Words and Phrases

So they pool those desires.

pool:动词,共用，聚拢（资金、知识、设备等） If a group of people or organizations pool their money, knowledge, or equipment, they share it or put it together so that it can be used for a particular purpose.看到pool时，立马想到的是水池，swimming pool, 没想到还可以用作动词，好新奇。pool本义为池子，那就聚集东西，联想为聚拢，共用

e.g. We must do our utmost to pool ideas and information to make a sound plan.

All that did was to exacerbate the problem.

exacerbate:(formal) to make sth worse, especially a disease or problem使恶化；使加剧；使加重

e.g. Air populltion exacerbeted the environmental problem.

Both were initially acting in good faith.

in good faith:诚心诚意，真诚地

e.g. We have to act in good faith, so we are able to achieve win/win.

Buddhism calls this "the middle way".

the middle way: 中庸之道

e.g.The middle way does not mean to compromise, but to seek to a third alternative.

Thoughts

看到那个丈夫准备好去度假钓鱼而妻子则希望回去看望母亲的例子，挺有感触的，因为生活这样的例子比比皆是。大家都有了自己计划，然后发现大家在背道而驰，最后总是有一个人在妥协，委屈自己，变成了win/lose。但这样已经破坏了美好的氛围，得到成全的人心里背负负罪感，委屈自己的人也不舒心，变成两败俱伤了。然后作者提出the third alternative第三选择，彼此之间put themselves in other's shoes , think win/win, seek first to understand, 不要妥协，这样的效果则是一百八十度大转变，彼此能明白对方的热切需求，彼此都能理解对方的处境，最后能够更加友好易于接受的解决问题，切合"the middle way"中庸之道。

Valuing the differences, 很赞成这个观点，与"我有一个苹果，你有一个苹果，我们俩交换，还是彼此只有一个苹果；但如果我有一种思想，你有一种思想，我们交换，我们就有了两种思想"有所契合。拥抱不同的观点，才会有思想的碰撞，才会看得开阔高远。