2018中考英语课外阅读：Life is like a cup of coffee

中考网

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        　　A group of graduates got together to visit their old university professor.
       
        　　一群毕业生，各自在事业上都已有所建树，相约一起去看望他们年老的大学教授。
       
        　　The conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee， the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and a variety of cups—porcelain， plastic， glass， crystal， some plain-looking， some expensive， some exquisite—telling them to help themselves to the coffee.
       
        　　谈话一会儿就变成了各自对工作和生活压力的抱怨。在用咖啡招待这些客人时，教授去厨房端来一大壶咖啡，并拿出各式各样的咖啡杯——陶瓷的、塑料的、玻璃的、水晶的，有看上去普通的、有价值不菲的、有做工精细的——让他们自己倒咖啡喝。
       
        　　When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand， the professor said，
       
        　　当所有学生手中都端了一杯咖啡后，教授发话了：
       
        　　“If you have noticed， all the nice-looking expensive cups have been taken up， leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves， that is the source of your problems and stress. “
       
        　　“如果你们注意一下，就会发现所有好看的昂贵的杯子都被挑走了，剩下的只是那些普通的和便宜的。当然，每个人都只想拥有最好的，这很正常，但这也是你们的问题和压力的根源所在。”