The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit, and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence.
On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.
Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.
“Oh, that's my trouble tree,” he replied. “I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and children. So I just hang them on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again.”
He paused. “The funny thing is,” he smiled, “when I come out in the morning to pick 'em up, there aren't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before.”
我雇了一个木匠帮我修缮旧农舍，他刚刚结束了第一天的工作，这一天过得真不消停。车胎瘪了，少干了一小时的活儿，电锯罢工了，现在他那辆年久失修的皮卡也发动不了了。我开车送他回家，一路上他一言不发地坐着。
快到家的时候，他邀我见见他的家人。我们朝前门走去，这时，他在一棵小树前稍稍停了一下，用双手摸了摸树枝的顶端。一开门，他却来了个惊天巨变。晒黑的脸上洋溢着笑容，他抱了抱两个年幼的孩子，给了妻子一个吻。
后来，他送我取车。路过那棵树的时候，我的好奇心上来了。我问他刚才进门前后是怎么回事。
“哦，那棵是我的烦恼树。”他回答，“我知道工作上有烦心事儿在所难免，但是有件事是肯定的，这些麻烦事儿不能带回家、带给妻儿。所以，每晚回家的时候我就把它们挂在树上，第二天早上再摘下来。”
他停了一下。“有趣的是，”他笑着说，“早上出来摘的时候，总不像前一晚自己记得挂上去的那么多。”
-wreath [riːθ] v. 环绕
暂时搁置坏心情也是减压。
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