The Rich Man and the Poor Man

By M. Stanley Bubien

There once was a very rich man. He was so rich, he could have owned many cars, but instead he chose to drive a Ford. He was so rich, he could have owned many computers, but instead he chose an Apple Macintosh. He was so rich, he could have owned many homes—even some in Beverly Hills—but instead he chose to live in East LA.

[2] Because this man was rich, many people in his neighborhood knew him. And also because the man was rich, many people from outside of his neighborhood knew him too. Often, his doorbell would ring, and there on his threshold would stand someone who had come to ask for a donation.

Sometimes when the bell rang, it was a neighbor who had fallen into misfortune. The man would smile,embrace his neighbor, and place a generous sum into their hand.

Sometimes when the bell rang, it was a charity representing the starving children of Tijuana. The man would again smile, embrace the charity worker,and write a generous check.

从前，有一位大富翁。他非常有钱，买得起很多豪华轿车，可却始终开一辆普通的福特汽车；买得起很多名牌电脑，可却一直使用那台老式苹果机；买得起许多豪宅——甚至可以在贝佛利山买上几幢别墅——可却偏要住在东洛杉矶的平民区。

[2]因为他富有，周围许多人都认识他；也正是因为他富有，其他地方的许多人也都知道他。平时，只要门铃一响，那准是有人站在门外向他寻求施舍。

有时候，上门求助的是生活窘迫的邻居，他会微微一笑，热情地拥抱他们，然后拿出很多钱，塞在他们手里。

有时候，上门求助的是慈善机构（如帮助蒂华纳的饥饿儿童）的工作人员，他也会微笑一下，热情地拥抱他们，然后开出一张大额支票。

Sometimes when the bell rang, it was a Jehovah’s Witness. Were he like many of us, the man’s first instinct would have been to promptly kick them in the butt and shove them back out onto the street.But instead, he once more smiled and embraced the Jehovah’s Witness as any other guest upon his threshold.

[3] One evening, when his doorbell was particularly quiet, this man decided to take a stroll. He headed off, idling along wherever the road wound; amongst the quaint homes of his neighborhood,past the threadbare trees lining the park,along walls painted with an array of colorful graffiti tags. Remember, this was East LA.

[4] Every once in a while, a car passed,thumping out the latest rage in rap hit,and he soon found himself whistling one of these catchy tunes to himself.

[5] Lost in the tune, he came suddenly upon a homeless bum lying in the midst of the sidewalk. The bum wore a tattered sweater and ripped pants. He had shoes,but they didn’t even match. And oh!The smell! I can’t even describe that to you here because it would ruin your Thanksgiving dinner.

[6] Well, this unfortunate soul lying on the street saw the man and knew him.Certainly, the bum said to himself. This is the rich man who lives on the lane.Surely he can help me, for he has money at his disposal. But instead of reaching out his hand, the bum was overcome by a sudden bout of shame and hid his face.

有时候，上门求助的是耶和华见证人。如果此时开门的是我们当中的任何一位，恐怕我们的第一个念头就是朝他们的屁股狠狠踹上一脚，然后把他们赶回大街上去。可是，他却像对待其他客人一样，照例微笑着拥抱他们。

[3]一天晚上，他的家门前竟然出奇安静，他决定出去散散步。他漫无目的地穿行在大街小巷，周围的房子稀奇古怪，经过的围墙满是五颜六色的涂鸦，公园小道两旁的树木残败凋零。毕竟，这是东洛杉矶的平民区。

[4]就在这时，一辆汽车从他的身边驶过，车中传来一首流行的说唱曲调。不知不觉，他发现自己也和着那朗朗上口的节奏哼了起来。

[5]他完全沉浸在那首乐曲中。突然，他看见人行道中间躺着一个无家可归的乞丐：一件破烂的针织套衫和一条褪了色的裤子紧紧裹在他的身上。还好，脚上还有鞋子，只是左右一样一只。最糟糕的是他身上的那股气味！哦，天哪！我简直无法向你描述，否则你听了肯定吃不下丰盛的感恩节晚餐。

[6]这下好啦，这个流落街头的不幸之人看到了大富翁，而且知道他是谁。乞丐心想：他不正是住在这条街上的那位大富翁吗，他那么有钱，又乐善好施，一定会帮助我的。然而，他没有向大富翁伸手乞求施舍，此时他的内心突然涌起一种难以抵抗的羞耻感，他赶紧藏起了自己的脸。

[7] The man stood over this tattered figure. He reached down and touched the bum’s cheek, but the bum shrank away from him even further. The man’s eyes clouded slightly and he cracked a weak smile. Forgetting the tune he once whistled, the man slowly turned and walked back to his home.

[8] Upon hearing the man retreat beyond the corner, the bum opened his eyes and sat up. There at his feet lay a crisp $100.00 dollar bill.

The bum grabbed the money and made a beeline for the nearest 7/11. Like all bums, this one’s first thought was to go blow the money on vodka. What a bum!

[9] But, before he entered the store,he remembered the compassion of the man’s touch. This inspired him, and the bum decided then and there to turn his life around. The bum promptly bummed two dimes off an old lady (pay phones don’t take hundreds). “Well.” the lady replied. “You ain’t gonna spend this on alcohol?” The bum shook his head and stuck the money into the slot of the nearest telephone.

