11-4 一次开一道门

When my husband, John, and I had our first child 20 years ago, we agreed I’d be a stay at home mom. That meant we’d have to make do on a single income. We scrimped1 and saved so we could keep with the mortgage2 and our student loans. We ate a lot of macaroni and cheese dinners. We even didn’t go to the movies anymore.

I clipped coupons3 and tracked down sales. Tuesday was when the thrift 2 stores put out their “new” merchandise. Wednesday was when the meat and dairy section goods were marked at half price just prior to their expiration 3 date. Saturday morning meant getting to the garage sales4 before anyone else. But none of this was unfamiliar 4. I grew up wanting. So I had set my sights on realistic goals that would get me out of poverty: a college education, a solid marriage and a career. I’d had done it all, yet I still couldn’t imagine things would never go right for me. My faith felt more like a safety net than a reason to have hope for a better life.

Things took a turn one day when I got a phone call. “Shelly? This is Bill Porter,” the voice on the end of the line said. Bill was a door to door salesman I’d delivered packages for in high school. “Would you be interested in coming back a couple of days a week to fill orders for me?” I talked about it with John, and then went to work for Bill.

The first thing you notice about Bill is his un usual appearance. His ears are very large. He walks or rather, shuffles5 stooped6 over. His right hand is balled up almost into a fist. And he takes a long time to get his words out. When I was a teen I was too shy to ask about it. But one day after I started to work for him again I posed the question. “Bill, do you have MS or something like that?” I asked. “I have cerebral 6 palsy,” he answered matter-of-factly. I think he knew I was nervous talking about it. “But... what does that mean? How did you get it? Will it get worse?” “The doctor’s forceps7 damaged my brain at my birth. My condition will never get any worse. But it won’t get any better, either. It doesn’t stop me from accomplishing whatever I set my mind to.”

Bill’s optimism amazed me, especially in contrast to my own tendency toward pessimism 7. He gave credits to his parents, who taught him a strong faith. They fought to get him into public school; after he graduated, his father told him, “Get a job.” He wasn’t being harsh. It’s just that they’d never coddled Bill; instead, they had always insisted he could do anything he set his mind to and they never let him give up. Bill got an interview with Watkins Incorporated, a company whose salesmen peddle 8 home remedies and spices door to door. Bill told the director, “Selling is in my blood. It almost doesn’t matter what the product is, as long as I believe in it. Give me a chance and you’ll see.”

The director gave Bill a job on a trial basis. He knocked on door after door and heard no after no. Then Bill started making sales. He walked his route eight hours a day, or more, and became the company’s top salesman in the entire Northwest. It wasn’t easy. Every morning, Bill’s alarm went off at 4:45 am. His bus downtown left at 7:20 am. Bill needed all that time because he doesn’t like to dress in a rush. “Appearance is essential,” he said. Each morning he put on clean socks, pressed trousers and fresh white shirt. He would leave his cuffs 9 unbuttoned, his wingtips loosely tied, and his tie in the briefcase 10. Some friends at a hotel near where he made a bus transfer attended to those loose ends. Bill would hit the streets, knocking on every single door, telling himself, “The next customer will say yes.” The key is, Bill believes they’ll all say yes eventually.

I kept working for Bill even after I had a few more children. John was making more money, but I continued to scrimp and save. Honestly, it had become a compulsion. I still went through life with a sense of foreboding8. Faith was still an insurance policy against disaster rather than a way to meet life head on. Bill used his faith every day, getting out of bed and expecting the best. Would I ever look at life that way? Even my husband was frustrated 11 with me. One weekend John wanted to go to a movie. “We can catch the seven o’clock show.” “Honey, can’t we go to the matinee9?” I asked. “It’s cheaper.” “We can afford it.” He was right, but I couldn’t stop worrying about money and the future. It all stemmed from my childhood, and I’d never be able to overcome that.

One winter day a storm was forecast for Portland. Of course to Bill the weather report was good news. “Perfect for a door-to-door salesman,” he said. “Everyone’s home!” So he bundled up and made his rounds until he had made his quota 12. But then, the buses had stopped running because the roads were so bad. He had to hitchhike home, only to discover the steep driveway leading to his front door was a sheet of ice. He tried to get up it again and again, but kept falling down. Finally he got down on his hands and knees and crawled to the front door thoroughly 13 satisfied with his day’s work. He told me about it the next morning. It was as if the cumulative 14 affect of working with Bill and his optimism sank in. I wanted to stop worrying about life and start enjoying it.

It’s been 20 years now that I’ve worked for Bill. Once in a while those old worries start in on me. It is then I think about my friend Bill crawling up his icy driveway. I hear him saying, “There are no obstacles, Shelly. Only challenges.” When I follow his example, I’m able to let go and feel free. Yes, Bill Porter’s finally got me looking forward to the opportunities God opens for us, one door at a time. And these days when my family goes to the movies we see the full-priced show and splurge10 on popcorn 15.

