This single stick now is ingloriously lying in that neglected corner.
Once it was in a forest, full of sap, leaves and boughs1; now in vain someone has tried to compete with nature by tying that withered2 bundle of twigs3 to its trunk. It is now the reverse of what it was: a tree turned upside down, the branches on the earth, and the root in the air. It is now handled by a maid, and makes other things clean but itself dirty. In the end, worn out in the service of the maids, it is either thrown out, or used as firewood.
When I saw it I sighed, and said within myself: surely man is a broomstick. Nature sends him into the world strong and lusty. He wears his own hair, just like a tree with flourishing leaves and branches. Later, the axe5 of intemperance6 cuts off his green branches and leaves him a withered trunk, and he puts on a wig4 and covers himself with powder. This broomstick is proud of all the branches added to him; yet they are covered with dust. Though the dust is from the finest lady's chamber7, we ridicule8 it, and despise its vanity. We are partial judges, that is, partial to our own excellencies and other men's faults.
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一根掃帚把灰溜溜地躺在無人注意的角落。
曾經(jīng)在樹林里，它樹液充沛，枝葉繁茂；如今變了樣，卻還有人自作聰明，想靠手藝同大自然競(jìng)爭(zhēng)，拿來一束枯枝捆在它的身上，結(jié)果卻是枉費(fèi)心機(jī)。不過是顛倒了它原來的位置，使它枝干朝地，根梢向天。它在女仆的手里使用，從此受命運(yùn)擺布，把別人打掃干凈，自己卻落得個(gè)又臟又臭。而在女仆們的手里折騰過多次之后，或者被扔出門外，或者作為引火的柴禾被燒掉了。
我看到了這一切，不盡興嘆，自言自語一番：人不也是一根掃帚么？大自然送他入世之初，他是強(qiáng)壯有力的，精力充沛，滿頭的好發(fā)，就像一株枝葉齊全的植物。但不久貪婪就像一把斧子砍掉了他的青枝綠葉，只留給他一根枯株。他趕緊戴上頭套，擦上香粉。這把掃帚因?yàn)榘岩恍﹦e的樹條收集到身上而得意洋洋，其實(shí)這些枝條上盡是灰土。即使是最高貴的夫人房里的塵土，我們也一定會(huì)嘲笑它的虛榮吧！我們就是這樣偏心的審判官，偏于自己的優(yōu)點(diǎn)，別人的毛病。 作文培訓(xùn)，就來蘇州易優(yōu)作文 http://www.zequeka.cn/minifoRm.html
1 boughs
大樹枝( bough的名詞復(fù)數(shù) )
參考例句：
The green boughs glittered with all their pearls of dew. 綠枝上閃爍著露珠的光彩。 A breeze sighed in the higher boughs. 微風(fēng)在高高的樹枝上嘆息著。
2 withered
adj. 枯萎的，干癟的，（人身體的部分器官）因病萎縮的或未發(fā)育良好的動(dòng)詞wither的過去式和過去分詞形式
參考例句：
The grass had withered in the warm sun. 這些草在溫暖的陽光下枯死了。 The leaves of this tree have become dry and withered. 這棵樹下的葉子干枯了。
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3 twigs
細(xì)枝，嫩枝( twig的名詞復(fù)數(shù) )
參考例句：
Some birds build nests of twigs. 一些鳥用樹枝筑巢。 Willow twigs are pliable. 柳條很軟。
4 wig
n.假發(fā)
參考例句：
The actress wore a black wig over her blond hair.那個(gè)女演員戴一頂黑色假發(fā)罩住自己的金黃色頭發(fā)。 He disguised himself with a wig and false beard.他用假發(fā)和假胡須來喬裝。
5 axe
n.斧子；v.用斧頭砍，削減
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參考例句：
Be careful with that sharp axe.那把斧子很鋒利，你要當(dāng)心。 The edge of this axe has turned.這把斧子卷了刃了。
6 intemperance
n.放縱
參考例句：
Health does not consist with intemperance. 健康與縱欲［無節(jié)制］不能相容。 來自《現(xiàn)代英漢綜合大詞典》 She accepted his frequent intemperance as part of the climate. 對(duì)于他酗酒的惡習(xí)，她安之若素。 來自辭典例句
7 chamber
n.房間，寢室；會(huì)議廳；議院；會(huì)所
參考例句：
For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.對(duì)許多人來說，牙醫(yī)的治療室一直是間受刑室。 The chamber was ablaze with light.會(huì)議廳里燈火輝煌。 蘇州小升初語文閱讀寫作培訓(xùn)課程推薦，<a http://www.zequeka.cn/miniform/view_17.html>蘇州小升初語文閱讀寫作培訓(xùn)課程推薦</a>。
8 ridicule
v.譏諷，挖苦；n.嘲弄
參考例句：
You mustn't ridicule unfortunate people.你不該嘲笑不幸的人。 Silly mistakes and queer clothes often arouse ridicule.荒謬的錯(cuò)誤和古怪的服裝常會(huì)引起人們的訕笑