[7]大富翁在这个衣衫褴褛的乞丐面前停了下来。他俯下身子，轻轻摸了下乞丐的脸，可那乞丐仿佛触电般向后缩，躲得更远了。一丝黯然的神色从富翁眼中掠过，他淡淡一笑。他已经忘了刚才吹起的曲调，缓缓转过身，向自家走去。

[8]听着那渐渐远去的脚步声，乞丐睁开双眼，坐直身子。一张崭新的百元大钞静静躺在他的脚边。

他一把抓起钞票，站起身径直朝最近的那家7-11便利店奔去。与所有乞丐一样，此时他的第一个念头就是要好好享受一番，把这100美元全都挥霍在伏特加酒上。毕竟，他是个乞丐！

[9]然而，就在迈进便利店的前一刻，他想起了富翁抚摸他脸颊时那充满怜悯的目光。这使他的心灵受到了强烈的震撼，他当即决定要改变自己的人生。随后，他向一位老妇人讨要两枚10美分硬币（投币电话不接受百元大钞）。“你不会是要用这钱买酒喝吧？”老妇人问道。乞丐摇了摇头，将硬币投进了最近的那部电话机中。

[10] His broker answered and the bum said finally, “Hundred dollars. Invest it all in that company with the nerdy looking CEO. Microsoft!”

[11] Since this was, as it turns out, the late-1980s, it took only a short while before the stock skyrocketed. Yes, good can come of evil after all—especially when you’re working the stock market—and soon the bum found himself very well off indeed.

[12] Back in East LA the years passed slowly. The generous man kept to life much as usual—taking evening strolls,whistling rap tunes, answering his door.

[13] One day in particular, his doorbell rang, and there stood a finely dressed gentleman in a three piece suit. Uh oh,the man thought. Jehovah’s Witness. But before he could do anything, his guest spoke.

“You’re the rich man, aren’t you?” his guest asked.

“What can I do for you?” the man responded automatically, so accustomed to being asked for things.

[14] “It is not what you can do for me,” answered his guest. “But what you have already done.”

[10]经纪人接了电话。他最后说：“我只有100美元，把它全部投到那个总裁看上去像个书呆子的公司吧，就是那个微软公司。”

[11]那时正值20世纪80年代末，股票瞬间飞涨。真可谓否极泰来——尤其是在股票市场——很快，这个乞丐也成了富人。

[12]光阴荏苒，在东洛杉矶的平民区里，那位慷慨的富翁一如既往地生活着——晚上出门散散步，哼哼说唱小曲，在家恭候来访的客人。

[13]有那么一天，他的门铃响了起来。他打开门，只见门外站着一位身着考究的三件套西服的绅士。哦，一定又是个耶和华见证人，他心想。不过不等他做什么，来客先开口了。

“您就是那位有钱人吧？”来客问道。

“我能为您做些什么吗？”他不假思索地问。对于别人的求助，他已经完全习以为常了。

“What have I done for you?” the man asked in surprise.

“You’ve given me a second chance at life. Why, with your generous gift, I was able to invest the money and pull myself out of my poverty. I no longer wallow in the grime and gutters, but I walk along crowded sidewalks with my head held high. I have you to thank for that.”

[15] Suddenly, the man recognized his guest. It was the old bum who’d been lying in the street. The man replied,“What I gave you, you did not ask for. I gave it simply because I saw you there and loved you. I would have given it to anyone in your position.”

“All the more reason to come and thank you,” his guest said.

“But I am rich,” replied the man. “I have many gifts to give. I don’t expect anything in return.”

“Good,” his guest said with a nod.“Because I don’t have anything to offer in return—whatever I have, you gave to me. All I wanted to do was come and thank you.”

[14]“噢，不。我来这里不是要您帮助我，”客人连忙答道，“而是因为您曾经帮过我。”

“哦？我帮过您什么呢？”他惊讶地问道。

“是您给了我人生中第二次机会。呃，是您慷慨的帮助，我才有钱投资，并摆脱了贫困。我不再是生活在社会最底层的乞丐了，也可以昂首挺胸地走在拥挤的人行道中。因此，我特意来感谢您。”

[15]富翁突然认出了眼前的这位客人，原来他就是几年前蜷缩在人行道上的那个乞丐。富翁说：“那100美元是我给您的，并不是您向我要的。我之所以给您那100美元，完全是因为看见您躺在那里，非常可怜。无论是谁处在您当时的境况，我都会给予帮助。”

“这么说，我更得感谢您。”来客坚持道。

“可是我有钱，”富翁答道，“我可以帮助别人。我并不指望任何回报。”

“是的，先生。”客人点点头说，“我也没有什么可以回报给您——我拥有的一切都是您给予我的。今天来这里，就是想真诚地感谢您！”

[16] The man stared as his guest reached out and took him into an embrace. It was the same gesture the man had so often offered to those at his door, yet this was the first time someone had offered it back.

Tears filled the man’s eyes as his guest, a lowly bum off the street, held him in the most satisfying embrace he had ever received.

[16]富翁注视着来客，后者伸出双臂紧紧地拥抱了他。一直以来，他都是用这种友好的方式欢迎那些前来寻求帮助的人；今天，第一次有人以同样的方式来回报他。

当他的客人——一个曾经流落街头的卑微的乞丐——紧紧拥抱他时，他的眼眶噙满了激动的泪水，这是他有生以来得到的最满意的一次拥抱。