聆聽花開的聲音 第8章 破繭的蝴蝶 (4)
    Seeingthis,itcausedagreatexcitementandpeoplewonderedwhatitcouldbe.Afterabouthalfanhour,amiddle-agedmanranthereinahurryandrushedthroughthecrowdtotheviolinistandgrabbedhisshouldersandsaid,「Yes,it』syou.Youdidcomehere.Iknewthatyou』reanhonestmanandwouldcertainlycomehere.」

    Theyoungviolinistaskedcalmly,「AreyouMr.GeorgeSang?」

    Themannodded.Theviolinistasked,「Didyoulosesomething?」

    「Lottery.It』slottery,」saidtheman.

    TheviolinisttookoutalotteryticketonwhichGeorgeSang』snamewasseen.「Isit?」heasked.

    Georgenoddedpromptlyandseizedthelotteryticketandkissedit,thenhedancedwiththeviolinist.

    Thestoryturnedouttobethis:GeorgeSangisanofficeclerk.Heboughtalotteryticketissuedbyabankafewdaysago.Theawardsopenedyesterdayandhewonaprizeof$500,000.Sohefeltveryhappyafterworkandfeltthemusicwassowonderful,thathetookout50dollarsandputinthehat.Howeverthelotteryticketwasalsothrownin.TheviolinistwasastudentatanArtsCollegeandhadplannedtoattendadvancedstudiesinVienna.Hehadbookedtheticketandwouldflythatmorning.Howeverwhenhewascleaninguphefoundthelotteryticket.Thinkingthattheownerwouldreturntolookforit,hecancelledtheflightandcamebacktowherehewasgiventhelotteryticket.

    Latersomeoneaskedtheviolinist:「Atthattimeyouwereinneededtopaythetuitionfeeandyouhadtoplaytheviolininthesubwaystationeverydaytomakethemoney.Thenwhydidn』tyoutakethelotteryticketforyourself?」

    Theviolinistsaid,「AlthoughIdon』thavemuchmoney,Ilivehappily;butifIlosehonestyIwon』tbehappyforever.」

    Throughourlives,wecangainalotandlosesomuch.Butbeinghonestshouldalwaysbewithus.Ifwebearourselvesinadeceptiveanddishonestway,wemaysucceedtemporarily.However,fromthelong-termview,wewillbealoser.Suchkindofpeoplearejustlikethewateronthemountain.Itstandshighabovethemassesatthebeginning,butgraduallyitcomesdowninchbyinchandlosesthechanceofgoingup.

    在繁華的紐約,曾經發生了這樣一件震撼人心的事情。

    星期五的傍晚,一個貧窮的年輕藝人仍然像往常一樣站在地鐵站門口,專心致志地拉著他的小提琴。琴聲優美動聽,雖然人們都急急忙忙地趕著回家過週末,但還是有很多人情不自禁的放慢了腳步,時不時地會有一些人在年輕藝人跟前的禮帽裡放一些錢。

    第二天黃昏,年輕的藝人又像往常一樣準時來到地鐵門口,把他的禮帽摘下來很優雅地放在地上。和以往不同的是,他還從包裡拿出一張大紙,然後很認真地鋪在地上,四周還用自備的小石塊壓上。做完這一切以後,他調試好小提琴,又開始了演奏,聲音似乎比以前更動聽更悠揚。

    不久,年輕的小提琴手周圍站滿了人,人們都被鋪在地上的那張大紙上的字吸引了,有的人還踮起腳尖看。上面寫著:「昨天傍晚,有一位叫喬治·桑的先生錯將一份很重要的東西放在我的禮帽裡,請您速來認領。」

    見此情景,人群之間引起一陣騷動,都想知道這是一份什麼樣的東西。過了半小時左右,一位中年男人急急忙忙跑過來,撥開人群就衝到小提琴手面前,抓住他的肩膀語無倫次的說:「啊!是您呀,您真的來了,我就知道您是個誠實的人,您一定會來的。」

