寶貴的一課

A PRICELESS LESSON

A few years ago, I went on a trip to Washington, D.C., where I saw many of our nation’s treasures. I also saw a lot of our fellow citizens on the street —unfortunate ones like beggars and homeless folks.

Standing outside a shopping center, I heard a voice say, “Can you help me?” When I turned around, I saw a blind elderly woman with her hand out. In a natural reaction, I reached into my pocket, pulled out all of my change and placed it in her hand without even looking at her. I was annoyed at being bothered by a beggar.

But the blind woman smiled and said, “I don’t want your money. I just need help to find the post office.”

In an instant, I realized what I had done. I had acted with prejudice —I judged another person simply on what I assumed she had to be. The thing I forgot about myself was that I am an immigrant. I arrived in the U.S. at the age of 15. Through the years, I have worked as a dishwasher, a cashier and as a pizza delivery driver; eventually I became a network engineer.

In my own life, I have experienced many acts of prejudice. I remember when I was 17 —I was a busboy, and I heard a father tell his little boy that if he did not do well in school, he would end up like me. But now, living in a middle-class lifestyle, it is very easy to forget the past, to forget who I am and where I have been, and to lose sight of where I want to go. That blind woman on the streets of Washington, D.C. cured me of my inner blindness. She reminded me of my belief in humility and that I should always keep my eyes and heart open.

By the way, I helped that lady to the post office, and in writing this text, I hope to thank her for the priceless lesson.

【日積月累】

◇prejudice n. 偏見，傷害，成見

◇immigrant n. 移民

◇humility n. 謙遜，謙卑，謙虛

【參考譯文】

寶貴的一課

幾年前我去了一趟華盛頓，在那參觀了許多國家寶藏，也在大街上看到了很多市民——包括乞丐和流浪漢這些可憐的人們。

站在一個購物中心門外，我聽見一個聲音：“你能幫幫我嗎？”我轉過身看到一個失明的老婦人向我伸著手。我很自然地把手探進口袋，掏出了所有的零錢放在她手里，看都沒看她一眼。我討厭被乞丐糾纏。

但是這位老婦人笑著說：“我不要你的錢，只是想叫你幫我找下郵局在哪。”

我馬上意識到了我做了什么。我憑成見行事——僅憑自己的想法，就下結論別人是什么人。我忘了自己也是移民。我15歲的時候來到美國。從那以后，我做過洗碗工、收銀員和送比薩的司機，最后才成為一名網絡工程師。

在生活中，我也遇到過許多對我抱有偏見的人。我記得17歲的時候，我在公共汽車上做售票員，有一次聽到一位父親告誡他的兒子，如果他不努力學習，以后就會跟我一樣。但是，因為現在過著中產階級的生活，所以我一不小心就忘記過去，忘記自己是誰，忘記曾經經歷過什么，也模糊了想去的方向。華盛頓大街上的那位老婦人治愈了我失眠的心靈。她讓我想起我曾經堅持的謙虛，提醒我應該永遠睜大眼睛，敞開胸懷。

順便提一句，我把老奶奶送到了郵局。我希望通過此文感謝她給我上的這寶貴一課。

【人生啟迪】

我們應該永遠像麥穗一樣保持一顆謙卑的心。不要憑外表論人，衣衫襤褸下也許是一顆最質樸晶瑩的心。不要被世俗所左右，那樣你會忘記真正的自己是什么樣子，甚至忘記自己該前往的方向。