“To pour oil on troubled waters” means trying to calm things down. Oil is lighter than water. If a ship is in trouble at sea, another ship may come to help it. The second ship can send small boats to rescue people. However, it may first pour oil on the sea to make the sea less rough.

If I’m a hunter, trying to catch birds, it’s better to catch one bird than to see two birds in a bush but not be able to catch them. Thus this means that what you have already got is better than the chance of being able to get something bigger in the future.

A pipe is a musician. The man who employs or pays a musician can say what tunes the man will play. Thus this means that if a man provides the money for a plan, he can say how it will be carried out.

If a dog bites me, I shall be twice as careful in future when I see it. This proverb is applied to many things and not only to dogs. If you have been cheated at a shop, you will not go to the same shop again.

“You can’t get blood out of a stone” means that you can’t get something from a person who has not got any of the things you want. For example, you can’t expect a million dollars from a poor man.

This means “don’t be selfish”. In a stable, the manger is the place where the horse’s food is put. Sometimes a dog will sleep in the manger and bark when a horse comes to get its food. The dog doesn’t want to eat the hay in the manger and bark when a horse eats it.

Sometimes people come into your life and you know at once that they were sure to be there. They serve some certain purpose, teach you a lesson or help find out who you are or who you want to become. You never know who these people may be: your classmate, neighbor, teacher, long-lost friend or even a real stranger. But you know that every moment they will influence your life in some serious way.

Sometimes things happen to you. At the time they may seem terrible, painful and unfair. But later you realize that without overcoming those difficulties, you would have never realized your further ability and advantages. Everything happens for a reason and nothing happens by chance or with good or bad luck.

The people you meet influence your life, and the success and failure you experience create who you are. Even the bad experience can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the most poignant and important ones.

Enjoy every day even every moment and take from it everything that you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people whom you have never talked to before, and really listen. You should set your goals high, hold your head up, tell yourself you are a great one and believe in yourself.

You can make your life anything you wish. Create your own life and then go out and live it.

“What is success?” Mr Gruber asked his 6th grade business class. It was his opening conversation for the first class of the term.

“Success is riding in a sweet car, watching an 80-inch TV, and living in a place with at least twelve rooms.” One student answered, earning laughs from all the students.

Mr Gruber smiled, but shook his head. “Tom, that is excess(过量). That is not success.”

“How about being able to provide for your family?” A blonde girl named Sandy in the front suggested as an answer.

“Now we’re getting closer,” Mr Gruber smiled, “but try thinking about what you need and what you want.”

“Getting everything you want.” Tom shouted out an answer again, trying for more laughs.

Mr Gruber sighed. “I believe we’ve already talked about excess versus(与……比较) success.” “Getting everything you need, but some of what you want?” James, sitting in the back wondered aloud.

“Quite right!” Mr Gruber clapped. “Success is getting everything you need and some of what you want. The more you get that you want, the more successful you are. You do reach a point where you are living in excess, though.”

“What does this have to do with business?” Tom asked. It seemed if it wasn’t funny, he wasn’t happy.

“Well, Tom, think of it this way: the point of business is to make a living to support your family. Once you have properly seen to (确保) their needs, you can then see to getting the extras that you want.”

“What if I don’t have a family?” he continued to be difficult.

“Then you have to provide for yourself, a family of one.”

“He has goldfish to think about!” Peter, Tom’s friend, shouted out.

“Then he needs to provide for a family of one with a fishbowl.” Mr. Gruber corrected himself.

Tom nodded, satisfied with that answer.

“So in the next nine weeks, we’re going to study basic business situations, like having a checking account and understanding credit cards.”

Tom rubbed his hands together excitedly. “When do we get to start spending?”

“You already are, Tom. You’re spending time with us!” Mr. Gruber laughed. “Now, let’s see what you guys know about credit cards…”