幫助你遇到的下一個人

JUST HELP THE NEXT PERSON

Some twenty years ago I was working at an insurance agency and drove to work every day. One day the highway was closed down by an accident, so I had to go a number of miles out of my way, through the countryside.

All went well on my way to work. At the end of the day I rushed home as I had a hair appointment. Not being familiar with this road, I topped a hill. A big pot hole appeared right in my path. After I’d crossed it I felt that I had a flat tire. Then, looking into my rearview mirror, I caught sight of a truck pulling out of a pasture behind me. I was relieved and scared at the same time. I kept thinking of all the bad things that had happened to people in deserted places like this.

I jumped out of the car and opened the trunk. I was struggling to get the spare tire out when the man in the truck came up behind me. He introduced himself and offered to help. When he got the spare tire out, we discovered that it was also flat. He told me that I could go with him and he would get it fixed. I called my husband with his phone, and on the way into town he told me that he was married and had a daughter. The pasture which I’d seen him coming from was part of his farm.

We got the tire fixed, and he took me back to my car. My husband was waiting for us there. The kind stranger stayed and helped my husband change the tire, and when they finished we both thanked him and offered to pay him for his help. I will never forget what he said. “Your thanks is more than enough pay, and I just hope that if something like this ever happens to my wife or daughter, someone will be so kind as to help them.”

I don’t remember the name of this gentleman but will never forget his kindness. I pass by that place almost weekly now, and think of him every time.

【日積月累】

◇tire n. 輪胎

◇rearview mirror 后視鏡

◇pasture n. 牧場，牧草，草地

【參考譯文】

幫助你遇到的下一個人

大約20年前，我在一家保險公司工作，每天開車去上班。有一天公路因為車禍而封閉了，所以我不得不繞道幾里遠的郊外。

去上班的路上一切都挺順利。下班后我急匆匆趕回家，因為我預約好了要做頭發。由于不熟悉路況，我把車開到了一座小山頂上，此時正前方出現了一個大坑，開過去后我感覺一個輪胎癟了。這時，我從后視鏡里看到一輛卡車正從草地里開了出來。我松了口氣，又有點害怕，我不停地想在這樣荒涼的地方可能遇上的種種倒霉事。

我下了車，打開后車廂。當我艱難地想把備用胎拿出來的時候，后面卡車上的男人走了過來。他自我介紹了一下，提出要幫我。當他把備用胎拿出來的時候，我們發現那也是癟的。他說我可以跟著他走，他可以找地方修好它。我用他的手機給我丈夫打了個電話。在進城的路上，他告訴我他已經結婚了，還有一個女兒。剛才我看到他出來的那片草地是他農場的一部分。

輪胎修好后，他載我回到我的車邊。我丈夫已經在那等著了。這位好心的陌生人沒有離開，幫著我丈夫把車胎給換了。完事后，我們倆都向他道謝，并提出給他酬勞。我永遠不會忘記他是怎樣回答我們的：“你們的感謝比付給我更重要，我只希望如果我妻子或女兒遇到這樣的事，有人會熱心地幫他們一把。”

我不記得那位好人的姓名，但是我永遠不會忘記他的好意。現在我每周都會從那經過，每次經過都會想起他。

【人生啟迪】

我們老是聽到這樣的叮嚀“不要和陌生人說話”或“不要輕信陌生人”，確實世界上不少攔路搶劫的惡棍，但也不乏“路見不平，拔刀相助”的好人。如果我們加入后者的行列中，正義的力量就又比邪惡的力量強大了一些。