Rich man
文章来源:未知 文章作者:enread 发布时间:2012-12-29 05:36 字体: [ ]  进入论坛
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Grandfather was a philosopher, and like a lot of philosophers, I guess, he was a mild-mannered man who was always ready to admit that there are two sides to every question. So when people got to arguing with him, or around him, about things that they got heated up and illogical about, like politics and religion, he would tell this story that Doc Eaton told him one day up on the Hill.
 
It happened a long time ago, when the town wasn't all steel and concrete and automobiles1; when you could still hear the whir of a lawn mower2 without taking a streetcar out to the suburbs, and still see a horse lazily switching at the flies on his flanks(两翼) under almost any sycamore(美国梧桐) tree. The Forest City had a lot of trees in those days.
 
And it had a lot of people that didn't always see eye to eye(看法一致), like a lot of other cities. And it had a rich man, like almost every other town. And this rich man was a pillar in the Baptist Church; and people didn't see eye to eye about him, either.
 
There were those—and Grandfather's eyes twinkled when he said it—that claimed the rich man was an old hypocrite5, that he was ruthless in his business dealings, that he was so tightfisted he wouldn't spend a nickel to see an earthquake, that when he went to church on Sunday morning he was almost as important as God to a lot of people.
 
Then there was the other school of thought. It asserted that just because a man had made money under conditions as they existed was no reason to call him a lot of hard names. In fact, they asserted stoutly3, the people that called him names were merely envious4 of his success. They maintained he went to church not because he was a sanctimonious5 old fraud but because he was at heart, and for all his money, a simple, deeply religious man.
 
It was while these two groups were hot at it that the rich man gave a party. Well, it wasn't exactly a party, Grandfather would explain. It was more like a shower for the pastor6(牧师) of the church. One group of parishioners saw in their invitation nothing but a kindly7, neighborly gesture. The other just said it showed how miserly the old buzzard was—getting other people to do what he could have done a thousand times over without feeling it a mite8.
 
Grandfather said even then he had the sneaking9 feeling that the rich man wasn't so insulated and isolated10 by his money that he didn't know what people were saying about him, and that was the real reason he gave the party.
 
But both sides of the question went to the party. A lot of them were pretty curious about the inside of a rich man's home.
 
They brought offerings for the pastor, as they were requested. Some people brought apples, and others brought sides of bacon and onions and other homey old-fashioned things like that. But nobody was really much interested in what the other guests brought. They were all waiting for one thing. What would the rich man bring out? Even Doc Eaton, the preacher, according to Grandfather, couldn't help wondering about what was coming. You could feel the undercurrent of suspense11.
 
And then the rich man brought out his offering.
 
It was a bushel of potatoes. They were nice potatoes, extra large and scrubbed white and clean. But still and all, they were only a bushel of potatoes that anybody could buy in the Old Market for a lot less than a dollar.
 
Well, sir, Grandfather chuckled12, you could practically see what people were thinking. They were the people who were saying to themselves and to everybody else, "Well, what did I tell you??And then there were those who made it perfectly13 plain that they thought it was mighty14 tactful(机智的) of their host not to make an ostentatious(招摇的) parade of his money before a lot of neighbors and friends.
 
But the host went around as if he didn't notice anything, though Grandfather always insisted that he detected a little twinkle in the rich man's eyes as he shook hands with all his fellow parishioners and wished them good night.
 
The preacher toted(手提) his gifts into his house, and just because they had been the center of interest, so to speak, he picked one of the big white potatoes out of the basket. Then he noticed that one end of the potato had been opened. He investigated, and discovered that a silver dollar had been neatly15 inserted through the opening. He examined every potato in that bushel(蒲式耳) basket, and there was a silver dollar in every single one of them.
 
At this point Grandfather usually sat back and plucked benignly16 at his white beard and smiled. Then he'd turn philosopher and say:
 
"It takes an almighty17 pile of gall18 for a man to sit up and say what is going on in another man's mind, don't it? I mean one way or another. When Doc Eaton told me that story he didn't bother to point out any moral. By the way, he don't do any preaching any more. He's been a congressman19 from New Jersey20 for years and years. But I guess the story has a moral, all right. Always sort of tickled21 me, like it must have tickled Doc's rich parishioner. "
 
"The New Testament22 says it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Well, I ain't saying it isn't true. But I am saying this: It took John D. Rockefeller to put a silver dollar through the eye of a potato in order that a lot of people could have some food for thought."


