AMessagetoGarcia
阿爾伯特·哈伯德/ElbertHubbard
阿爾伯特·哈伯德（1856—1915），美國著名出版家和作家。《菲士利人》、《兄弟》雜誌的總編輯，羅伊科羅斯特出版社創始人。1899年，阿爾伯特·哈伯德創作了《致加西亞的信》，在《菲士利人》雜誌上發表後，引起了全世界的強烈轟動，這本小冊子在世界各地廣為流傳，全球銷量超過8億冊，成為有史以來世界上最暢銷的讀物之一，列入全球最暢銷圖書排行榜第六名。
AceintheHole
Understandthesenewwordsbeforeyoureadthisarticle.
1.perihelionn.近日點
2.oilskinn.油布(雨衣)，防水布(衣)
3.stiffenv.(使)變硬；(使)強硬
4.vertebraen.椎骨
5.slipshodadj.馬虎的，隨便的，草率的
6.imbecilityn.愚笨；低能，弱智，愚蠢行為
7.ingratituden.忘恩負義
InallthisCubanbusinessthereisonemanstandsoutonthehorizonofmymemorylikeMarsatperihelion.
WhenwarbrokeoutbetweenSpainandtheUnitedStates,itwasverynecessarytocommunicatequicklywiththeleaderoftheInsurgents.GarciawassomewhereinthemountainfastnessesofCuba—nooneknewwhere.Nomailortelegraphmessagecouldreachhim.ThePresidentmustsecurehisco-coperation,andquickly.Whattodo?
SomesaidtothePresident,「There』safellowbythenameofRowanwhowillfindGarciaforyou,ifanybodycan.」
RowanwassentforandgivenalettertobedeliveredtoGarcia.Howthe「fellowbythenameofRowan」tooktheletter,sealeditupinanoilskinpouch,strappeditoverhisheart,infourdayslandedbynightoffthecoastofCubafromanopenboat,disappearedintothejungle,andinthreeweekscameoutontheothersideoftheIsland,havingtraversedahostilecountryonfootanddeliveredhislettertoGarcia—arethingsIhavenospecialdesirenowtotellindetail.ThepointthatIwishtomakeisthis:McKinleygaveRowanalettertobedeliveredtoGarcia;Rowantooktheletteranddidnotask,「Whereisheat?」
BytheEternal!Thereisamanwhoseformshouldbecastindeathlessbronzeandthestatueplacedineverycollegeoftheland.Itisnotbook-learningyoungmenneed,norinstructionaboutthisandthat,butastiffeningofthevertebraewhichwillcausethemtobeloyaltoatrust,toactpromptly,concentratetheirenergies:dothething—「CarryamessagetoGarcia」.
GeneralGarciaisdeadnow,butthereareotherGarcias.Nomanwhohasendeavoredtocarryoutanenterprisewheremanyhandswereneeded,buthasbeenwell-nighappalledattimesbytheimbecilityoftheaverageman—theinabilityorunwillingnesstoconcentrateonathinganddoit.
Slipshodassistance,foolishinattention,dowdyindifference,andhalf-heartedworkseemtherule;andnomansucceeds,unlessbyhookorcrookorthreatheforcesorbribesothermentoassisthim;ormayhap,GodinHisgoodnessperformsamiracle,andsendshimanAngelofLightforanassistant.
Wehaverecentlybeenhearingmuchmaudlinsympathyexpressedforthe「downtroddendenizensofthesweat-shop」andthe「homelesswanderersearchingforhonestemployment」,andwithitalloftengomanyhardwordsforthemeninpower.
Nothingissaidabouttheemployerwhogrowsoldbeforehistimeinavainattempttogetfrowsyne』er-do-wellstodointelligentwork;andhislong,patientstrivingafter「help」thatdoesnothingbutloafwhenhisbackisturned.
Ineverystoreandfactorythereisaconstantweeding-outprocessgoingon.Theemployerisconstantlysendingaway「help」thathaveshowntheirincapacitytofurthertheinterestsofthebusiness,andothersarebeingtakenon.Nomatterhowgoodtimesare,thissortingcontinuesonly,iftimesarehardandworkisscarce,thesortingisdonefiner—butoutandforeverouttheincompetentandunworthygo.Itisthesurvivalofthefittest.Self-interestpromptseveryemployertokeepthebest—thosewhocancarryamessagetoGarcia.
Iknowonemanofreallybrilliantpartswhohasnottheabilitytomanageabusinessofhisown,andyetwhoisabsolutelyworthlesstoanyoneelse,becausehecarrieswithhimconstantlytheinsanesuspicionthathisemployerisoppressing,orintendingtooppresshim.Hecannotgiveorders,andhewillnotreceivethem.ShouldamessagebegivenhimtotaketoGarcia,hisanswerwouldprobablybe,「Takeityourself!」Ofcourse,Iknowthatonesomorallydeformedisnolesstobepitiedthanaphysicalcripple;butinourpityingletusdropatear,too,forthemenwhoarestrivingtocarryonagreatenterprise,whoseworkinghoursarenotlimitedbythewhistle,andwhosehairisfastturningwhitethroughthestruggletoholdinlinedowdyindifference,slipshodimbecility,andtheheartlessingratitudewhich,butfortheirenterprise,wouldbebothhungryandhomeless.