A BEGGAR AND A LADY
乞丐老杰克與埃迪女士

As a woman walked down the streets one day on a cold day in February, she spotted a beggar. The man looked dirty, old, unshaven and didn't even wear a proper coat. Every passer-by looked at him with contempt. Not like they had anything against him, but merely because of who he was: a filthy beggar.
在二月的一個寒冷的日子里，一位女士走在街上時發現了一個乞丐。這個男人看上去又臟又老，滿臉胡子拉渣，甚至連件合身的外套都沒穿。每個經過他身邊的路人都會向他投去蔑視的目光。他們這樣做似乎并不是因為他們對他有什么反感，只是因為他的身份——一個骯臟的乞丐。
"Sir? Are you all right?" The lady asked him. The old beggar thought that this well-dressed, obviously wealthy lady, was mocking him. "Leave me alone!" he growled. She did not move. "Are you hungry?" She asked with a gentle smile. "No, I've just had lunch with the president." The beggar replied sarcastically. Her smile did not fade, and she tried to pick him up. "What do you think you are doing woman!" The beggar cried.
“先生？您還好吧？”那位女士問他。這位老乞丐認為這位穿著講究、顯然很有錢的女士想要嘲弄他。“離我遠點兒！”他咆哮道。但那位女士依然站在那里。“您餓了嗎？”她問道，臉上帶著和藹的微笑。“不餓，我剛剛和總統吃過午餐”乞丐用諷刺的口吻回答道。她依舊保持著笑容，試圖把乞丐攙扶起來。“你到底要做什么，女士？”乞丐大喊道。
"Is there a problem ma'am?" a passing policeman asked. "Not at all officer. I'm just trying to get this man on his feet." The woman replied. Surprised, the policeman said: "That's old Jack, he has been here for years. What have you got to do with him?" "I am taking him to the cafeteria to get warm and eat something." The woman answered.
一名過路的警察問道：“夫人，有什么問題嗎？”“沒什么，警官。我只是想讓這個人站起來。”女士回答說。警察驚訝地說：“這不是老杰克嗎？！他在這里已經好幾年了。你和他什么關系？”“我要帶他去自助餐廳，暖和一下，吃點東西。”女士回答說。

Angry, the old beggar now shouted: "Are you crazy!? I don't want to go in there!" But then he felt strong hands lifting him up. "Let me go, officer. I didn't do anything!" "Don't blow this good chance to feed yourself Jack." The officer advised. Together, they dragged jack into the cafeteria.
這時，那位老乞丐生氣地喊道：“你瘋了嗎！？我不想去那！”不過，他很快就感到有一雙強有力的手將自己扶了起來。“放開我，警官。我什么也沒有做！”“別錯過這個讓自己飽餐一頓的機會，杰克。”警察勸說道。隨后，警察與女士合力把杰克拖進了自助餐廳。
"What's going on here!? People like him are bad for business. We won't serve him anything here!" The manager of the cafeteria said, angrily. "Now you know why I didn't want to come in here woman." Jack said to the lady. "Now let me go!"
“怎么回事？像他這種人會有損我們的生意，我們是不會為他提供任何服務的！”自助餐廳經理憤怒地說。“現在你知道我為什么不想進來了吧！”杰克對女士說，“那就放我走吧！”
Smiling, the woman turned to the cafeteria manager and said: "Sir, I reckon you know Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?" "Of course I do, they hold their weekly business lunches here." The manager retorted. "I am the CEO of the company" the woman replied. "o-o-oh..." The manager stuttered, and had nothing else left to say.
女士微笑著轉向自助餐廳經理，說道：“先生，我猜您知道Eddy and Associates吧？就是街邊的那家銀行。”“當然知道，他們每周都會在這里辦商業午餐。”經理反駁說。“我就是那家銀行的CEO。”女士回答說。“哦-哦-哦……”經理變得啞口無言，只是這樣結結巴巴地回應道。
"Would you like a cup of coffee or a meal, officer?" She asked. "No thanks, ma'am," the officer replied. "I'm on duty." The lady, however, insisted that he'd at least get a cup of coffee to go,which the manager brought to all three of them, almost instantly.
“您想要一杯咖啡還是吃點什么，警官？”她問道。“不了，謝謝啦，女士，”警察回答說，“我正在執勤。”不過，女士堅持要他至少點杯咖啡帶走。那位經理幾乎一轉眼就為他們三人一人上了一杯咖啡。
"You just taught him a good lesson in hospitality." Said the officer." Oh, that was not really what I intended." She stared at Jack and said: "Jack, do you remember me?" "Well you do look familiar.” Jack said while examining her face.
“您剛剛教了他該如何提供熱情周到的服務。”警察說。“哦，這并不是我真正想要的。”她盯著杰克說：“杰克，您還記得我嗎？”“嗯，看著很眼熟。”杰克回答道，同時審視著她的容顏。
"Do you remember a cold and hungry girl who once visited this place when you worked here? She has, perhaps, grown old hasn't she?" Jack nodded, he was speechless. "I was just graduated, unemployed and lost my apartment for I couldn't afford the rent anymore. I wandered on these streets looking for work for days. It was cold. One day I walked in this cafeteria, hoping to find something eatable that my meagre budget would allow. When you saw me, you offered me the biggest roast beef sandwich ever and a good cup of coffee. You did not charge me anything."
“您還記得您以前在這里工作的時候，曾經來過一個饑寒交迫的女孩嗎？她或許已經變老了，不是嗎？“杰克點點頭，什么也沒說。“那時我剛剛畢業就失業了，還因為交不起房租而無家可歸。我在附近街道上游蕩了好幾天。天氣非常寒冷。一天，我走進了這家自助餐廳，希望找到一些我能負擔得起的東西吃。當您看到我時，就給了我一份最大號的烤牛肉三明治和一杯香醇的咖啡。當時您一分錢也沒有收我。”
"So you started your own business?" Old Jack mumbled after a long silence. "Yes, I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up and started my own business." She gave him a business card and said: "Please go to the HR manager of my company. I'll make sure my company has a vacancy for someone just like you." Fighting back his tears, Jack asked,"How can I ever repay your kindness?" "You don't have to." She said.
“那你后來自己創業了？”經過長時間的沉默之后，老杰克喃喃地問道。“是的，我當天下午就找到了份工作。之后，我一直非常努力地工作，并開創了自己的事業。”她給了老杰克一張名片，說：“請去找我公司的人事經理。我確認我的公司需要像您這樣的人。”老杰克擒住眼淚，問道：“我該怎樣報答您的好意？”“您不必報答。”她說。
While leaving, she said: "Thank you for all your help officer." On the contrary, Ms. Eddy, thank you! Also for the coffee." "I forgot to ask you whether you used cream or sugar. That's black. I'm so sorry." She said, frowning. "Please don't be! I do use more sugar than what is good for me, but this black coffee tastes as sweet as sugar." He replied.
離開的時候，她說：“感謝您的幫助，警官。”“正好相反，埃迪女士，我應該感謝您！還有您給買的咖啡。”“我都忘了問您是否加奶油或糖，給您喝的是黑咖啡，為此我感到非常抱歉。”她皺著眉頭說。“您可別這樣說！我確實比較喜歡在咖啡里放很多糖，但這黑咖啡的味道與糖一樣甜。”他回答說。