The engine of a giant ship broke down, so the ship lost its power. The owner of the ship was very worried. The owner of the ship was very worried. He sent for one expert after another, but none of them could figure out (弄清楚) how to fix the engine. Then an old man who had been fixing ships since he was young was brought in.
The old man carried a large bag of tools with him. When he arrived, he went to work immediately. He examined the engine very carefully, from top to bottom. The owner of the ship stood there, watching the old man's every move. After looking things over, the old man reached into his bag and pulled out a small hammer (锤子). He tapped (敲打) something gently. The engine started back up at once. He then put his hammer away carefully. The engine was fixed
A week later, the owner of the ship received a bill from the old man for $ 10,000.
So he wrote the old man a note saying, Please send me an itemized (逐条记录的) bill.
The man sent a bill that read:
Tapping with a hammer -$2
Knowing where to tap -$9,998
Effort (努力) is important, but knowing where to put the effort in your life is more important.