    年輕的小提琴手冷靜地問:「您是喬治·桑先生嗎?」

    那人連忙點頭。小提琴手又問:「您遺落了什麼東西嗎?」

    那位先生說:「獎票,獎票。」

    小提琴手於是掏出一張獎票,上面還醒目地寫著喬治·桑,小提琴手舉著彩票問:「是這個嗎?」

    喬治·桑迅速地點點頭,搶過獎票吻了一下,然後又抱著小提琴手在地上跳起了舞。

    原來事情是這樣的,喬治·桑是一家公司的小職員,他前些日子買了一張一家銀行發行的獎票,昨天上午開獎,他中了50萬美元的獎金。昨天下班,他心情很好,覺得音樂也特別美妙,於是就從錢包裡掏出50美元,放在了禮帽裡,可是不小心把獎票也扔了進去。小提琴手是一名藝術學院的學生,本來打算去維也納進修,已經定好了機票,時間就在今天上午,可是他昨天整理東西時發現了這張獎票,想到失主會來找,於是今天就退掉了機票,又準時來到這裡。

    後來,有人問小提琴手:「你當時那麼需要一筆學費,為了賺夠這筆學費,你不得不每天到地鐵站拉提琴。那你為什麼不把那50萬元的獎票留下呢?」

    小提琴手說:「雖然我沒錢,但我活得很快樂;假如我沒了誠信,我一天也不會快樂。」

    在人的一生中,我們會得到許多,也會失去許多,但守信用卻應是始終陪伴我們的。如果以虛偽、不誠實的方式為人處世,也許能獲得暫時的「成功」,但從長遠看,他最終是個失敗者。這種人就像山上的水,剛開始的時候,是高高在上,但逐漸逐漸地它就越來越下降,再沒有一個上升的機會。

    WoundingWithWords想知道的話

    It』stheoneparentalmottoeverykidknowsbyheart:Justbecauseeverybodyelseisdoingit,thatdoesn』tmeanyoushould,too.Fromplaygroundstoparties,themantraresonatesamongtotsandteenswitheachchoicetheymake.Butapparently,parentsaretheoneswhoneedthatadvice.

    Whenitcomestodiscipline,toomanyparentslettempersflareoutofcontrol,saysanewstudybysociologistMurrayA.Straus,codirectoroftheFamilyResearchLabattheUniversityofNewHampshire.「Parentsshouldneveryell,scream,orcalltheirkid[derogatory]names,」hecautions.ButnearlyallAmericansdo,nomattertheirethnicity,age,orsocioeconomicgroup,thestudyof991parentsconcludes.Verbalattacksstartearlyon.Halfofparentshavescreamed,yelled,orshoutedinrageattheirinfants.Bythetimeachildreaches7yearsold,98percentofparentsareverballylashingout.Insomecases,theaggressionisstartling.Oneoffiveparentshasthreatenedtokickateenagesonordaughteroutofthehouse,whileaquarterhaveswornattheiroffspring.

    Theepisodescanhaveseriousrepercussions,warnsStraus,whopresentedthefindingsattheAmericanSociologicalAssociationmeeting.Hisearlierworkhaslinkedparentalverbalaggressivenesswithchildren』smentalillnessand,alongwithadozenotherstudies,showedthataparent』svocalfurycanincreasetheoddsofachild』sdevelopingdelinquency,depression,andevenbulimia.

    Severalcountrieshavealreadypassedlawsbanningdisciplinaryactionthatinflictsmentalsufferingonachild,andStrausviewsthemasmodelstoemulate.Swedenwasthefirsttodoso,withanofficialmandatein1979thatprohibitsnotonlyspankingbutalsoany「humiliatingtreatment」ofkids.Swedespublicizedtheruleonmilkcartons,onpublicTV,andinschools.Manyothernationsfollowedsuit,includingAustria,Denmark,andIsrael.Andlastmonth,Germanyjoinedtheprotectiveranks,officiallyassuringchildrenoftherighttoanonviolentupbringingwithoutpsychologicalinjuries.
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