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多年以前，一个小地区的居民没有一人说话不结巴，走路不瘸拐。而且,这些狭陷竟被视为才能。一外地人看到这一弊端，想这儿的居民一定会十分羡慕他的走姿。于是自然地、不瘸不拐地走了一圈。当地人都驻足观望，捧腹大笑,冲外地人喊:“教教这个人该怎么走路！” 外地人觉得自己有责任驳斥他们：“不是我，而是你们瘸了。”他叫嚷道，"你们应该根除这个不雅的习惯! ”然而这使他更窘。当地人听到他说话后说:他竟然还不是口吃，更与众不同了。在那里，无论他走到哪儿都会被别人嘲笑。 习惯会使我们把从小看惯了的缺陷误认成美好的事情，而陌生人欲使我们承认自己错了 只是枉费心机。 Habits Many years ago in a small territory, there was not one of the inhabitant who did not stutter when he spoke, or halt in walking. Both these defects, moreover, were consid¬ered accomplishments. A stranger saw the evil, and thinking how they would admire his walking, went about without halting in the usual manner of our race. Every one stopped to look at him. And all those who looked, laughed, and holding their sides to repress their merriment, shouted, “Teach the stranger how to walk properly: ” The stranger considered it his duty to cast the reproach from himself. " It is not I but you who halt." He cried. “You must accustom yourselves to giving up so awkward a hab¬it!" This only increased the uproar, when they heard him speak：he did not even stammer, which was sufficient to disagree him. And he was laughed at throughout the country. Habit will render the faults，which we have been accustomed to from yo'ih, beauti¬ful；in vain a stranger attempt to convince us that we are in error. |
