分享刚从美国语文读的一篇文章knowledge is power

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1. "What an excellent thing is. knowledge !" said a sharp looking, bustling, little man, to one who was much older than himself. "Knowledge is an excellent thing!" repeated he; "my boys know more at six and seven years of age, than I did at twelve.
2. "They can read all sorts of books, and talk on all sorts of subjects. The world is a great deal wiser than it used to be. Every body knows something of every thing now. Do you not think, sir, that knowledge is an excellent thing 1"
3. "Why, sir," replied the old man, looking gravely, "that depends entirely upon the use, to which it is applied. It may be either a blessing or a curse. Knowledge is only an
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increase of power, and power may be a bad as well as a good thing."
4. "That is what I can not understand," said the bustling, little man. "How can power be a bad thing 1"
5. "I will tell you," meekly replied the old man, and thus he went on;—" when the power of a horse is under restraint, the animal is useful in bearing burdens, drawing loads, and carrying his master; but when that power is unrestrained, the horse breaks his bridle, dashes his carriage to pieces, or throws his rider."
"I see! I see !" said the little man.
6. "When the water of a pond is properly conducted by trenches, it renders the fields around-fertile; but when it bursts through its banks, it sweeps every thing before it, and destroys the produce of the field."
"I see ! I see !" said the little man, "I see!"
7. "When a ship is steered aright, the sail that she hoists, enables her the sooner to get into port; but if steered wrong, the more sail she carries, the farther she will go out of her course."
"I see! I see!" said the little man, "I see clearly!"
8. "Well then," continued the old man, "if you see these-things so clearly, I hope you can see, too, that knowledge, to be a good thing, must be rightly applied. God's grace in the heart will render the knowledge of the head a blessing; but without this, it may prove to us no better than a curse."
"I see! I see! I see !" said the little man, "I see!"