t was the end of my exhausting first day as a waitress in a busy New York restaurant. My cap had gone awry， my apron was stained， and my feet ached. The loaded trays I carried felt heavier and heavier. Weary and discouraged， I didnt seem able to do anything right.

As I made out a complicated check for a family with several children who had changed their ice-cream order a dozen times， I was ready to quit.

Then the father smiled at me as he handed me tip. “Well done，” he said， “youve looked after us really well.” Suddenly my tiredness vanished. I smiled back， and later， when the manager asked me how Id liked my first day. I said， “Fine！” Those few words of praise had changed everything.

在紐約一家生意興隆的餐館做女招待的第一天就要結(jié)束了，我感到筋疲力盡。我的帽子歪了，圍裙上污跡斑斑，雙腳疼痛難忍，手上端的盛著食物的托盤感覺越來越重。我既疲倦又沮喪，似乎什么事情都沒能干好。

一個有好幾個小孩的家庭正在用餐，他們點冰激凌時換來換去十幾次，就在為他們開好復雜的賬單后，我準備辭職不干了。

這時，那位父親一邊把小費遞給我，一邊對我微笑?！案傻貌诲e?！彼f，“你把我們照顧得真周到?！鳖D時，我倦意全無。我對他也報以微笑。后來，經(jīng)理問我第一天上班的感覺如何，我說：“好極了！”那幾個贊美之詞改變了一切。endprint