A $20 Bill
一张20美元的钞票
A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill.
一位著名的演说家在一场研讨会上,手拿着一张20美元的钞票,开始演讲。
He asked his audience, “Who would like this $ 20 bill?” Hands started going up! He said, “I am going to give this to one of you, but first, let me do this.” The speaker then proceeded to crumple the bill. He then asked, “Who still wants it?” The hands went up in the air! He then replied, “What if I do this?” He dropped the bill to the floor and started grinding it with his shoes. Now the bill was crumpled and dirty. “Who still wants it?” he asked. Hands went up in the air.
他问听众谁想要这张20美元的钞票?”很多观众举起了手。他说:“我打算把它给你们中的一个人,不过让我先做这件事。”演说家说着把钞票揉捏弄皱。他接着问:“谁还要它?”观众还是高高地举起了手!他接着又问道:“假如我这么做呢?”他把钞票扔在地板上,开始用鞋子踩。现在钞票又皱又脏。“谁还要它?”他问道。观众又高高举起了手。
Smoothing out the bill, the speaker said, “My friends, you all have learned a very valuable lesson just now. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it, because it did not decrease in value. It is still worth twenty dollars. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel that we are worthless, but no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or creased, you are still priceless to those who love you.”
演说家把钞票摊平,说:“朋友们,刚才你们都学了宝贵的一课。无论我把钞票怎么样,你们还是要它,因为它的价值没有贬损,它还是值20美元。在我们的生活中,多少次,因为我们的决策失误,因为我们的境况险恶,我们跌倒了,被践踏。我们觉得自己一钱不值,但是无论发生什么或者将会发生什么,你们的价值绝不会贬损。脏污还是洁净,困顿还是失败,对于爱你的人来说,你们还是无价之宝。”