63. Can difficult experiences become valuable lessons?

Sometimes experiences that are supposed to be easy and enjoyable turn difficult because unforeseen troubles arise. At other times problems simply turn out to be more difficult than expected, and this, in turn, causes great frustration. However, most difficult experiences will become valuable lessons for the future. They help us anticipate and prevent future mistakes, they allow us to recognize and solve problems more quickly, and they also make it easier for us to endure hard times.

After our family car broke down in the middle of nowhere, my father realized that he had taken his toolbox out of the trunk earlier that day. He, my mother, and I spent nearly the whole afternoon in the sweltering summer heat of late July waiting for the car mechanic to arrive. It turned out that there was only a minor problem with the engine that my father could have easily fixed himself had he had the right tools. That evening he put the toolbox back into the car and vowed never to make the same mistake again.

Math used to be a very difficult subject for me, but once I learned how to identify and distinguish the individual equations it became a whole lot easier. While I used to sweat blood and tears of frustration over my textbook, because I could not figure out where to begin, I am now familiar with the problems. As a result, I solve them in less time and I am much less frustrated.

My mother once told me that I was a much more difficult and painful birth than my younger sister. She joked with me that, as a result, I should treat her better and I was supposed to do more chores around the house. However, when she saw how upset her off-hand comment made me, she hurriedly explained that, while the time of delivery and other circumstances were nearly identical, being pregnant with me had prepared her for my sister's birth. The birth of her second child was easier to endure.

译文

63. 艰难的经历可以转化为可贵的教训吗？

有些时候，看起来轻松愉快的经历可能会因为不可预见的问题而变得困难重重。有时，问题比想象中更难，这也会引起失败。但是，遭遇困难的经历往往能够成为你今后生活中可贵的教训。这些经历帮助你预见并防止将来发生错误，使你更快地认识、解决问题，还使你今后能够从容应对困难。

当我们的车在一个前不着村后不着店的地方突然坏了后，父亲想起早晨出发的时候他把工具箱留在家里了。我和爸爸、妈妈三个人在七月下旬的烈日下整整等了一下午才等到救援车。检查的结果是，车的发动机出了点小毛病，如果爸爸有工具很容易就能修好。晚上回到家中他把工具箱放到车上后，发誓再也不犯同样的错误了。

数学对我来说一向很难。但是当我学会怎样识别和区别每个方程式后，数学就变得简单多了。以前我常常对着课本难受得要掉泪，因为我不知该如何下手。但是现在我已经对问题很熟悉了。结果就是我现在解题的速度快多了，也不那么痛苦了。

妈妈曾告诉我生我的时候比生妹妹的时候更困难、更疼痛。因此，妈妈和我开玩笑说我应该待她更好些、应该做更多家务。但是当她看到自己随口所说的话使我难受的时候，她急忙安慰我说，虽然生我和生妹妹的时间、环境都非常相似，但是因为怀我才让她更有经验应付妹妹的到来，所以生第二个孩子比第一个容易。

Word List

• foresee ［fɔ:ˈsi:］ v. 预见，预知
• arise ［əˈraiz］ v. 出现，发生，起因于
• turn out to be 结果是
• solve ［sa:lv］ v. 解决，解答
• sweltering ［ˈsweltəriŋ］ adj. 闷热的，中暑的
• mechanic ［miˈkænik］ n. 技工，机械师
• minor ［ˈmainə］ adj. 较小的，次要的
• distinguish ［diˈstiŋgwiʃ］ v. 区别，辨别
• frustrated ［ˈfrʌsˌtreitid］ adj. 失败的，感到挫败的
• chore ［tʃɔ:］ n. 家务杂事
• pregnant ［ˈpregnənt］ adj. 怀孕的； 重要的