張祖平
Once there was a king who received a gift of two falcons. They were the most beautiful birds he had ever seen. He gave the precious birds to his head falconer2 to be trained.
Months passed, and one day the head falconer told the king that though one of the falcons was flying high in the sky, the other bird had not moved from its branch3 since the day it had arrived.
The king called all kinds of able men from all the country together, but no one could make the bird fly.
He presented the task to his courtiers4, but the next day, the king saw through the palace window that the bird had still not moved from its branch.
Having tried everything else, the king thought to himself, “Maybe I need someone more familiar with the countryside to understand the nature of this problem.” So he ordered to his courtiers to get a farmer.
In the morning, the king was surprised to see the falcon flying high above the palace gardens. He said to his courtiers, “Bring me the man of this miracle5.”
The courtiers quickly found the farmer, who came and stood before the king. The king asked him, “How did you make the falcon fly?”
With his head bowed, the farmer said to the king, “It was very easy, your highness6. I simply cut the branch where the bird was sitting.”
How many times we are all made to fly—to realize our potential7 as human beings. But at times we are used to the familiar, the comfortable, and the common. So for the most part, our lives are common. Let us learn to destroy the branch of fear we cling8 to and free ourselves to the glory of flight!
曾經(jīng)有一個國王,他收到了一件禮物——兩只獵鷹。它們是國王看過的最美麗的鳥。國王讓他的首席馴鷹師訓(xùn)練這兩只鳥。
幾個月過去了,一天,首席馴鷹師告訴國王:一只獵鷹在翱翔天空,然而另一只鷹從它到來之日起一直站在枝頭寸步不離。
國王召集了各方能人異士來尋找對策,但是沒有人能讓它飛起來。
國王把這個任務(wù)布置給了他的大臣,但是第二天,國王透過宮殿的窗戶,看到那只獵鷹仍舊沒有離開它棲息的枝頭。
試過各種方法之后,國王暗自思忖,“或許我需要一個更熟悉鄉(xiāng)村的人來了解問題的本質(zhì)。”于是,國王命他的大臣們?nèi)フ乙粋€農(nóng)民。
一大早,國王驚訝地發(fā)現(xiàn):那只獵鷹翱翔在宮殿花園的上空。他對大臣們說:“把創(chuàng)造這個奇跡的人帶來見我?!?/p>
大臣們很快找到了農(nóng)民,農(nóng)民來到了國王面前。國王問農(nóng)民:“你是如何讓它飛起來的?”
農(nóng)民低著頭對國王說:“國王殿下,這很簡單,我只是把獵鷹棲息的樹枝砍掉了?!?/p>
多少次,我們都是被迫起飛——去認識我們作為人類所擁有的潛能。但是有時候,我們習(xí)慣了熟悉、舒適和平凡。因此,我們大部分人的生活只是普通而平凡。讓我們學(xué)會摧毀依賴已久的“恐懼之枝”,自由自在地享受飛行的榮耀!
1. falcon [<\\Huxi\劉鄲\2015年\2015年湖南版\10期\八年級\falcon.jpg>] n. 獵鷹 2. falconer [<\\Huxi\劉鄲\2015年\2015年湖南版\10期\八年級\falconer.jpg>] n. 養(yǎng)鷹者,放鷹者
3. branch [<\\Huxi\劉鄲\2015年\2015年湖南版\10期\八年級\branch.jpg>] n. 樹枝 4. courtier [<\\Huxi\劉鄲\2015年\2015年湖南版\10期\八年級\courtier.jpg>] n. 侍臣,廷臣 5. miracle [<\\Huxi\劉鄲\2015年\2015年湖南版\10期\八年級\miracle.jpg>] n. 奇跡 6. highness [<\\Huxi\劉鄲\2015年\2015年湖南版\10期\八年級\highness.jpg>] n. 殿下,閣下 7. potential [<\\Huxi\劉鄲\2015年\2015年湖南版\10期\八年級\potential.jpg>] n. 潛能;潛力 8. cling [<\\Huxi\劉鄲\2015年\2015年湖南版\10期\八年級\cling.jpg>] v. 抓緊或抱住endprint