The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is one of the great works by Mark Twain. The book is so interesting. Even today, it is quite popular among kids. Although I am in my thirties, the book remains one of my favorites. After re-reading the book recently, I have learned an important lesson from Tom Sawyer. In our daily lives, we are often given some boring or tiring tasks. What's in your mind when your mom tells you to clean the floor? Have you ever wanted to complain(抱怨)? I think most people have. |
Tom Sawyer, however, thought "differently" when he was given a boring task. One Saturday morning, Aunt Polly told Tom to paint the fence(篱笆). Tom's friend Ben Rogers happened to walk past. Instead of complaining, Tom told Ben that he felt "excited" about the task. "Only one in a thousand—maybe even two thousand—boys can do this!" Tom said.
Tom's words made Ben interested in the task. He even gave Tom his apple so that he could have a chance to paint the fence. If Tom had thought about nothing but complaining, he would have had a bad day painting the fence.
This story teaches me a valuable lesson: Complaining is useless. The next time you are given a boring or tiring task, don't complain. Unlike what happens in the story of Tom Sawyer, it is unlikely that someone will come and do the work for you. However, without complaining, you'll feel better and perhaps even do a better job!