The Well

At the community garden, the old hand-pump well has gone muddy; algae and silt fill the bottom. Children no longer fill bottles there, and even the sparrows that once bathed nearby stay away. The well still stands, but no one can drink from it. The neighbors first admit neglect before any repair.

社区花园的老手压井积了淤泥，水浑得不能喝。以前来喝水的小孩不再靠近，连常在井边洗澡的麻雀也飞走了。井还在，却已不是活水。邻居们先承认长久疏忽，才谈得上清理。

Ask yourself: What neglected shared thing near you still exists but no longer nourishes anyone?

想一想：你身边有什么被忽视的共享之物，还在却已不能滋养人？

A neighbor tries to draw water, but the old pipe sends it sideways into a garden pond where minnows dart, while the collection jar has a crack and leaks onto the path. The source has water; the route to thirsty people fails. They must fix the jar and pipe, not just praise the spring.

邻人想打水，旧管子却把水斜送到园中池塘，池里小鱼游动；接水的陶瓮又裂了缝，水漏到小路。井里有水，送到人手里的路却断了。他们需要修瓮、修管，而不只是赞叹泉源。

Ask yourself: Where is the channel between a good source and the people who need it leaking?

想一想：好源头和需要的人之间，哪一段通道正在漏失？

The well is cleaned and the water is clear, yet the garden group still buys bottled water and walks past it. A volunteer feels the waste. A local councillor notices the clean well, arranges a simple sign and rota, and the whole garden can benefit.

井已淘净，水也清了，可花园小组仍买瓶装水，路过井边不取。一位志愿者为此难过。后来社区负责人看见这口干净的井，安排简单的取水说明和值日轮排，使整片花园都能受益。

Ask yourself: Who could help a ready resource reach the people who need it?

想一想：谁能帮一个已备好的资源，连接到真正需要它的人？

Before any grand reopening, two neighbors spend a Saturday resetting loose stones in the well wall and sealing cracks. No one draws water that day; the work is unseen. Yet without this repair, the well would collapse again. The line says modest maintenance is no fault.

还没到热闹的重启，两位邻居先花一个周六，把井壁松动的石块重新砌好，又补上裂缝。那天没人打水，工作也不显眼。但若不做这步，井还会塌。爻辞说，朴实的维护没有过错。

Ask yourself: What quiet repair are you tempted to skip because no one will praise it?

想一想：哪一项无人喝彩的安静修补，是你差点跳过的？

After testing, the water runs cold and clear. An older neighbor takes the first cup, then a child, then a gardener. The well is no longer a project or a symbol; it is drink. The line's 'cold spring is eaten' means the source finally reaches a body and quenches thirst.

检测之后，井水清冽冰凉。老邻居先喝第一杯，接着是小孩，再是园丁。井不再只是一个工程或象征，而是可以入口的水。九五的“寒泉食”落到具体的人身上：泉源终于解了渴。

Ask yourself: When have you let a long-prepared good actually reach you or someone else?

想一想：你何时让一份久已备好的好，真正到达自己或别人身上？

The pump now works, the water is clear, and the neighbors could lock the well or ration it. Instead they leave the cover open and share a rota. People pass filled jars to one another, and trust grows. The well is complete only when its water stays available, not hoarded after success.

泵修好了，水也清了，邻居们本可以把井锁起来，或按份额配给。他们却敞开井盖，轮班共享。人们把装满的瓶子彼此传递，信任也长起来。井的完成，不在成功后私占，而在水仍可被众人取用。

Ask yourself: What good becomes more trustworthy when you leave it open to others?

想一想：什么好处，若向他人敞开，反而更让人信任？