书城外语有一种智慧叫包容
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第41章 错了就坦诚地承认吧

If You’re Wrong, Admit It

?戴尔·卡耐基 / Dale Carnegie

Within a minute’s walk of my house there was a wild stretch of virgin timber, where the blackberry thickets foamed white in the springtime, where the squirrels nested and reared their young, and the horseweeds grew as tall as a horse’s head. This unspoiled woodland was called Forest Park—and it was a forest, probably not much different in appearance from what it was when Columbus discovered America. I frequently walked in this park with Rex, my little Boston bulldog. He was a friendly, harmless little hound; and since we rarely met anyone in the park, I took Rex along without a leash or a muzzle.

One day we encountered a mounted policeman in the park, the policeman itching to show his authority.

“What do you mean by letting that dog run loose in the park without a muzzle and a leash?” he reprimanded me. “Don’t you know it’s against the law?”

“Yes, I know it is,” I replied softy, “but I didn’t think he would do any harm out here.”

“You didn’t think! You didn’t think! The law doesn’t give a tinker’s damn about what you think. That dog might kill a squirrel or bite a child. Now, I’m going to let you off this time; but if I catch this dog out here again without a muzzle and a leash, you’ll have to tell it to the judge.”

I meekly promised to obey.

And I did obey—for a few times. But Rex didn’t like the muzzle, and neither did I; so we decided to take a chance. Everything was lovely for a while, and then we struck a snag. Rex and I raced over the brow of a hill one afternoon and there, suddenly—to my dismay I saw the majesty of the law, astride a bay horse. Rex was out in front, heading straight for the officer.

I was in for it. I knew it. So I didn’t wait until the policeman started talking. I beat him to it. I said:“Officer, you’ve caught me red-handed. I’m guilty. I have no alibis, no excuses. You warned me last week that if I brought the dog out here again without a muzzle you would fine me.”

“Well, now,” the policeman responded in a soft tone. “I know it’s a temptation to let a little dog like that have a run out here when nobody is around.”

“Sure it’s a temptation,” I replied. “but it is against the law.”

“Well, a little dog like that isn’t going to harm anybody,” the policeman remonstrated.

“No, but he may kill squirrels,” I said.

“Well now, I think you are taking this a bit too seriously,” he told me.

“I’ll tell you what you do. You just let him run over the hill there where I can’t see him—and we’ll forget all about it.”

That policeman, being human, wanted a feeling of importance; so when I began to condemn myself, the only way he could nourish his self-esteem was to take the magnanimous attitude of showing mercy.

从我家的房子出发步行一分钟,就能看到一片野生林。到了春季,那里的黑莓丛便会开出一片片白色的花朵。小松鼠们在这片灌木丛中繁衍生息,而莴苣长得几乎和马儿一样高。这片还没有被开发的原始森林被称为森林公园——它确实是一片森林。或许从哥伦布发现新大陆起就不曾改变过。我经常牵着我的小波士顿哈巴狗雷克斯到公园里散步。小狗对人很友好,是个温驯的小家伙。因为我们在公园里很少遇到人,我从没有给它拴上狗链,或戴上口套。

一天,我们在公园里遇见了一位骑警—— 一位渴望发号施令的骑警。

“你为什么不给狗拴上狗链,还让它在这里到处乱跑?”他十分严厉地训斥我,“难道你不知道这样做触犯了法律吗?”

听了警官的话,我随即毕恭毕敬地说:“我知道,可是,我不认为小狗会伤害任何人。”

“你不那么认为!你不那么认为!法律可不容忍你有这种自以为是的看法。小狗也许会咬死小松鼠,甚至咬伤儿童。这次我就不处罚你了,如果下次让我看到你还没给狗戴上口套、拴上狗链的话,你就要被起诉了。”

我十分礼貌地答应照做。

我确实遵守了几次,可是雷克斯很讨厌被束缚的感觉,我又何尝不是呢?于是,我决定碰碰运气,又像从前那样带着雷克斯出来了。开始的几天,万事顺利,可不久麻烦就来了。一天下午,正当我带着雷克斯向一座小山坡上奔跑时,突然间,我又看到了那位骑警。而雷克斯正朝着他的方向奔去。

这下可麻烦了,我知道后果。我没等那位警官开口,便抢先说:“警官先生,这次又被您看见了,我承认,我有罪。对此,我没有任何借口。 您上周警告过我,如果我还是没拴狗就出来,您一定会严惩我。”

听了我的话,那位警官十分和蔼地说:“在一个人迹罕至的地方,让心爱的宠物尽情玩耍也是很有诱惑力的。”

“没错,是很诱人,可我还是违反了法律。”我回答道。

“不,这么小的狗不会有什么危险的。”警官说道。

“可是,它也许会咬到松鼠。”我说道。

“哎,我想也许你把这件事看得过于严肃了。”警官说道。

“照我的话去做吧,你让它跑过这座小山,直至我看不到为止。这样一来问题就解决了,我们谁也不用在意了。”

作为人,警官也需要得到一种被重视的感觉。因此,当我开始在他面前谴责自己的时候,唯一能满足他自尊心的就是展示他宽宏大量的一面。

1. I frequently_______in this park with Rex, my little Boston bulldog. He was a_______, harmless little hound; and since we rarely_______anyone in the park, I took Rex along_______a leash or a muzzle.

2. And I_______obey—for a few times. But Rex didn’t like the muzzle, and_______did I; so we decided to take a_______. Everything was lovely for a while, and then we_______a snag. Rex and I raced over the brow of a_______one afternoon and there, suddenly—to my dismay I_______the majesty of the law, astride a bay_______. Rex was out in front, heading straight_______the officer.

1. 从我家的房子出发步行一分钟,就能看到一片野生林。

2. 小狗对人很友好,是个温驯的小家伙。

3. 作为人,警官也需要得到一种被重视的感觉。

1. So we decided to take a chance.

take a chance:投机;冒险

2. So when I began to condemn myself...

condemn myself:自责