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A man had seven sons, who were always quarreling.
有一個人，他有七個愛吵架的兒子。
They left their studies and work, to quarrel among themselves.
他們不顧學習和工作，互相吵個不停。
Some bad men were looking forward to the death of their father, to cheat them out of their property by making them quarrel about it.
有些壞人等著他們父親的死期到來，挑撥他們為家產而爭吵，到時好趁機騙取他們的財產。
The good old man, one day, called his sons around him.
有一天，善良的老人把兒子們都召集到身邊。
He laid before them seven sticks, which were bound together.
把綁在一起的七根棍子放在他們面前。
He said, "I will pay a hundred dollars to the one who can break this bundle."
說：“誰能把這一捆棍子折斷，我就給他一百美元。”
Each one strained every nerve to break the bundle.
每個人都使出了九牛二虎之力，花了很長時間還是徒勞無功。
After a long but vain trial, they all said that it could not be done.
他們都說，要折斷這些棍子根本辦不到。
"And yet, my boys," said the father, "nothing is easier to do."
“其實不然，我的孩子們，”父親說道，“沒有比這更容易做到的事情了。”
He then untied the bundle, and broke the sticks, one by one, with perfect ease.
說完他解開了繩子，毫不費勁地就把那七根棍子一根一根地折斷了。
"Ah!" said his sons, "it is easy enough to do it so; anybody could do it in that way."
“啊！”兒子們說，“這么做太容易了。用這種方式，任何人都做得到。”
Their father replied, "As it is with these sticks, so is it with you, my sons."
他們的父親回答道：“你們七兄弟就像這些棍子一樣，我的孩子們。
So long as you hold fast together and aid each other, you will prosper, and none can injure you.
只要你們緊密地團結在一起，互相幫助，你們就會取得成功，誰也不能傷害你們。
But if the bond of union be broken, it will happen to you just as it has to these sticks, which lie here broken on the ground.
但是，一旦打破了這種團結，你們就會像這些棍子一樣，一根一根地被折斷在地上。
Home, city, country, all are prosperous found, When by the powerful link of union bound.
家庭、城市、國家，無不是由各個部分強有力地連結而成的聯合體，只有團結一致，才能興盛發展。
