Trouble Tree
I hired a carpenter to help me restore an old farmhouse, and after he had just finished a rough first day on the job, a flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family.
As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching tips of the branches with his hands.
When opening the door, he underwent an amusing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.
After leaving the happy family, I passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him, who walked me to the car, “Before we went in, why did you stop by the tree earlier?”
“Oh, that’s my trouble tree,” he replied.
“I know I can’t help having troubles on the job and in my life, but those troubles don’t belong in the house with my wife and children. I know I can control one thing for sure. I can hang them up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again before I leave for work.”
“Funny thing is,” he smiled, “when I come out in the morning to pick them up, there aren’t nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before.”
我雇了一位木匠帮我修缮旧农舍。第一天的工作很糟糕，刚开始是他的汽车轮胎瘪了，耽误了整整1个小时；后来电锯又坏了；现在忙了一天后他的旧卡车竟不能启动。我只好开车送他回家。一路上，他像石头一样沉默不语。到达目的地之后，他邀我进去见见他的家人。
当我们走到门口，他先在一棵小树前停了一会儿，用手碰了碰几根树枝。
门开了，他一进去就像变成了另外一个人似的，棕色的脸庞溢满了微笑，他高兴地拥抱两个孩子，然后深情地吻了吻妻子。
告别木匠幸福的一家，木匠送我出门，再次经过那棵小树时，我不禁好奇地他：“进门前你在树前停一下做什么?”
“噢，这是我的烦恼树，”他回答说。
“我知道工作和生活中难免有许多烦恼，这是我所不能控制的，但孩子和妻子是无辜的，我不该把烦恼带给他们。我知道有一件事自己能控制，就是每天进门前把烦恼挂到门外的树上。等到第二天早晨离家上班时再把它摘下来。”
“有趣的是，”他微笑着，“每天早上我准备把它们取回时，都会发现树上的烦恼比我前一天挂上去的要少得多。”
1. When opening the_________, he underwent an amusing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in_________and he hugged his two small children_________gave his wife a kiss.
2.“I know I can’t_________having troubles on the job and in my life, but those troubles don’t belong in the ______ with my wife and children. I_________ I can control one thing for sure. I can hang them up on the _________every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up_________before I leave for work.”
1. 一路上，他像石头一样沉默不语。
2. 我知道有一件事自己能控制，就是每天进门前把烦恼挂到门外的树上。
3. 每天早上我准备把它们取回时，都会发现树上的烦恼比我前一天挂上去的要少得多。
