每日必读英语美文：做到最好【中英文翻译】

   They say “Make the best of a bad situation”. But I believe the bad situation makes the best of you. Even the irritations1 of life can be useful. President Abraham Lincoln showed us how this is so. 
   One of his cabinet appointees2, Edwin Stanton, frequently found flaws with the president and criticized him ---- sometimes in public. Lincoln seemed to show excessive patience with him. The president was asked why he kept such a man in a high level position. 
   Lincoln characteristically responded with a story. He told about a time he was visiting with an old farmer. He noticed a big horsefly3 biting the flank4 of the farmer’s horse. Lincoln said he reached over to brush the fly away. As he did so, the farmer stopped him and cautioned5, “Don’t do that, friend. That horsefly is the only thing keeping this old horse moving.” 
   Even life’s many irritations and problems have their place. They may cause us to change directions. Or prod6 us to greater achievement. Or keep us moving along when it’s easier to go nowhere. 
   Are you simply making the best of a bad situation, or will it make the best of you? 

【翻译】

他们说 “Make the best of a bad situation”但我相信糟糕的情况会让你变得最好。即使是生活中的烦恼1也可能是有用的。亚伯拉罕·林肯总统向我们展示了这是如何发生的。
他的内阁任命人员之一2 埃德温·斯坦顿 （Edwin Stanton） 经常发现总统的缺点----有时还公开批评他。林肯似乎对他表现出了过度的耐心。有人问总统为什么让这样一个人担任高级职位。
林肯以一个故事作为回应。他讲述了有一次他拜访一位老农民的经历。他注意到一只大马蝇3 咬住了农夫的马的侧面4。林肯说，他伸手把苍蝇拂走了。当他这样做时，农夫阻止了他并警告 5，“不要那样做，朋友。那只马蝇是让这匹老马继续前进的唯一东西。
甚至生活中的许多烦恼和问题也有其位置。他们可能会促使我们改变方向。或者促使我们取得更大的成就。或者让我们在更容易无处可去的时候继续前进。
您只是在充分利用糟糕的情况下，还是它会充分利用您？