一顆銅幣的價值
Mahatma Gandhi, honoured as the father of India, was a very special person. The following story illustrates one of the reasons for him to be called ‘Mahatma’ (great soul).
圣雄甘地,被譽為印度之父,是一個非常特別的人。下面的故事說明了他被稱為“圣人”(偉大的靈魂)的原因之一。
Once, Gandhi was on an expedition to collect funds from various cities and villages for an organization to help the poor. He went to several places and finally reached Orissa. He organized a meeting in Orissa.
有一次,甘地遠征,為一個扶貧組織從各個城市和村莊募集資金。他去了好幾個地方,最后到達奧里薩邦。他在奧里薩邦組織了一次會議。
There, he gave a speech to the public, requesting them to give him funds for the organization. At the end of his speech, a very old woman with bent back, tattered clothing, white hair, and shrunken skin got up. She requested the volunteers to allow her to reach Gandhi. However, the volunteers stopped her. She did not give up. She fought with them and reached Gandhi.
在那里,他向公眾發(fā)表了演講,號召他們募集資金。演講結束時,一位非常老的婦女站了起來,駝背,衣衫襤褸,頭發(fā)花白,皮膚萎縮。她請求志愿者允許她接觸甘地。然而,志愿者阻止了她。她沒有放棄。老婦掙脫志愿者,來到甘地面前。
She touched the feet of Gandhi. Then she took out a copper coin kept in the folds of her saree and placed it at his feet. Then the old lady left the stage.
她摸了摸甘地的腳。然后她拿出一枚藏在紗麗褶里的銅幣,放在他的腳邊。然后老太太離開了舞臺。
Gandhi very carefully took the coin. The treasurer of the organization for the poor asked Gandhi for the copper coin, but he refused to give it.
甘地非常小心地接過了硬幣。窮人組織的司庫向甘地索要銅幣,但甘地拒絕了。
“I keep cheques worth thousands of rupees,” said the treasurer. “Yet you won’t trust me with a copper coin!”
“我掌管著價值數(shù)千盧比的支票,”司庫說。“就這么一個銅幣你不信我?“
Gandhi said, “This copper coin is worth much more than those thousands. If a man has several lakhs and he gives away a thousand or two, it doesn’t mean much.”
甘地說:“這枚銅幣比那幾千枚值錢得多。如果一個人有幾十萬,卻捐了一兩千,沒什么意義。”
Yes, the coin might have been the only thing that the poor old woman possessed. She did not even have proper clothes and could not afford good food. Still she gave everything she had. That is why Gandhi regarded the coin as very precious.
是的,這枚硬幣可能是那個可憐的老婦人唯一擁有的東西。她連合適的衣服都沒有,吃不起好東西。但她還是付出了所有。這就是甘地認為這枚硬幣非常珍貴的原因。
Offering help when we have nothing or very little makes it more valuable.
當我們一無所有的時候,提供的幫助會更有價值。