英語沙龍十年合集珍藏版第三輯The rich man and the poor man

所屬教程:英語沙龍十年合集珍藏版第三輯

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The rich man and the poor man

There once was a very rich man. He was so rich, he could have owned many cars, but instead he chose to drive a Ford. He could have owned many computers, but instead he chose an Apple. He could have owned many homes, but instead he chose to live in East LA. Because this man was rich, many people in his neighborhood knew him. And also because the man was rich, many people from outside of his neighborhood knew him too. Often, his doorbell would ring, and there on his threshold would stand someone who had come to ask for a donation¹⁾. Sometimes when the bell rang, it was a neighbor who had fallen into misfortune. The man would smile, embrace his neighbor, and place a generous sum into their hand. Sometimes when the bell rang, it was a charity²⁾ representing the starving children of Africa. The man would again smile, embrace the charity worker, and write a generous check.

One evening, when his doorbell was particularly quiet, this man decided to take a stroll. He headed off, idling along wherever the road wound. Every once in a while, a car passed, thumping out the latest rage in rap hit, and he soon found himself whistling one of these catchy³⁾ tunes to himself. Lost in the tune, he came suddenly upon a homeless bum lying in the midst of the side-walk. The bum wore a tattered sweater and ripped pants. He had shoes, but they didn’t even match. And oh. The smell. I can’t even describe that to you here because it would ruin your Thanksgiving dinner. Well, this unfortunate soul lying on the street saw the man and knew him. Certainly, the bum said to himself. This is the rich man who lives on the lane. Surely he can help me, for he has money at his disposal. But instead of reaching out his hand, the bum was overcome by a sudden bout of shame and hid his face. The man stood over this tattered figure. He reached down and touched the bum’s cheek, but the bum shrank away from him even further. The man’s eyes clouded slightly and he cracked a weak smile. Forgetting the tune he once whistled, the man slowly turned and walked back to his home.

Upon hearing the man retreat beyond the corner, the bum opened his eyes and sat up. There at his feet lay a crisp⁴⁾ ＄100.00 dollar bill. The bum grabbed the money and made a beeline for the nearest 7/11. Like all bums, this one’s first thought was to go blow the money on vodka⁵⁾. What a bum.

But, before he entered the store, he remembered the compassion of the man’s touch. This inspired him, and the bum decided then and there to turn his life around. The bum promptly bummed two dimes off an old lady. “Well. ”the lady replied. “You ain’t gonna spend this on alcohol?”The bum shook his head and stuck the money into the slot⁶⁾ of the nearest telephone. His broker answered and the bum said, “Hundred dollars. Invest it all in that company with the name Microsoft.”Since this was, as it turns out, the late-1980s, it took only a short while before the stock skyrocketed, and the bum found himself very well off indeed.

Back in East LA the years passed slowly. The generous man kept to life much as usual――taking evening strolls, whistling rap tunes, answering his door.

One day in particular, his doorbell rang, and there stood a finely dressed gentleman in a three piece suit. Uh oh, the man thought. Donation. But before he could do anything, his guest spoke.

“You’re the rich man, aren’t you？”his guest asked.

“What can I do for you？”the man responded automatically, so accustomed to being asked for things.

“It is not what you can do for me, ”answered his guest. “But what you have already done. ”

“What have I done for you？”the man asked in surprise.

“You’ve given me a second chance at life. Why, with your generous gift, I was able to invest the money and pull myself out of my poverty. I no longer wallow⁷⁾ in the grime and gutters⁸⁾, but I walk along crowded sidewalks with my head held high. I have you to thank for that.” Suddenly, the man recognized his guest. It was the old bum who’d been lying in the street. The man replied, “What I gave you, you did not ask for. I gave it simply because I saw you there and loved you. I would have given it to anyone in your position.”

“All the more reason to come and thank you, ”his guest said.

“But I am rich, ”replied the man. “I have many gifts to give. I don’t expect anything in return. ”

“Good, ”his guest said with a nod. “Because I don’t have anything to offer in return――whatever I have, you gave to me. All I wanted to do was come and thank you.”

The man stared as his guest reached out and took him into an embrace. It was the same gesture the man had so often offered to those at his door, yet this was the first time someone had offered it back. Tears filled the man’s eyes as his guest, a lowly bum off the street, held him in the most satisfying embrace he had ever received.

