A daughter complained to her father about her life and how things were so hard for her.She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up.She was tired of fighting and struggling.It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose.

　　Her father，a chef2），took her to the kitchen.He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire.Soon the pots came to a boil3）。In one he placed carrots，in the second he placed eggs，and in the last he placed ground coffee beans.He let them sit and boil，without saying a word.

　　The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently waited，wondering what he was doing.In about twenty minutes he turned off the burners.He fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl.He pulled the eggs out and placed them a bowl.Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a mug.Turning to her he asked，“Darling，what do you see？”“Carrots，eggs，and coffee，”she replied.

　　He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots.She did and noted that they were soft.He then asked her to take an egg and break it.After pulling off the shell，she observed the hard－boiled egg.Finally，he asked her to sip the coffee.She smiled as she tasted its rich aroma4）。She humbly asked.“What does it mean ，Father？”

　　He explained that each of them had faced the same adversity，boiling water，but each reacted differently.The carrot went in strong，hard，and unrelenting.But after being subjected to the boiling water，it softened and became weak.The egg had been fragile.Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior.But after sitting through the boiling water，its inside became hardened.The ground coffee beans were unique，however.After they were in the boiling water，they had changed the water.“Which are you？”he asked his daughter.“When adversity knocks on your door，how do you respond？Are you a carrot，an egg，or a coffee bean？”

　　How about you，my friend？Are you the carrot that seems hard，but with pain and adversity you wilt and become soft and lose your strength？Are you the egg，which starts off with a malleable5） heart？Were you a fluid spirit，but after a death，a breakup6），a divorce，or a layoff have you become hardened and stiff？Your shell looks the same，but are you bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and heart？Or are you like the coffee bean？The bean changes the hot water，the thing that is bringing the pain，to its peak flavor when it reaches 212degrees Fahrenheit.When the water gets the hottest，it just tastes better.If you are like the bean，when things are at their worst，you get better and make things better around you.

　　Ask yourself how you handle adversity.Are you a carrot，an egg，or a coffee bean？

　　一個女兒對父親抱怨她的生活，抱怨事事都那么艱難。她不知該如何應付生活，想要自暴自棄了。她已厭倦抗爭和奮斗。好像一個問題剛解決，新的問題就又出現了。

　　她的父親是位廚師，他把她帶進廚房。他先往3只鍋里倒入一些水，然后把它們放在旺火上燒。不久鍋里的水燒開了。他往一只鍋里放些胡蘿卜，第二只鍋里放入雞蛋，最后一只鍋里放入碾成粉狀的咖啡豆。他將它們浸入開水中煮，一句話也沒說。

　　女兒咂咂嘴，不耐煩地等待著，納悶父親在做什么。大約20分鐘后，他把火閉了，把胡蘿卜撈出來放入一個碗內，把雞蛋撈出來放入另一個碗內，然后又把咖啡舀到一個杯子里。做完這些后，他才轉過身問女兒，“親愛的，你看見什么了？”“胡蘿卜、雞蛋、咖啡，”她回答。

　　他讓她靠近些并讓她用手摸摸胡蘿卜。她摸了摸，注意到它們變軟了。父親又讓女兒拿一只雞蛋并打破它。將殼剝掉后，她看到的是只煮熟的雞蛋。最后他讓她啜飲咖啡。品嘗到香濃的咖啡，女兒笑了。她怯聲問道：“父親，這意味著什么？”

　　他解釋說，這三樣東西面臨同樣的逆境――煮沸的開水，但其反應各不相同。胡蘿卜入鍋之前是強壯的，結實的，毫不示弱；但進入開水后，它變軟了，變弱了。雞蛋原來是易碎的，它薄薄的外殼保護著它呈液體的內臟。但是經開水一煮，它內臟變硬了。而粉狀咖啡豆則很獨特，進入沸水后，它們倒改變了水。“哪個是你呢？”他問女兒，“當逆境找上門來時，你該如何反應？你是胡蘿卜，是雞蛋，還是咖啡豆？”

　　你呢，我的朋友？你是看似強硬，但遭遇痛苦和逆境后畏縮了、變軟弱了、失去了力量的胡蘿卜嗎？你是內心原本可塑的雞蛋嗎？你先是個性情不定的人，但經過死亡、分手、離異，或失業(yè)，是不是變得堅硬了，變得倔強了？你的外殼看似從前，但你是不是因有了堅強的性格和內心而變得嚴厲強硬了？或者你像是咖啡豆嗎？豆子改變了給它帶來痛苦的開水，并在它達到華氏212度的高溫時讓它散發(fā)出最佳氣味。水最燙時，它的味道更好了。如果你像咖啡豆，你會在情況最糟糕時，變得有出息了，并使周圍的情況改變好了。

　　問問自己是如何對付逆境的。你是胡蘿卜，是雞蛋，還是咖啡豆？

　　1.adversity n. 不幸， 災禍， 逆境

　　2. chef n. 廚師

　　3. boil n. 沸點， 沸騰

　　4. aroma n. 芳香， 香氣， 香味

　　5. malleable adj. 有延展性的， 可鍛的

　　6. breakup n. 完結， 崩潰，衰弱

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