雙語故事:The Cracked Water Pot 有裂痕的罐子
A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
印度有一個挑水工，他有兩個大罐子，分別掛在肩上的扁擔兩頭。其中一個罐子做工精細，從不漏水，另一個上面則有一道裂縫。每當挑水工回到僱主家時，罐子裏的水就只剩一半了。
For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.
這樣過了整整兩年，這個挑水工每天挑到僱主家的水僅有一罐半。當然，那個完好的罐子爲自己的成就甚感自豪。而那個可憐的有裂縫的罐子卻因自身的瑕疵而羞愧不已，爲自己只能裝一半水而痛苦不堪。 痛苦了兩年後，一天，那個有裂縫的罐子在小溪邊對挑水工說：
"I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."
我很慚愧，想向你道歉。”
"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"
“爲什麼？”挑水工問，“你羞愧什麼呢？”
"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.
“爲這兩年來只能讓你挑回一半的水。因爲我身上的這個裂縫，每次你回僱主家的路上，水都在漏，到家時就只剩下半罐了。正是我的裂縫，你不得不多挑幾次水，這樣就浪費了你的部分勞動價值。”罐子說道。
The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."
挑水工對這個有裂痕的舊罐子感到很抱歉，他同情地說道：“當我們返回僱主家時，我希望你能留心路旁那些美麗的花朵。”
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.
的確如此，當他們上山時，這個有裂縫的舊罐子注意到了路旁的野花，它們沐浴在陽光中非常漂亮。它感到了一絲快樂，但到僱主家時，它又爲自己漏了一半水而難過起來，於是，它再次爲自己的失敗向挑水工道歉。
The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."
挑水工對罐子說：“你注意到了嗎？你這邊沿路都有花，而另一邊就沒有？我早就注意到了你的裂縫，我就是利用這一點，在你這側的路邊種上花籽。每天，我們從小溪回來時，你就給它們澆了水。這兩年，我就採這些漂亮的花朵來裝點僱主的桌子。倘若你不漏水，他就沒有這麼美麗的鮮花來裝飾屋子了。”
智慧點晴：
Each of us has our own unique flaws. We re all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His Father's table.
每個人都有缺點，我們都是有裂縫的罐子。只要我們能接受自身的瑕疵，總會有人來利用它們爲自己服務。
