书城英文图书不畏将来,不念过往
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第10章 What Goes Around Comes Around善有善报

早安心语

Life is too short to spend time regretting.If it'not the end,smile and keep on going.

生命太短,没时间留给遗憾。若不是终点,请微笑一直向前。

One day a man saw an old lady,stranded on the side of the road,but even in the dim light of day,he could see she needed help.So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out.His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.

Even with the smile on his face,she was worried.No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so.Was he going to hurt her?He didn't look safe;he looked poor and hungry.

He could see that she was frightened,standing out there in the cold.He knew how she felt.It was those chills which only fear can put in you.

He said,“I'm here to help you,ma'am.Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm?By the way,my name is Bryan Anderson.”

Well,all she had was a flat tire,but for an old lady,that was bad enough.Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack,skinning his fingers a time or two.Soon he was able to change the tire.As he was tightening up the lug nuts,she rolled down the window and began to talk to him.She told him that she was from St.Louis and was only just passing through.She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid.

Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk.The lady asked how much she owed him.Bryan never thought twice about being paid.This was not a job to him.This was helping someone in need.

He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back,the next time she saw someone who needed help,she could give that person the assistance they needed,and Bryan added,“And think of me.”

He waited until she started her car and drove off.It had been a cold and depressing day,but he felt good as he headed for home,disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe.She went in to grab a bite to eat,and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home.The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair.She had a sweet smile,one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase.The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant,but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude.The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger.Then she remembered.

After the lady finished her meal,she paid with a$100 bill.The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill,but the old lady had slipped right out the door.She was gone by the time the waitress came back.Then she noticed something written on the napkin.There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote:“You don't owe me anything.I have been there too.Somebody once helped me out,the way I'm helping you.If you really want to pay me back,here is what you do:Do not let this chain of love end with you.”Under the napkin were four more$100 bills.

That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written.How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it?With the baby due next month,it was going to be hard.She knew how worried her husband was,and as he lay sleeping next to her,she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low,“Everything's going to be all right.I love you,Bryan.”

一天,一个男人看到一位老太太的车在路边抛锚了,即使天色昏暗,他仍看出她需要帮助。因此他把车停在老太太的奔驰前面后,走出驾驶室。当他走近老太太时他的庞蒂克车的引擎仍在工作。

尽管他面带微笑,她仍对他心存疑虑。在过去的大概1个小时里,没人停车帮助她,而他看上去又穷又饿,不像好人,难道想趁火打劫吗?

看着她站在冷空气中,他知道的,她受到了惊吓。他明白她的感受,她的心中充满了只有恐惧才能产生的阵阵凉意。

他说:“女士,我来帮你。为什么不在暖和的车里待着?对了,我叫布莱恩·安得森。”

原来,只是轮胎漏气而已,但对一个老太太而言,已经够糟糕的了。布莱恩爬到车底寻找放千斤顶的位置,摸索中手指擦破了一两次。不一会儿,可以换车胎了。布莱恩正拧紧凸缘螺帽的那会儿,那位女士摇下车窗来和他说话。她说她从圣路易斯过来恰好路过此地,她都无法形容对他给予帮助的感激之情了。

布莱恩只是微笑着关上她的车后盖。

那位女士询问酬金数额,布莱恩压根就没想过要什么酬劳。在他看来,这不是工作,这只是帮助那些需要帮助的人而已。

他对她说,若真想表示谢意,那么下次如果看到别人需要帮助,她可以伸出援手。“并想起我”,布莱恩补充说。

布莱恩一直等到女士开车跑远后才继续上路。这是寒冷阴沉的一天,但是他心情愉悦地朝着家的方向前行,最后他的车消失在黄昏里。

沿路开了几英里,老太太看到前边有家小咖啡店。她进去匆匆简单地吃些东西,以便驱驱寒气再赶最后一段回家的路程。女招待拿着一块干净的毛巾走过来,帮她擦拭湿头发。她面带甜甜笑意。老太太注意到,怀有近八个月身孕的女招待,竟丝毫没有因身体的不适而影响工作态度。老太太猜想着,像这样物质上如此匮乏的人是如何做到对陌生人嘘寒问暖的,然后她想起了什么。

用餐后,她付了一张面额100美元的钞票。女招待迅速离开去找钱,但是那位老太太却悄悄地走出了门外。女招待回到原位时已找不到女士的身影。然后,她注意到餐巾上写着留言。她含着泪读着这位不辞而别的客人写在餐巾上的留言:“你不欠我什么。我也有过困难的时候,是一位好心人伸出了援手,就像我帮你一样。如果真想回报,那么照这么做:不要让这爱的纽带在你这里终止。”餐巾纸下还放着4张100美元的钞票。

那天晚上,女招待从夜色中回到家,爬上床时,她还在想着好心人的留言和她的馈赠。老太太怎么知道自己和丈夫急需钱?随着孩子在下个月出生,一家人的日子会更加艰辛,她知道丈夫是多么担忧。

当丈夫躺在身边熟睡时,她温柔地吻了他一下,在他耳边轻声细语:“一切都会好起来的。我爱你,布莱恩。”

轻英语

人际关系的英语表达

buddy哥们儿

BFF(best friends forever)最好的朋友

confidante红颜知己

colleague同事

intimate至交

sworn brother结拜兄弟

partner搭档

companion同伴

Playmate游伴

pen pal笔友

comrade-in-arms战友

bosom friend知心朋友

childhood sweetheart青梅竹马

team团队

follower追随者