知識的價值

有一個工程師在一家公司工作30年，退休了，他對該公司的機器及產品如指掌。幾年後，該公司的一套機器故障，全公司的人都沒法找出問題來。絕望中，他們只好找這位退休的工程師。

這位工程師接受挑戰，看了一個小時之後，從上衣口袋拿出一枝粉筆，用粉筆在一零件上畫了一個大叉叉，說是這就是你們的問題。

公司把零件換了，機器操作正常。

但是不久公司收到一張十萬元的帳單，是這位退休工程師的收費。公司老闆火大了，認為一個小時不值這麼多錢，就要求送一張明細表。

這位退休工程師的回函是：
粉筆　　　　　　　　　$　　1
知道在哪里畫粉筆叉叉　$99,999

——以後當有人輕視知識的價值時，請告訴他這篇文章。

Not A Failure

Not A Failure
Pang
(Lines from Edmonton to my best friend in Edmonton)


            English is my weakest subject, and
I'm sure that I must put a lot of effort on it,
                                      or I will fail for sure.
                                     Upon the bookshelf
   standing the practice books you gave me,
        reminding me to do exercise everyday.

I would concentrating on other subjects,
but not English;                         
I would doing something else                  
rather than studying English;   
I would trying to make it behind              
so that it's out of my sight;      
I would sitting on somewhere                
  for a day with no purpose; And
I would tell myself that                          
“I'm not escaping from it”,   
even though my heart say I am.               

You know I'm relatively lazy, and
everytime you want to talk about English
I would talk something else.
Now, you score 73 in English.
And I got same numbers, but reversed.
I found difficulty in English, but
I just couldn't tell the difficulty and seek for help.
Writing, Reading, Listening, Speaking,
None of them I can do it well.
And I said I want to quit,
Not looking at you I knew that
you were really angry.
"If you're a failure, then quit!" you said and left.

I ' m   n o t   a   f a i l u r e ;
I   w i l l   n e v e r   q u i t ;
I failed once, but I won't fail to try.

Very Tried

I don't know what to do in these moments,
It's the second week of this semester.
There are tons of homework and assignments,
And she phones me to go out for supper.
Books, notes, and papers cover my table;
Shirts, pants, and jackets cover my pillow.
My condition is very terrible,
My energy level is very low.
For now I'm interested in nothing,
In my red eyes, everything's ugly.
After supper she wants to go dancing,
When I refuse her, she becomes angry.
I wish I could leave and have a shower,
Sleep for a day, not buy her a flower.

                       by Pang