狂风大作，我仍安睡

How do you handle adversity? What are you thinking when the sun goes down on those cold, windy nights, when you're trying to get to sleep, and the wind keeps swirling and howling through your bedroom windows?

你如何应对逆境？当太阳落山，寒冷且狂风大作的夜晚来临时；你正打算入睡，大风却窗外席卷咆哮，你还能安心入睡吗？

Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.

多年前，有一位农场主拥有大西洋沿岸的一片土地。他不断地打广告招聘农场工人。大多数人都不愿意在大西洋沿岸的农场工作。他们惧怕那掠过大西洋，会对建筑和农作物造成严重破坏的可怕风暴。

As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer.

不断有应聘者前来面试，但一直没人愿意留下来接受这份工作。最终，一位应聘者来到了农场主面前，他是一位身材瘦小，年过中年的男子。

"Are you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked him. "Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man. Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work. Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore.

“你会成为一名优秀的农场工人吗？”农场主问他。“会的。当窗外狂风呼啸时，我仍能睡得安稳。”小个子男子回答道。虽然对这样的回答感到困惑，但农场主寻求帮手的心情急切，随即雇佣了他。此后，这位小个子男子在农场工作得非常好，每天都会从黎明忙到黄昏，农场主对他的工作很是满意。直到一天晚上，一阵狂风从海上咆哮而来。

Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!"

农场主从床上跳下来，抓起一盏提灯，冲向隔壁那个小个子男子的睡房。他一边摇动着小个子男子的身体，一边大声喊道：“快起来！风暴就要来啦！赶快用绳子把农场里的东西捆起来，不然大风会把它们吹跑的！”

The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows." Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot.

小个子男子在床上翻过身来，坚定地说：“不用去，先生。我告诉过您，当窗外狂风呼啸时，我仍能睡得安稳。”农场主被这一回答激怒了，禁不住要当场将他辞退。

Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away.

但，他还是匆忙跑到外面，先准备迎接风暴的到来。令他惊讶的是，他发现所有的干草堆都盖上了防水油布。奶牛已在畜棚里，鸡已在鸡笼内，门上已钉好了木条。百叶窗已被牢牢固定。所有该捆绑的东西都已捆绑好了。任何东西都不会被大风吹跑。

The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew. Can you sleep when the wind blows? When you're prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear.

此时此刻，农场主终于明白了那个小个子男子的意思。于是，他回到自己的床上，像小个子男子一样安稳地入睡了，任凭窗外狂风肆虐。当窗外狂风呼啸时，你是否能睡得安稳？任何境况下，只要你的身心已做好充分的准备，你就是无所畏惧的。

Father's words

父亲的话

His father's constant 'nagging' was annoying him to his wits end every single day; "You are leaving the room without switching off the light”, "The TV is on in the room where there is no one. Switch it off!” etc. etc...

父亲不停的“唠叨”令他不厌其烦——“你离开房间时怎么不关灯”；“屋里没人，电视机怎么还开着。关掉它！”等等等等......

Today, he had a job interview. "As soon as I get the job, I'll leave this town and become free from the nagging from my father" he thought.

今天，他要去参加一个求职面试。“只要我得到那份工作，我就离开这个城镇，摆脱我父亲的唠叨。”他这样想着。

On both sides of the lane to the interview office, he could see beautiful flowers. The gardener however, had kept the water running in the hose-pipe and was not to be seen anywhere. The water was overflowing on the lane. He lifted the hosepipe and placed it near one of the plants and went further.

在通往面试室的小路两侧，他看到了许多美丽的花朵。浇花的水管随意放置着，水不断地从水管中流出，而且到处不见园丁的踪影。水已经漫上了小路。他捡起水管，将其放在其中一株花卉旁，然后继续朝面试室走去。

When he arrived at the office where the interview would be held, he noticed that the door was open and that the latch was protruding out, probably hitting people when they were entering. He put the latch back properly, closed the door and entered the office.

到达面试室大楼门口时，他注意到门是打开的，门闩向外伸出，有人进入时可能会碰到。他将门闩放回正确的位置，关上门，然后走进了面试室大楼。

On his way upstairs to the room where the interview would be held, he noticed that the lights on the stairway were burning, even though there was plenty of daylight. He remembered his father's admonition, "Switch it off!" automatically, he switched off the light.

在通往楼上面试室的楼梯走廊上，他注意到，尽管这里阳光充足，照明灯却是打开的。他记起了父亲的告诫：“把它关掉！”。然后，他就不由自主地把灯关了。

He entered the hall with some trepidation and stepped on the "Welcome" mat placed near the door. He noticed that the mat was upside down. Irritated, and remembering his dad's voice again, he straightened out the mat.

他有些诚惶诚恐地走入了面试大厅，脚踩在了门旁的门毡上。他注意到门毡放颠倒了。这一状况刺激到了他的神经，耳边再次响起了父亲的声音，于是他俯身把门毡摆正了。

When it was his turn to be interviewed, he nervously stood before the interviewer.

轮到他接受面试时，他紧张地站在面试官面前。

The officer took the certificates from him and without looking at them asked: "When can you start to work?" He thought; "is this a trick question, or is this a signal that I have been offered the job?" He was confused.

面试官接过了他的各种证书，看都没看一眼，便问道：“你什么时候能来上班？”他心想：“这问题会不会有什么陷阱，还是这意味着我已经得到了这份工作？”他被搞糊涂了。

The boss explained: "We didn't ask anyone any question here. By asking a few questions we won't be able to assess the attitude of each applicant anyway. So we observed everyone through cameras in the building. No one who came today did anything to set right the latch at the door, the hose pipe, the welcome mat, or switched off the lights. You were the only one who did that. That's why we have decided to select you for the job."

老板解释说：“我们的面试不问应聘者任何问题。总之，我们无法通过问几个问题，就对应聘者的做事态度做出评价。所以我们会通过建筑物中的摄像头观察每个应聘者。今天来应聘的人，除了你以外，没有一个把门闩、水管、门毡重新放好，把灯关掉的。你是唯一一个做到的。这就是我们决定录用你的原因。”