A farmer and his dog

A farmer and his dog

　One day, a farmer’s friend came to visit him, but the farmer was not at home. The farmer’s son told the guest¹, “My dad went to the farm. He will come back soon. Please wait for a moment.”

　About ten minutes later, the farmer arrived home with his dog. The dog gasped heavily². Seeing this, the guest asked the farmer, “Is your farm far away?”

　“No. Why do you say so?” asked the farmer.

　“Look! Your dog is gasping heavily,” said the guest.

　The farmer smiled and answered, “There is only one road from the farm to my home. I walked along the road, but my dog didn’t. When he saw one dog, he ran after him and played with him for a while. Then he came back to me. As soon as he saw another one, he started running after him again. That’s why he looks so tired.”

　If you want to reach a goal quickly, remember to ignore the distractions³ along the way, and just keep moving in the right direction.

Notes:

1. guest n. 客人

2. 意为：费力地喘气

3. 意为：不理会干扰物