A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose1. Her mother took her to the kitchen.
She filled three pots with water. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs and the last she placed ground coffee beans2. She let them sit and boil without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners3. She fished the carrots out4 and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled5 the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.
Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me, what do you see?”
“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.
She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled6 egg. Finally, she asked her to sip7 the coffee. The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma8.
The daughter then asked. “What's the point9, mother?”
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity10-boiling water-but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting11. However after being subjected to12 the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile13. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique14, however. After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.
“Which are you?” she asked her daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?”
Think of this: Which am I?
Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt15 and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable16 heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after death, a breakup17, a financial18 hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff19? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough20 with a spirit and a hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases21 the fragrance and flavor22. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate23 to another level?
How do you handle adversity?
一个年轻女子找到母亲，向她倾诉自己的生活状况，并抱怨世事的艰难。她不知该如何应对，打算放弃。她厌倦了打拼和奋斗。似乎一个问题解决了，新的问题又接踵而至。母亲将她引入厨房。
她将三个水壶装满水。在第一个壶里，她放进胡萝卜，第二个壶里放入鸡蛋，最后一个壶里放的是碾碎的咖啡豆渣。她一言不发，将壶静置于炉上煮沸。约莫20分钟后关掉炉子。她捞出胡萝卜放到一个碗里，然后捞出鸡蛋放入另一个碗里，最后用长柄勺舀出咖啡放入又一个碗中。
她转向女儿问道：“告诉我，你看到了什么？”
“胡萝卜、鸡蛋和咖啡，”她回答道。
她让女儿走近一些让她亲自感受一下胡萝卜。女儿照做了并注意到胡萝卜变软了。母亲又让女儿拿起一个鸡蛋将其砸破。剥掉蛋壳后，女儿看到一个煮老的鸡蛋。最后，母亲让女儿呷了一口咖啡。女儿笑了，因她品尝到咖啡的浓香。
女儿于是问：“这其中蕴涵有什么道理吗？”
母亲解释说：这里每样东西都面临同样的逆境——沸水的煎熬——然而他们各自的反应却大不相同。胡萝卜放入水壶时强硬不易折，然而经沸水煎煮后变得松软蔫弱。鸡蛋原本易碎，一层薄薄的蛋壳保护着里面的液态蛋清。但被沸水煮过之后，它的内心变得坚硬起来。然而与众不同的却是咖啡豆渣，沸水煮过之后，它令水改变了味道。
“你属于哪一类呢？”母亲问女儿。当不幸叩响你的大门，你如何应对？你是做胡萝卜、鸡蛋还是咖啡豆？
思量思量：我属于那一类？
我是貌似坚强的胡萝卜吗？经过痛苦和不幸之后，变得萎蔫、软弱从而丧失斗志？亦或是鸡蛋，开始有一颗柔弱易碎的心，但加热煮过后有所改变？我是否有如蛋清一般的性灵？历经死亡、崩溃、经济无助或其他的炼狱之后，心肠僵硬，无动于衷？看上去外表依旧，但灵魂和内心充满怨恨，练就一副铁石心肠？或许我象咖啡豆？事实上，咖啡豆改变了那壶水——给它带来苦难的真正元凶。热水煮过后，咖啡豆释放出馥郁芬芳。如果你是咖啡豆，当处境糟糕透顶时，你会发挥得更好，并一举改变周围的颓势。当你身处最黑暗的关头，备受命运折磨之际，你会上升到另一个高度吗？
面对逆境，你如何应对？
你愿做胡萝卜、鸡蛋还是咖啡豆？
1. arise v．出现
2． bean n．豆子
3． burner n．炉子
4． fish out 捞出
5． ladle v．（用长柄勺）舀
6． hard－boiled adj．煮老了的
7． sip [sip] v．呷（一口）
8． aroma n．芳香，香气
9． point n．中心意思；价值
10． adversity n．逆境；不幸
11． unrelenting adj．不屈挠的
12． be subjected to 遭受……经历
13． fragile adj．易碎的
14． unique adj．独特的
15． wilt [wilt] v．凋谢，枯萎
16． malleable adj．易受影响的；易变的
17． breakup n．破碎
18． financial adj．财务的；财力的
19． stiff [stif] adj．生硬的；拘谨的
20． bitter adj． 感觉怨恨的 tough [t?蘧f] adj． 强硬的
21． release v． 释放
22． fragrance n． 芳香的气味 flavour [?謖fleiv?藜] n．味道；特别的味道
23． elevate v．将……提到更高的地位