天 平 

　　你的家人是你最宝贵的生命财富，在你需要时，他们总会出现在你的身边，用他们的肩膀为你撑起一片天空。你的呼唤总会得到他们热情的回应，并尽最大努力来满足你的需求。正因为其宝贵，也更值得你加倍珍惜。请记住，家庭永远是你最大的财富。

　　“赫伯特，你能帮我剥一下桔子吗？”露西问。赫伯特虽然正在读书，但他还是立刻放下了手中的书，从自己的小妹妹手中接过了桔子。

　　“露西，我给你做一台天平，让你在做游戏时卖东西用，好不好？”

　　“哦，太好了！可是你会怎么做呢？”

　　“让我来做给你看。首先，我们得把剥下来的桔子皮做成两个完全一样大的小杯子。我做这些的时候，你去看看能不能给我找两根大约十英寸长的木棍。”

　　露西跑到柴棚找到了两根木柴，“这样的可以吗？”

　　“哦，不，它们太硬了。你最好去找一些松枝来。”赫伯特摇摇头说。

　　不一会儿，露西拿着松枝跑了回来，“给你。”

　　“嗯，它们正合适。我会用它们做天平的横杆和立柱。露西，你能不能再去给我找一个小木块来做天平的底座？”

　　“我那个缠缎带用的木块可以吗，赫伯特？”

　　“可以吧，只要它不是很厚。”

　　“它大约有一英寸厚。”

　　“那真是太合适了，快去拿过来，顺便把螺丝刀给我带来。”赫伯特辛勤地工作着，很快就将天平的横杆和立柱做好了。然后，他在露西拿来的木块中间钻了一个洞，把立柱插了进去。接下来，赫伯特把横杆卡进支柱顶端的一个小槽里，这样它就能很好地保持平衡了。

　　“差不多了，露西，现在我们需要针线。我们要在每个小杯子穿上四条线，把它们吊在天平横杆的末端。”

　　“终于做好了，露西，你觉得它怎么样？”赫伯特问。

　　“天啊，”露西简直不敢相信自己的眼睛。“赫伯特，它就和爸爸店里卖的真天平一样。哥哥，哥哥，你可以把我所有的桔子都做成这样的天平吗？”

　　The New Scales

　　"Herbert, will you please peel my orange?" said 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 middle 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."

　　好儿子

　　即便是全世界的金钱也不能换取父亲的睡眠，儿子的孝心让人感动。孟子曰：“亲亲，仁也；敬长，义也。”从一个人对待自己父母的态度，就可以看出这个人自身品性的好坏。而一个品德高尚的人，大家也都愿意和他交往，给予他帮助，他想做什么事情自然也就无往不利。

　　而且，故事中的珠宝商也明白，没有什么比身体的健康更为重要，大家拼搏努力的目的都是为了让自己和家人生活的更好，更为开心。

　　曾经有一个珠宝商，以品格高尚而被人们称诵。有一天，几个犹太老人来到他的店铺，他们想买一些宝石，准备镶在他们祭司的圣衣上。

　　他们告诉了珠宝商自己想要什么样的宝石，并给出了一个合理的价格，但是这位珠宝商回答说现在不能给他们看那些宝石，并让他们过些时候再来。

　　但是这些老人不想再耽搁时间，他们认为这个珠宝商的目的是为了提高价格，于是老人们给出了双倍的价钱，之后又给出了三倍的价钱，他们觉得珠宝商应该很满意了。但这个珠宝商还是拒绝了，于是，这些老人们怒气冲冲地离开了。

　　几小时后，珠宝商找到老人们，把宝石摆在他们面前，老人们还准备支付他们刚刚给出的最高价，但是珠宝商说：“我只要你们今天早晨第一次给出的那个合理的价格。”

　　“那你当时为什么不和我们马上成交呢？”老人们诧异地问。

　　珠宝商回答说，“你们来的时候，我的父亲正拿着存放宝石的柜子的钥匙，那时他正在睡觉，我要给你们看宝石的话就不得不叫醒他。

　　“在他那样的年纪，哪怕只是睡上一小会儿对他也是大有好处的。所以即使把全世界的金子都给我，也不能换取我对父亲的敬重之心，我更不会用牺牲父亲的舒适来交换。”

　　这些老人被他的话感动了，他们轻抚着珠宝商的头说道：“上帝曾说：‘孝顺你的父亲和母亲。’他会保佑你的。有一天你的孩子也会像你爱你的父亲一样爱你、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 said, "I will only accept the first one you offered to me this morning."

　　"Why, then, did 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 said, "Thou shalt be blessed of Him who has said, '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."