天 平 

　　你的家人是你最寶貴的生命財富，在你需要時，他們總會出現在你的身邊，用他們的肩膀為你撐起一片天空。你的呼喚總會得到他們熱情的回應，并盡最大努力來滿足你的需求。正因為其寶貴，也更值得你加倍珍惜。請記住，家庭永遠是你最大的財富。

　　“赫伯特，你能幫我剝一下桔子嗎？”露西問。赫伯特雖然正在讀書，但他還是立刻放下了手中的書，從自己的小妹妹手中接過了桔子。

　　“露西，我給你做一臺天平，讓你在做游戲時賣東西用，好不好？”

　　“哦，太好了！可是你會怎么做呢？”

　　“讓我來做給你看。首先，我們得把剝下來的桔子皮做成兩個完全一樣大的小杯子。我做這些的時候，你去看看能不能給我找兩根大約十英寸長的木棍。”

　　露西跑到柴棚找到了兩根木柴，“這樣的可以嗎？”

　　“哦，不，它們太硬了。你最好去找一些松枝來。”赫伯特搖搖頭說。

　　不一會兒，露西拿著松枝跑了回來，“給你。”

　　“嗯，它們正合適。我會用它們做天平的橫桿和立柱。露西，你能不能再去給我找一個小木塊來做天平的底座？”

　　“我那個纏緞帶用的木塊可以嗎，赫伯特？”

　　“可以吧，只要它不是很厚。”

　　“它大約有一英寸厚。”

　　“那真是太合適了，快去拿過來，順便把螺絲刀給我帶來。”赫伯特辛勤地工作著，很快就將天平的橫桿和立柱做好了。然后，他在露西拿來的木塊中間鉆了一個洞，把立柱插了進去。接下來，赫伯特把橫桿卡進支柱頂端的一個小槽里，這樣它就能很好地保持平衡了。

　　“差不多了，露西，現在我們需要針線。我們要在每個小杯子穿上四條線，把它們吊在天平橫桿的末端。”

　　“終于做好了，露西，你覺得它怎么樣？”赫伯特問。

　　“天啊，”露西簡直不敢相信自己的眼睛。“赫伯特，它就和爸爸店里賣的真天平一樣。哥哥，哥哥，你可以把我所有的桔子都做成這樣的天平嗎？”

　　The New Scales

　　"Herbert, will you please peel my orange?" sa Lucy. Herbert was reading his new book, but he put it down at once, and took the orange from his little sister。

　　"Shall I make a pair of scales, Lucy, for you to use when you play store?"

　　"Oh yes! But how can you do that'!"

　　"I'll show you. First, we must take the peel off in two little cups, one just as large as the other. While I do this, see if you can find me two nice sticks about ten inches long."

　　Lucy ran out to the woodhouse to find the sticks. —" Will these do?"

　　"No, they are too hard. Find some pine sticks if you can."

　　"Here are some."

　　"These will do nicely. Now I must make a scale beam and a post. Can you find me a little block for a post, Lucy!"

　　"Will a ribbon block do, Herbert?"

　　"Yes, if it is not too thick."

　　"Here is one an inch thick."

　　"That will be just right. Now get the little gimlet."

　　Herbert worked away until he had made the beam and the post. Then he made a hole in the mdle of the block, and put the post in. Next, he put the beam into a little groove at the top of the post, so that it would balance nicely。

　　"Now, Lucy, we must have a needle and some thread. We must put four threads to each cup; then we will tie the threads to the ends of the beam。

　　"There, Lucy, what do you think of that?"

　　"Why, Herbert, that is just as nice as the real scales in father's store; and you may have all my orange for making them."

　　好兒子

　　即便是全世界的金錢也不能換取父親的睡眠，兒子的孝心讓人感動。孟子曰：“親親，仁也；敬長，義也。”從一個人對待自己父母的態度，就可以看出這個人自身品性的好壞。而一個品德高尚的人，大家也都愿意和他交往，給予他幫助，他想做什么事情自然也就無往不利。

　　而且，故事中的珠寶商也明白，沒有什么比身體的健康更為重要，大家拼搏努力的目的都是為了讓自己和家人生活的更好，更為開心。

　　曾經有一個珠寶商，以品格高尚而被人們稱誦。有一天，幾個猶太老人來到他的店鋪，他們想買一些寶石，準備鑲在他們祭司的圣衣上。

　　他們告訴了珠寶商自己想要什么樣的寶石，并給出了一個合理的價格，但是這位珠寶商回答說現在不能給他們看那些寶石，并讓他們過些時候再來。

　　但是這些老人不想再耽擱時間，他們認為這個珠寶商的目的是為了提高價格，于是老人們給出了雙倍的價錢，之后又給出了三倍的價錢，他們覺得珠寶商應該很滿意了。但這個珠寶商還是拒絕了，于是，這些老人們怒氣沖沖地離開了。

　　幾小時后，珠寶商找到老人們，把寶石擺在他們面前，老人們還準備支付他們剛剛給出的最高價，但是珠寶商說：“我只要你們今天早晨第一次給出的那個合理的價格。”

　　“那你當時為什么不和我們馬上成交呢？”老人們詫異地問。

　　珠寶商回答說，“你們來的時候，我的父親正拿著存放寶石的柜子的鑰匙，那時他正在睡覺，我要給你們看寶石的話就不得不叫醒他。

　　“在他那樣的年紀，哪怕只是睡上一小會兒對他也是大有好處的。所以即使把全世界的金子都給我，也不能換取我對父親的敬重之心，我更不會用犧牲父親的舒適來交換。”

　　這些老人被他的話感動了，他們輕撫著珠寶商的頭說道：“上帝曾說：‘孝順你的父親和母親。’他會保佑你的。有一天你的孩子也會像你愛你的父親一樣愛你、尊敬你。”

　　The Good Son

　　There was once a jeweler, noted for many virtues. One day, the Jewish elders came to him to buy some diamonds, to put upon that part of the dress of their high priest, which the Bible calls an ephod。

　　They told him what they wanted, and offered him a fair price for the diamonds. He replied that he could not let them see the jewels at that moment, and requested them to call again。

　　As they wanted them without delay, and thought that the object of the jeweler was only to increase the price of the diamonds, the elders offered him twice, then three times, as much as they were worth. But he still refused, and they went away in very bad humor。

　　Some hours after, he went to them, and placed before them the diamonds, for which they again offered him the last price they had named; but he sa, "I will only accept the first one you offered to me this morning."

　　"Why, then, d you not close with us at once?" asked they in surprise. "When you came," replied he, "my father had the key of the chest, in which the diamonds were kept, and as he was asleep, I should have been obliged to wake him to obtain them. "

　　"At his age, a short hour of sleep does him a great deal of good; and for all the gold in the world, I would not be wanting in respect to my father, or take from him a single comfort."

　　The elders, affected by these feeling words, spread their hands upon the jeweler's head, and sa, "Thou shalt be blessed of Him who has sa, 'Honor thy father and thy mother'; and thy children shall one day pay thee the same respect and love thou hast shown to thy father."