注释：

1.   scrimp [skrimp] vi. 俭省，精打细算

2. mortgage [5mC:^idV] n. 抵押借款

3. coupon 1 [5ku:pCn] n.（附在商品上的）赠货券，礼券，购物优待券

4. garage sale [美]宅前出售（在出售人住所进行的清宅旧货出售，以前常在车库进行，故名）

5. shuffle 5 [5FQfl] vi. 拖着脚走

6. stoop [stu:p] vt. 弯（腰），曲（背）

7. forceps [5fC:seps] （[复]-ceps或 - cipes [-sipi:z]）n.（医用）镊子，钳子

8. foreboding [fC:5bEudiN] n. （对不祥之事的）预感

9. matinee [ma:ti:5nei] n. （法）午后的演出，日戏，日场，午场

10. splurge [splE:dV] vi.（口）挥霍金钱，舍得花钱

一次开一道门

　　当我和丈夫约翰20年前有第一个孩子时，我们俩约定我将做全职母亲。那意味着我们得靠一份薪水将就度日。我们节省开支，攒钱来偿还抵押贷款和学生贷款。我们主餐多吃通心粉和奶酪，甚至根本不再去看电影。

　　我剪下商家优惠券，找降价销售的东西买。周二是廉价旧货店出售“新”商品的时候，周三是肉和奶制品在过期前半价销售的时候，周六上午意味着在他人之前赶去私宅前的旧货摊买东西。这一切我绝对不陌生。我是在缺衣少食中长大的。所以，我早已确定了很实际的目标以摆脱贫困：大学教育、牢靠的婚姻以及一份职业。这3个目标我都达到了，可是我仍然想像不出为何我总是不顺。我的信念好像是一张安全网，而不是希望得到一份更好生活的理由。

　　一天，我接到了一个电话，事情有了转机。“谢利吗？我是比尔·波特，”电话那头传来声音说。比尔是个挨门挨户进行推销的推销员，我上高中时为他送过货。“你乐意回到我这儿来，每周打几天工，为我交付订货吗？”我跟约翰商量了之后，就去为比尔打工了。

　　你看见比尔，首先会发现他的外表不寻常。他的耳朵非常大，走路——倒不如说拖步——弓着背，右手几乎蜷曲成了一个拳头，说话慢极了。当我是一个少女时，我不好意思问他这些。但是，在我再次为他干活以后，一天我问了他这个问题。“比尔，你患有多发性硬化这类病吗？”我问道。“我患有大脑性麻痹,”他就事论事地回答说。我想他知道我问这个问题时很紧张。“可是……这是怎么回事？你怎么得这个病的？会恶化吗？” “在我出生时，医生的钳子伤了我的大脑。我的情况永远不会恶化，但是也不会有好转。不过，这阻止不了我做任何事情，只要我想做。”

　　比尔的乐观精神令我惊讶，尤其与我本人的悲观倾向形成鲜明对比。他赞扬他的父母，是他们教育他要有坚强的信念。他们通过努力，使他进入了公立学校学习。毕业后，他父亲告诉他：“去找工作。”他这样做不是苛刻，而是他们从不溺爱比尔。相反，他们一贯认为只要他有恒心，做任何事都会成功，而且他们决不让他放弃。比尔到沃特金集团公司面试，这家公司的销售人员上门推销家用药物和香料。比尔对主管说：“我天生会推销，不管是何种产品，只要我相信它就行。请给我机会，我会做好的。”

　　主管给了比尔一份工作——试用性的。比尔敲了一家又一家的门，听到一个又一个“不”。后来，比尔终于推销成功了。他沿着自己的推销线路，每天推销8个小时或者更多时间，成了该公司整个西北地区的第一流推销员。这很不容易。每天早上，比尔的闹钟4点45分就响了。他进城的公共汽车7点20分才开，可是比尔需要这一段时间，因为他不喜欢匆忙着装。“外表至关紧要，”他说。每天早上，他都要穿上干干净净的袜子、熨好的裤子和干净的白衬衫。他不扣袖口，让他皮鞋上的翼波状盖饰松松地系着，并把领带放在公文包里。在他换车处附近有一家宾馆，那儿的朋友们为他扣袖口、紧鞋带和系领带。然后，比尔走上街，挨家挨户敲门，告诉自己：“下位顾客会说‘是’。”关键是，比尔相信他们最终都会说“是”。

　　我又生了几个孩子，但还是继续为比尔干活。约翰挣钱比以前多了，可是我继续节省开支攒钱。老实说，这成了我的强迫行为。我过日子还是有一种不安全感。我的信念仍然是买保险来对付危难，而不是正面迎接生活。比尔每天都有信念，早上起床，满怀希望。我会这样看待生活吗？甚至我丈夫也被我弄得很沮丧。有一个周末，约翰想去看电影。“我们可以看晚7点那场电影。”“亲爱的，难道我们不可以看日场的电影吗？”我问道，“那更便宜。” “我们看得起晚场电影。”他说得对，可是我就是担忧未来没钱。这种心态都源于我儿童时代的贫困生活，我根本无法克服。

　　冬日的一天，气象预报波特兰要有风暴。这对比尔来说自然是个好消息。“对于上门推销员来说这太好了，”他说，“每个人都在家！”所以，他把东西捆扎起来，挨家挨户推销，直到完成了他的推销任务。可是到那时，因为路况恶劣，公共汽车都停开了。他不得不搭便车回家。下车后看到的却是，通向家门口的那条陡坡车道上结了一层冰。他一次一次往上走，可是总不断地摔倒。最后他干脆用手和膝盖爬到家门口，对自己一天的工作感到十分满意。第二天早上，他把这一切告诉了我。好像是为比尔打工日积月累产生了效果，他的乐观精神终于深入我心，我不想再为生活担忧了，要开始享受生活了。

我为比尔打工20年了。偶尔我过去那些忧虑又会涌上心头。这时，我就想起我的朋友比尔在他家门前冰冻的车道上爬行的情景。我听到他说：“谢利，没有障碍，只有挑战。”当我向他学习时，我就能够放松下来，感到自在。对，比尔·波特最终使我期盼上帝向我们敞开的机遇，每一次开一道门。现在，当我全家去看电影时，我们看全价场的——还舍得花钱吃爆玉米花。