本帖最后由 ヮ成熟、羙° 于 2013-12-27 04:39 编辑
通向广场的路不止一条
荷叶/译
我们站在意大利一个小镇教堂的塔顶上。爸爸带我来到这里，离我们罗马的家并不太远。我不明就里。
“向下看，埃尔莎。”我鼓足勇气向下观看，我看到了村子中央的广场。我还看到了通向广场的弯弯曲曲相互交错的街道。“你瞧，亲爱的，”爸爸温柔地说：“通向广场的路不止一条，生活也一样。如果走一条路到不了你想去的地方，可以尝试走另一条路。”
现在我才懂爸爸带我来这儿的用意。那天早些时候，我恳求妈妈对学校供应的恶劣午餐采取点措施。但她拒绝了，因为她根本不相信学校的午餐会那样糟糕。
我转而求助父亲，他不愿干预。而是把我带到这个高塔上，给我上了一课。到家的时候，我已成竹在胸。
第二天，我偷偷地把学校午餐供应的汤倒进瓶子带回了家。然后，我说服厨师晚餐时把它端给妈妈喝。这一招很奏效。她喝了一勺，立刻喷了出来。“厨师一定是疯了！”我立即告诉她我做的一切，妈妈坚定地说第二天就去学校交涉这个问题！
在以后的岁月中，我也常常记起爸爸给我上的这一课。我知道自己的生活目标，我想当一名时装设计师。在我第一次走向小小的成功时，我前进的路受阻了。我正忙于筹备冬季服装展，离发布会只有十三天时，我的缝纫女工被通知罢工。我发现自己只剩下一位裁缝和一位缝纫部负责人。我和自己的模特儿和售货女郎一样沮丧。“我们怎么也赶不上了。”其中一人叫道。
我想，这是对爸爸的话的又一次严峻的考验。这次的出路在哪里？我一筹莫展，忧心忡忡。要么取消发布会，要么展出未完工的服装。我突然想到：为什么不能展出未完工的服装？
我们匆忙赶制，就在第十三天，斯基亚帕服装展准时开幕。
这是一次什么样的时装展呀！一些外衣还没有袖子，另一些只有一只袖子。许多服装还只是雏形，只是一些厚棉布做成的样衣。我们用别针把服装款式样图和面料别在上面。这样，我们得以展出完工后我们服装的颜色和质地将会是什么样子。
总之，这次展出与众不同。别出心裁，却非常成功。这次不同寻常的展出吸引了公众的关注，服装订单滚滚而至。
爸爸那番充满智慧的话再次为我指点迷津。通向广场的路的确不止一条。
附：原文
We were standing at the top of a church tower. My father had brought me to this spot in a small Italian town not far from our home in Rome. I wondered why. "Look down, Elsa," Father said. I gathered all my courage and looked down. I sawthe square in the centre of the village. And I saw the crisscross of twisting, turning streets leading to the square. "See,my dear, " Father said gently. "There is more than one way to the square. Life is like that. If you can’t get to the place where you want to go by one road, try another." Now I understood why I was there. Earlier that day I had begged my mother to do something about the awful lunches that were served at school. But she refused because she could not believe the lunches were as bad as I said. When I turned to Father for help, he would not interfere. Instead, he brought me to this high tower to give me a lesson. By the time we reached home, I had a plan. At school the next day, I secretly poured my luncheon soup into a bottle and brought ithome. Then I talked the cook into serving it to Mother at dinner. The plan worked perfectly. She swallowed one spoonful and sputtered, "The cook must have gone mad!" Quickly I told her what I had done, and Mother stated firmly that she would take up the matter of lunches at school the next day! Inthe years that followed I often remembered the lesson Father taught me. I knew where I wanted to go in life. I wanted to be a fashion designer. And on the way to my first small success I found the road blocked. I was busy getting ready to show my winter fashions. Then just 13 days before the presentation the sewing girls were called out on strike. I found myself left with one tailor and woman who was in charge of the sewing room! I was as gloomy as my models and salesgirls. "We’ll never make it," one of them cried. Here,I thought, is the test of all tests for Father’s advice. Where is the way out this time? I wondered and worried. I was certain we would have to call off the presentation or else show the clothes unfinished. Then it dawned on me. Why not show the clothes unfinished? We worked hurriedly. And, exactly 13 days later, right on time, the Schiaparelli showing took place. What a showing it was! Some coats had no sleeves; others had only one. Many of our clothes were still in an early stage. They were only patterns made of heavy cotton cloth. But on these we pinned sketches and pieces of material. In thisway we were able to show that what colors and textures the clothes would havewhen they were finished. All in all, the showing was different. It was so different that it was a great success. Our unusual showing caught the attention of the public, and orders for the clothes poured in. Father’s wise words had guided me once again. There is more than one way to the square always. | 
发表于 2013-12-27 04:31:30
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