富人與窮人

曾經有過這樣一個非常富有的男人。他太有錢了, 他本可以擁有許多汽車, 但是實際上卻只開一輛福特；他本可以擁有許多計算機, 但是實際上卻只用一臺蘋果牌計算機；他本可以擁有許多住房, 但是實際上卻選擇了住在洛杉磯東部。由于他很闊, 左鄰右舍都認識他。同樣一個原因, 遠鄰外人也知道他。通常, 他的門鈴響起時, 門外總會站著請求募捐的人。有時, 按響門鈴的會是某個陷于困境的鄰居。他于是面帶微笑地擁抱一下來人, 并大方地將一大把鈔票塞到人家手中。有時門鈴響后見到的是代表非洲饑餓兒童的慈善團體。他便含著笑, 擁抱一下門外的慈善機構的來人, 隨之又簽上一張數目不小的支票。

一天晚上, 門外特別地安靜。這個男人便決定出去轉轉。沿著彎彎曲曲的街道, 他悠閑地一直往前漫步。從身邊駛過的汽車不時飄出強烈的說唱樂。于是很快地, 他也情不自禁地跟著其中一首曲調吹起了口哨。他專心一意地吹著口哨, 突然一個躺在人行道上的流浪漢吸引住他的目光。那個流浪漢的運動衫和褲子破舊襤褸。雖然穿著鞋, 可是各不相配。還有, 啊。那惡臭。我簡直無法在這里向你描述, 怕因此毀了你感恩節(jié)晚餐的胃口。言歸正傳。那個躺在路上的倒霉蛋同時也看到了他, 而且知道他是誰。“那位住在這個街道的富佬。肯定能幫助我, 因為他有很多錢。”流浪漢心中自忖。然而就在這瞬間, 一種羞愧感忽然油然而生。于是, 他的手沒有伸出去, 而是把自己的臉藏了起來。富人站在這個衣衫襤褸的流浪漢的身旁, 俯下身, 輕輕地撫摸了一下他的面頰, 但是流浪漢卻旋即遠遠地閃開了臉。富人的眼中不禁透出黯淡之神。他苦笑了一下, 慢轉身, 走向了回家的路。剛才吹的旋律也忘得一干二凈。

聽著富人的腳步聲在拐彎處消失后, 流浪漢才睜開眼, 坐起身來。在他的腳旁是一張新得發(fā)脆的百元美鈔。他一把攥住鈔票, 然后起身徑直沖向最近的７／１１商店。同所有的流浪漢一樣, 他的第一個念頭便是把錢揮霍在伏特加上。瞧這流浪漢。

然而, 在雙腳就要邁進商店的瞬間, 流浪漢猛然又感受到了富人那充滿愛心的撫摸。他心中不禁為之振奮。他下定決心要從那一刻、那個地方重開始人生。他隨即向一位老婦人討了兩個10美分的硬幣。“喲, ”老婦人問道, “你不再買酒了？”流浪漢搖了搖頭, 然后將錢塞進了最近的電話機投錢口。流浪漢對接電話的掮客說：“一百美元。全部投到那個叫微軟的公司。”由于當時正值20世紀80年代末, 所以只是經過很短一段時間, 股票便飛漲了；這個流浪漢便因此搖身成為萬貫纏腰。

讓我們回到洛杉磯東部。幾年的光陰緩慢流逝?？犊母晃躺钜琅f---傍晚散散步, 用口哨吹吹說唱樂的曲調, 或是開門迎接他的來客。

有這么一天, 門鈴又響了。打開門, 外面站著一位衣著三件套筆挺西服的紳士。“啊哈, 一定又是募捐。”富人尋思著。但是當他剛要說話時, 客人先開口了。

“你就是那位富翁, 對吧？”客人問道。

“我能為你做點什么呢？”他機械地答道, 對被請求給予錢物他已習以為常。

“不是你要為我做什么, ”客人說, “而是你已經為我做的。”

“我已經為你做的？”他吃驚地問道。

“你給了我第二次人生的機會。呃,

有了你慷慨的禮物, 我得以投資并終于擺脫了貧窮。我再也不必在窮涯末路上墮落了。我已能在擁擠的人行道上昂首闊步了。為此我要向你致謝。“富人猛然認出了他的客人。眼前這位就是曾經蜷縮在街頭的老流浪漢。于是他說道, “我當時給你的你并沒有向我索取。我只是因為看到你在那里, 出于愛心才那樣做的。換了別的人, 我都會照樣給他的。”

“正因為如此, 我更要來此向你致謝。”客人說道。

“可是我很富有, ”富人說。“我有許多禮物要給別人, 而從未想到要從別人那里得到回報。”

“很好, ”客人點頭稱道, “因為我也沒有什么東西來給你--我所有的一切, 都是你給我的。我來這里的惟一目的就是向你道聲謝謝。”

富人睜大了眼睛看著正向他湊過來的來客, 將他擁抱。這擁抱仍然是他在門前經常做的那種擁抱, 不同的是這是第一次有人用擁抱來回報他的擁抱。當他的客人, 一個曾經流落街頭的流浪漢, 緊緊地擁抱著他時, 富人感到這是他有生以來最令他感到滿足的擁抱, 他眼中滾出了淚水。