Life Is to Be Whole

Once a circle missed a wedge ．The circle wanted to be whole，so it went around looking for its missing piece．But because it was incomplete and therefore could roll only very slowly，it admired the flowers along the way．It chatted with worms．It enjoyed the sunshine．It found lots of different pieces，but none of them fit．So it left them all by the side of the road and kept on searching．Then one day the circle found a piece that fit perfectly．It was so happy．Now it could be whole，with nothing missing．It incorporated the missing piece into itself and began to roll．Now that it was a perfect circle，it could roll very fast，too fast to notice the flowers or talk to the worms．When it realized how different the world seemed when it rolled so quickly，it stopped，left its found piece by the side of the road and rolled slowly away．

The lesson of the story，I suggest，was that in some strange sense we are more whole when we are missing something．The man who has everything is in some ways a poor man．He will never know what it feels like to yearn ，to hope，to nourish his soul with the dream of something better．There is wholeness about the person who has come to terms with his limitations，who has been brave enough to let go of his unrealistic dreams and not feel like a failure for doing so．

Words and Expressions

- wedge n．楔，楔形物

- admire vt．欣赏，称赞；羡慕

- incorporate vt．加上，包含，使混合

in some sense在某种意义上

yearn vi． 留恋，思念；渴望

come to terms with与……达成协议；忍受，妥协

let go of放开，释放

Read and recite the following sentences：

The lesson of the story，I suggested，was that in some strange sense we are more whole when we are missing something．The man who has everything is in some ways a poor man．He will never know what it feels like to yearn，to hope，to nourish his soul with the dream of something better．There is wholeness about the person who has come to terms with his limitations，who has been brave enough to let go of his unrealistic dreams and not feel like a failure for doing so．

Now try and write out the sentences here：

The lesson of the story，I suggested，was that__________．The man who has everything is in some ways __________．He will never know what it feels like __________．There is wholeness about the person who has come to terms with his limitations，who has been brave enough to let go of his unrealistic dreams and not feel like a failure for doing so．

参考译文

完美人生

从前有一只圆圈缺了一块楔子。为了保持完整，它便四处寻找失去的那块楔子。但是由于不完整，圆圈只能很慢地滚动。一路上，它对花儿露出羡慕之色，与蠕虫聊天。它还享受到了阳光。圆圈找到了许许多多不同的配件，但是没有一件能与它相配。所以，它将它们统统弃置路旁，继续寻觅。终于有一天，它找到了一个完美的配件。圆圈是那样地高兴，现在它可以说是完整无缺了。它装好配件，然后滚动起来。既然它已成了一个完整的圆圈，所以滚动得非常快，快得以至于无暇观赏花儿，也无暇与蠕虫聊天。圆圈快速奔驰，发现眼中的世界变得如此不同，于是，它停了下来，将找到的那个配件留在路旁，又开始了慢慢地滚动。

我觉得这个故事告诉我们，从某种奇妙意义上讲，当我们失去了一些东西时反而感到更加完整。一个拥有一切的人其实在某些方面是个穷人。他永远也体会不到什么是渴望、期待以及用更美好的东西来滋润灵魂的美好感觉。人生的完整性在于一个人知道如何面对他的缺陷，在于如何勇敢地摒弃那些不现实的幻想而又不以此为缺憾。