精美英文欣赏:诚实是最棒的礼物

我相信诚实是一件最棒的礼物。

      

我知道如今他们给它取了许多好听的名字，像正直和直率。但是怎么称呼并不重要，关键还在于怎样才算一个好公民。

      

这就是我的准则，我努力按这一准则生活。

Taxi Drivers Are People, Too

I believe honesty is one of the greatest gifts there is. I know they call it a lot of fancy names these days, like integrity and forthrightness 1. But it doesn’t make any difference what they call it; it’s still what makes a man a good citizen. This is my code, and I try to live by it.

I’ve been in the taxicab business for thirty-five years, and I know there is a lot about it that is not so good. Taxicab drivers have to be rough and tumble fellows to be able to take it in New York. You’ve got to be tough to fight the New York traffic eight hours a day, these days. Because taxi drivers are tough, people get the wrong impression that they are bad. Taxi drivers are just like other people. Most of them will shake down as honest fellows. You read in the papers almost every week where a taxi driver turns in money or jewels or bonds, stuff like that, that people leave in their cabs. If they weren’t honest, you wouldn’t be reading those stories in the papers.

One time in Brooklyn, I found an emerald ring in my cab. I remembered helping 2 a lady with a lot of bundles that day, so I went back to where I had dropped her off. It took me almost two days to trace her down in order to return her ring to her. I didn’t get as much as “thank you.” Still, I felt good because I had done what was right. I think I felt better than she did.

I was born and raised in Ireland and lived there until I was nineteen years old. I came to this country in 1913 where I held several jobs to earn a few dollars before enlisting 3 in World War Number I. After being discharged, I bought my own cab and have owned one ever since. It hasn’t been too easy at times, but my wife takes care of our money and we have a good bit put away for a rainy day.

When I first started driving a cab, Park Avenue was mostly a bunch of coal yards. Hoofer’s Brewery 4 was right next to where the Waldorf-Astoria is now. I did pretty well, even in those days.

In all my years of driving a taxicab, I have never had any trouble with the public, not even with drunks. Even if they get a little headstrong once in a while, I just agree with them and then they behave themselves.

People ask me about tips. As far as I know, practically everyone will give you something. Come to think of it, most Americans are pretty generous. I always try to be nice to everyone, whether they tip or not.I believe in God and try to be a good member of my parish. I try to act toward others like I think God wants me to act. I have been trying this for a long time, and the longer I try, the easier it gets.

作者简介：

John Hughes was born in Ireland, orphaned 5 at the age of two, came to America when he was 19, and served in World War I. As a New York City cab driver for more than 35 years, Hughes often drove Edward R. Murrow to the airport.

约翰·休斯

我相信诚实是一件最棒的礼物。

      

我知道如今他们给它取了许多好听的名字，像正直和直率。但是怎么称呼并不重要，关键还在于怎样才算一个好公民。

      

这就是我的准则，我努力按这一准则生活。

      

我入出租车这一行已经三十五个年头，知道这一行有很多不好的地方。的士司机得凶狠粗暴才能在纽约干这一行。这年头你得有副好身板儿才顶得住纽约一天八小时的交通战。由于态度粗暴，人们误认为出租司机不是好人，其实，他们和其他人就没啥区别。他们大多诚实，与人和睦相处。你几乎每个星期都可以从报纸上知道某的士司机归还了乘客掉在车里的钱或珠宝或票据之类的东西。要不是他们诚实，你没法在报纸上读到那些新闻。

      

一次在布鲁克林，我发现车里有一枚祖母绿钻戒，我记得那天帮一位女士拉了很多捆行李，所以我开回到她下车的地方，几乎花了两天时间才找到她，把戒指还给了她。我连个谢字也没得到，还是感到很高兴，因为我做了件好事。我想我比她更高兴。

      

我生长在爱尔兰，在那儿呆到十九岁。1913年来到这个国家，为了挣几个钱干了不少工作，一战时当了兵，退伍之后自己买了辆出租，从此有了自己的车。有时日子不太容易，可我老婆精打细算，我们还存了些钱，以防有个什么难处。

      

刚开始开出租的时候，有钱人呆的派克大街几乎全是一片煤场，胡弗啤酒厂正靠近现在的沃尔多夫·阿斯托里亚。就是在那些年头我干得也挺不错。

      

开出租的这些年，我从没和乘客有过纠纷，连给醉鬼开车也没出过麻烦。就是他们偶尔有点转不过弯，我也不和他们争执，他们接下来就规规矩矩了。

      

有人问我小费的事。据我所知，实际上每个人都会给一点。想想吧，大多数美国人是很大方的。不管给不给小费，我都尽力好好为每位乘客服务。

      

我信仰上帝，努力成为教区的好教民。我想上帝希望我怎么对待别人，我就尽量怎么对待别人。我坚持这样做很长时间了，时间越久，这样做就越容易。

附注：

约翰·休斯：一战期间入伍，1918年光荣退伍，在纽约街头开出租车已长达三十五年。