”，是虚拟语气的一种。在本文中此句是表现了这个官员后悔接受了国王职位任命的心情。

如果我高中努力学习，我应该在理想的大学学习了。

If I had worked hard in high school,I should have been studying in my ideal university.