Sparklingeng
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加入时间: 2009/04/03
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Flashbacks of My Life
Lao She
Chapter 2
As I implied earlier, had I stuck to the paper craftsman skills, I would have starved to death already. Nonetheless, although the skills are no longer useful, I don’t mean to imply that the three years of training as an apprentice didn’t bring me many benefits. On the contrary, that experience is a lifetime asset to me. I can lay down the tools, and pick up another business, but the skills will always be a part of me. Even after my death, when people comment on my character they shall remember that I was once trained as an apprentice for three years.
For an apprentice, half of the work was to learn skill, and the other half was to learn discipline. Everyone has fears when he first becomes an apprentice. You have to put up all the injustices, which was a rule at the workshop. The apprentices were the first to get up and last to go to bed. They had to follow all the orders and accept being bossed around. They subjected themselves to serving all people, swallowed the bitterness, pains, and tears and still pretend to be happy. I was trained in my master’s home. After the master vented his anger on me, I had to take whatever else came from the mistress at the same time. After going through three years of this, the most stubborn man would be bowed whereas the weakest person would become tough. I think it is fair to say that the character of an apprentice is not born. Instead, it is shaped by beatings and trials. Just like a blacksmith who can shape the iron to whatever he wants through hammering.
At those times when I had to put up with excessive beatings and mental torture, I did want to die. This was not something a man could bear. However, in retrospect, such disciplining and beating was as valuable as gold. After going through all this, there is nothing in the world you can’t put up with. For example, if I were drafted, I could be a good soldier. Soldiers can at least take a break between drills. Apprentices didn’t get any rest other than sleep. I would even doze off while I was having a movement, because when I had to work overtime during the nights, I only got 3 or 4 hours of sleep. I also learned to swallow a meal in one bite. Whenever I picked up my bowl, either my master or mistress would immediately call me, or otherwise a customer came and I would have to listen very carefully to how my master haggled with the customer over the prices. What else could I do if I didn’t finish the whole meal in one bite? Such experiences made me tougher and I learned to manage to put on a smiling face in spite of any difficulties The intellectual type, in my humble opinion, would never understand this. The students of today in western schools think it is a great accomplishment just to run a couple of times around the track at a sports meeting. They are pampered and massaged with rubbing alcohol and get to sit in cars. Even with all this, they are still temperamental. Those scions, what do they know about discipline and training? With that being said, it was the hardships that gave me the uncomplaining and hardworking attitude I now possess. I would never let myself be idle and I have no temperament while working. I’m as tough and resilient as a soldier and far more amenable.
要看全章翻译，请到我的翻译博客，大家一起切磋切磋！
第一章 http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_5dfdab810100c77p.html
第一章录音 http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_5dfdab810100ccit.html
第二章 http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_5dfdab810100cmaf.html |
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