胡萝卜本是硬的，坚固而且强度大，但受到煮沸的水的影响，它变得柔软而脆弱。鸡蛋本来易碎，薄薄的外壳保护着内部的液体。但是在经历过煮沸的水以后，它的内部却变得坚硬。不过，最独特的却是磨碎的咖啡豆，当它们被放入煮沸的水之后，它们改变了水。

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

有一个女孩向她父亲抱怨她的生活，她觉得凡事都很艰难，不知该怎样挺过去，她想放弃。她厌倦了不断的抗争和奋斗，问题似乎都一个接着一个，不让她有喘息的机会。

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

她的父亲是个厨师，他把她带到了厨房。他在三个壶里分别装满了水，加大火烧。很快，壶里的水被煮开了。他往第一个壶里放了些胡萝卜，往第二个壶里放了几个鸡蛋，在最后一个壶里放了些磨碎的咖啡豆，然后，一句话也没说，他由着水把它们煮沸。

The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently wondered what he was trying to do. She had problems, and he was making this strange concoction. In half an hour he walked over to the stove and turned down the fire. He pulled the carrots out and placed them in the bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in the bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her he asked. "Darling what do you see?"

女儿咂巴着嘴，不耐烦地等着，对父亲的行为感到很纳闷。大约三十分钟后，父亲关掉了火炉，把胡萝卜捞出来，放到一个碗里。又把鸡蛋拣出来放进另一个碗里，接着把咖啡用勺子舀出来倒进一个杯子里，然后转过头来，对她说，“亲爱的，你看到了什么？”

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee." she replied.

“胡萝卜、鸡蛋和咖啡。”她答道。

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. Her face frowned from the strength of the coffee.

父亲让她走近点，要她去摸摸胡萝卜，她注意到，它们变软了。然后，他又要她去拿一个鸡蛋并把它敲破，在把壳剥掉之后，她观察了这个煮熟的鸡蛋。最后，父亲要她饮一口咖啡。咖啡很苦，她皱了皱眉。

Humbly, she asked. "What does it mean Father?"

“您想跟我说什么，父亲？”她问道。

He explained. "Each of them faced the same adversity, 212 degrees of boiling water. However each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. But after going through boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg was fragile. A thin outer shell protected a liquid center. But after sitting through the boiling water, it's inside became hardened. The coffee beans are unique however. After they were in the boiling water, it became stronger and richer."

父亲解释说，这三样东西面临着同样的逆境——煮沸的水。但它们的反应却各不相同。胡萝卜本是硬的，坚固而且强度大，但受到煮沸的水的影响后，它变得柔软而脆弱。鸡蛋本来易碎，薄薄的外壳保护着内部的液体。但是在经历过煮沸的水以后，它的内部却变得坚硬。不过，最独特的却是磨碎的咖啡豆，当它们被放入煮沸的水之后，它们改变了水。

"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?"

“哪一个是你呢？”他问女儿，“当逆境找上你时，你该如何应对呢？你是胡萝卜、鸡蛋、还是咖啡豆？”

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（来源：原版英语 编辑：崔旭燕）