📖 Reading 12: How Minglan Dealt With Rude Old Servants （明兰如何收拾刁蛮的老下人）
难度：B1 基础级 | 词数：234 | 建议用时：10分钟
💡 学习目标：学完掌握问题解决句型，轻松描述如何处理棘手的人事问题
🎬 剧情提示：对应明兰整顿侯府下人戏份，杀鸡儆猴的管理智慧
核心词汇 · 先扫一眼，读起来更顺
📖 阅读原文

There were some old servants in the Marquis's house. They had worked for the family for many years, so they thought highly of themselves. They looked down on the new hostess Minglan, and often worked lazily and spread gossip behind her back.

Minglan did not shout at them or punish them right away. She first watched quietly and collected clear evidence of their mistakes. Then she called all the servants together, and listed their faults one by one in public. She punished the leading servants strictly according to the family rules: some had their money cut, and some were sent away from the house. Everything was fair and clear, and no one could say a word against it.

After this, all the servants in the house became honest and hard-working. They finally understood that their young hostess was soft in appearance but firm in principle.

📖 参考译文 读完原文再对照，加深理解

侯府里有一些老下人。他们在府里当差很多年了，就自视甚高。他们看不起新来的主母明兰，干活常常偷懒，还爱在背后说闲话。

明兰没有冲他们大喊大叫，也没有立刻就罚。她先是不动声色地看着，把他们犯错的证据都收集得明明白白。然后，她把所有下人都叫到一起，当众把他们的过错一条一条列出来。她照着家法，严厉地惩罚了带头的人：有的扣了月钱，有的直接赶出了府。一切都公平公正、清清楚楚，谁也说不出半个不字。

经过这件事，府里所有的下人都变得老实勤快了。他们终于明白了，这位年轻的主母，看着软，骨子里却有原则、有底线。

✍️ 读后练习 · 表达输出
1. 信息补全（回顾原文，巩固核心表达）

① they highly of themselves

② they often worked lazily and spread behind her back

③ she collected clear of their mistakes

④ she was soft in appearance but in principle

2. 句型活用（学完就能用）

原文句型：Everything was fair and clear, and no one could say a word against it.

请用这个句型，结合自己的生活造一个句子。

示例：The rules were fair and clear, and no one could say a word against them.

💚 成长思考
🤔 What do you think is the best way to deal with people who don't respect you?
💡 管人不是靠嗓门大，而是靠证据、靠规矩、靠公平。你有理有据，别人自然心服口服。
【练习参考答案】

1. 信息补全：① thought   ② gossip   ③ evidence   ④ firm