英语美文：做到最好

英语美文：做到最好
   They say “Make the best of a bad situation”. But I believe the bad situation makes the best of you. Even the irritations1 of life can be useful. President Abraham Lincoln showed us how this is so. 
   One of his cabinet appointees2, Edwin Stanton, frequently found flaws with the president and criticized him ---- sometimes in public. Lincoln seemed to show excessive patience with him. The president was asked why he kept such a man in a high level position. 
   Lincoln characteristically responded with a story. He told about a time he was visiting with an old farmer. He noticed a big horsefly3 biting the flank4 of the farmer’s horse. Lincoln said he reached over to brush the fly away. As he did so, the farmer stopped him and cautioned5, “Don’t do that, friend. That horsefly is the only thing keeping this old horse moving.” 
   Even life’s many irritations and problems have their place. They may cause us to change directions. Or prod6 us to greater achievement. Or keep us moving along when it’s easier to go nowhere. 
   Are you simply making the best of a bad situation, or will it make the best of you? 

   人们常说：“用最好的办法处理逆境。”但我相信逆境会让你做到最好，就连生活中让你烦恼的事都可能会有用处的。亚伯拉罕·林肯总统就向我们展示了这一点。 
   他手下的一名内阁官员埃德温·斯坦顿经常找他的缺点，并以此指责他——有时候还在公开场合这样做。林肯对他似乎一直都很忍让。有人问总统为什么要把这样一个人放在高层位置上。 
   林肯的回答很特别，他讲了一个故事。他说有一次他去拜访一位老农，注意到一只大马蝇正在咬马的肋腹。林肯说他伸手去驱赶那只马蝇，但老农阻止了他，并警告说：“别赶它，朋友。那只马蝇是唯一能让这匹老马活动的东西。” 
   即便是生活中许多令人烦恼和棘手的事情都有它存在的必要。它们或许会让我们改变方向，或许会促使我们取得更大的成就，或许会在我们容易懈怠的时候促使我们继续前进。 
   你是用最好的办法处理逆境，还是在它的促使下做到最好？