An elderly woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole that she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection. It spoke to the woman one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house."

The old woman smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house."

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.

从前有位老妇人，用两个大罐挑水回家，其中一个有条裂缝，另一个完好无损，挑回家滴水不漏。因为路途遥远，有裂缝的水罐从小河到家里，只剩下半罐水了。

这种情况持续了两年，好罐子很得意，而有裂缝的破罐子却很自卑，有一天在河边，它对老妇人说：“我身上有裂痕，一路漏水，每次到家都只剩半罐，我觉得很丢脸。”

老妇人笑道：“你发现没？你的那边路旁长满了鲜花，但另一边却没有，因为我知道你有缺陷，所以在路旁种了很多花，每天打水回来，你的罐子刚好浇灌了它们。两年来，我一直用这些美丽的花朵来装点餐桌。没有你的缺陷，我的屋子就不会生辉。”

我们每个人都有各自的缺陷，是这些缺陷让我们的生活更加有趣。重要的是，必须接受每个人的独特之处，从中发掘出美好的一面。

raymondzhou@chinadaily.com.cn

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（作者周黎明 中国日报网英语点津 编辑陈丹妮）