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1 automobiles 760a1b7b6ea4a07c12e5f64cc766962b     
n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后,就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上,汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
2 mower Bn9zgq     
n.割草机
参考例句:
  • We need a lawn mower to cut the grass.我们需要一台草坪修剪机来割草。
  • Your big lawn mower is just the job for the high grass.割高草时正需要你的大割草机。
3 stoutly Xhpz3l     
adv.牢固地,粗壮的
参考例句:
  • He stoutly denied his guilt.他断然否认自己有罪。
  • Burgess was taxed with this and stoutly denied it.伯杰斯为此受到了责难,但是他自己坚决否认有这回事。
4 envious n8SyX     
adj.嫉妒的,羡慕的
参考例句:
  • I don't think I'm envious of your success.我想我并不嫉妒你的成功。
  • She is envious of Jane's good looks and covetous of her car.她既忌妒简的美貌又垂涎她的汽车。
5 sanctimonious asCy4     
adj.假装神圣的,假装虔诚的,假装诚实的
参考例句:
  • It's that sanctimonious air that people can't stand.人们所不能容忍的就是那副假正经的样子。
  • You do not have to be so sanctimonious to prove that you are devout.您不必如此伪善。
6 pastor h3Ozz     
n.牧师,牧人
参考例句:
  • He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
  • We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师:教会的事是由五位执事管理的。
7 kindly tpUzhQ     
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地
参考例句:
  • Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
  • A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。
8 mite 4Epxw     
n.极小的东西;小铜币
参考例句:
  • The poor mite was so ill.可怜的孩子病得这么重。
  • He is a mite taller than I.他比我高一点点。
9 sneaking iibzMu     
a.秘密的,不公开的
参考例句:
  • She had always had a sneaking affection for him. 以前她一直暗暗倾心于他。
  • She ducked the interviewers by sneaking out the back door. 她从后门偷偷溜走,躲开采访者。
10 isolated bqmzTd     
adj.与世隔绝的
参考例句:
  • His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
  • Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。
11 suspense 9rJw3     
n.(对可能发生的事)紧张感,担心,挂虑
参考例句:
  • The suspense was unbearable.这样提心吊胆的状况实在叫人受不了。
  • The director used ingenious devices to keep the audience in suspense.导演用巧妙手法引起观众的悬念。
12 chuckled 8ce1383c838073977a08258a1f3e30f8     
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
  • She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情,她就轻轻地暗自发笑。
13 perfectly 8Mzxb     
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
  • Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
14 mighty YDWxl     
adj.强有力的;巨大的
参考例句:
  • A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
  • The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。
15 neatly ynZzBp     
adv.整洁地,干净地,灵巧地,熟练地
参考例句:
  • Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
  • The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。
16 benignly a1839cef72990a695d769f9b3d61ae60     
adv.仁慈地,亲切地
参考例句:
  • Everyone has to benignly help people in distress. 每一个人应让该亲切地帮助有困难的人。 来自互联网
  • This drug is benignly soporific. 这种药物具有良好的催眠效果。 来自互联网
17 almighty dzhz1h     
adj.全能的,万能的;很大的,很强的
参考例句:
  • Those rebels did not really challenge Gods almighty power.这些叛徒没有对上帝的全能力量表示怀疑。
  • It's almighty cold outside.外面冷得要命。
18 gall jhXxC     
v.使烦恼,使焦躁,难堪;n.磨难
参考例句:
  • It galled him to have to ask for a loan.必须向人借钱使他感到难堪。
  • No gall,no glory.没有磨难,何来荣耀。
19 Congressman TvMzt7     
n.(美)国会议员
参考例句:
  • He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
  • The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。
20 jersey Lp5zzo     
n.运动衫
参考例句:
  • He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
  • They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致,都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。
21 tickled 2db1470d48948f1aa50b3cf234843b26     
(使)发痒( tickle的过去式和过去分词 ); (使)愉快,逗乐
参考例句:
  • We were tickled pink to see our friends on television. 在电视中看到我们的一些朋友,我们高兴极了。
  • I tickled the baby's feet and made her laugh. 我胳肢孩子的脚,使她发笑。
22 testament yyEzf     
n.遗嘱;证明
参考例句:
  • This is his last will and testament.这是他的遗愿和遗嘱。
  • It is a testament to the power of political mythology.这说明,编造政治神话可以产生多大的威力。
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