LESSON 44

THE SEVEN STICKS

七根棍子

1．A man had seven sons, who were always quarreling. They left their studies and work, to quarrel among themselves. Some bad men were looking forward to the death of their father, to cheat^〔1〕 them out of their property^〔2〕 by making them quarrel about it.

2．The good old man, one day, called his sons around him. He laid before them seven sticks, which were bound together. He said, "I will pay a hundred dollars to the one who can break this bundle^〔3〕."

3．Each one strained every nerve^〔4〕 to break the bundle. After a long but vain trial, they all said that it could not be done.

4．"And yet, my boys," said the father, "nothing is easier to do." He then untied the bundle, and broke the sticks, one by one, with perfect ease.

5．"Ah!" said his sons, "it is easy enough to do it so; anybody could do it in that way."

6．Their father replied, "As it is with these sticks, so is it with you, my sons. So long as you hold fast together and aid each other, you will prosper^〔5〕, and none can injure you.

7．"But if the bond of union^〔6〕 be broken, it will happen to you just as it has to these sticks, which lie here broken on the ground."

Home, city, country, all are prosperous found,

When by the powerful link of union bound.

【中文阅读】

1．有一个人，他有七个爱吵架的儿子。他们不顾学习和工作，互相吵个不停。有些坏人等着他们父亲的死期到来，挑拨他们为家产而争吵，到时好趁机骗取他们的财产。

2．有一天，善良的老人把儿子们都召集到身边，把绑在一起的七根棍子放在他们面前，说：“谁能把这一捆棍子折断，我就给他一百美元。”

3．每个人都使出了九牛二虎之力，花了很长时间还是徒劳无功。他们都说，要折断这些棍子根本办不到。

4．“其实不然，我的孩子们，”父亲说道，“没有比这更容易做到的事情了。”说完他解开了绳子，毫不费劲地就把那七根棍子一根一根地折断了。

5．“啊！”儿子们说，“这么做太容易了。用这种方式，任何人都做得到。”

6．他们的父亲回答道：“你们七兄弟就像这些棍子一样，我的孩子们。只要你们紧密地团结在一起，互相帮助，你们就会取得成功，谁也不能伤害你们。”

7．“但是，一旦打破了这种团结，你们就会像这些棍子一样，一根一根地被折断在地上。”

家庭、城市、国家，无不是由各个部分强有力地连结而成的联合体，只有团结一致，才能兴盛发展。

注释

〔1〕Cheat, deceive, wrong.

〔2〕Property, that which one owns—whether land, goods, or money.

〔3〕Bundle, a number of things bound together.

〔4〕Nerve, sinew, muscle.

〔5〕Prosper, succeed, do well.

〔6〕Union, the state of being joined or united.