Nails In The Fence 篱笆上的钉子

曲永华

你是否经常发脾气后又懊悔不已呢？都说冲动是魔鬼，它不仅伤害别人更伤害自己。那么如何控制住自己的情绪呢？看看本文中的小男孩是怎样做的吧。

There was a little boy with a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper， to hammer a nail in the back fence.

The first day the boy  had driven 37 nails into the fence. Then it gradually dwindled down. ①He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.②Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. ③He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

The father④ took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said， “You have done well， my son， but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger， they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry， the wound is still there.”

A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. Friends are a very rare jewel， indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear， they share a word of praise， and they always want to ⑤open their hearts to us. Show your friends how much you care.

[精彩譯文]

从前，有一个小男孩经常发脾气。他的爸爸给了他一包钉子并告诉他，每次当他要发火的时候在院子后的篱笆上钉一颗钉子。

第一天他钉下了37颗钉子。然后钉在篱笆上的钉子的数量在逐渐减少。他发现控制怒火比将钉子钉在篱笆上容易。终于有一天，小男孩再也没发脾气。他将这件事告诉他的爸爸，他的爸爸建议当他每天成功抑制了自己的怒火时就拔下一个钉子。过了许多天，小男孩终于告诉爸爸篱笆上所有的钉子都被他拔掉了。

爸爸拉着儿子的手把他带到篱笆前。他对儿子说：“干得漂亮，儿子，但是看看篱笆上留下的洞吧。篱笆再也不是以前那个篱笆了。你因一时之愤说过的话也会像篱笆上的洞一样在别人的心里留下伤疤。你可以拔出你刺向他人的刀，但是不管你说过多少遍对不起，伤痕依旧还在。”

言语上的伤害和身体上的伤害一样严重。朋友确实是一笔宝贵的财富。他们给你欢笑，鼓励你成功。他们静静地倾听你的心声，他们不吝赞美之词，总是向我们敞开心扉。让你的朋友知道你有多在乎他们。

[词语解读]

1. temper ['tempə（r）] n.脾气

2. nail [neɪl] n. 钉子

3. fence [fens] n.篱笆

4. dwindled ['dwindld] v. 逐渐变少或变小（dwindle的过去式）

5. scar [skɑ：（r）] n. 伤痕

6. jewel ['dʒu：əl] n. 珠宝

[句式解读]

1. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.他发现控制怒火要比将钉子钉在篱笆上容易。

句中it作形式主语，不定式to hold his temper和to drive those nails into the fence作真正主语。

2. Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. 终于有一天，小男孩再也没发脾气。

句中the day是先行词，when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all是定语从句。为了避免主语太长而谓语太短的现象出现，将先行词和定语从句分开。

3. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. 他将这件事告诉他的爸爸，他的爸爸建议当他每天成功抑制了自己的怒火时就拔下一个钉子。

句中suggest表示建议的时候，宾语从句要用should加动词原形表示虚拟。

4. took his son by the hand 拉着儿子的手。中文中身体部位的名词前多用物主代词，而英语中常用冠词。常见的结构是：“动词+sb.+介词+定冠词+身体部位名词”。如果英语动词的宾语不是“人”或者动词为不及物动词时，身体部位名词前可用物主代词或者其他限定词等。

5. open their hearts to... 向某人敞开心扉。