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东汉时（公元25—220年），有个县官叫陈蹇，德高望重，深受人们爱戴。他虽然仕途顺畅,最后却因为政治原因辞官，告老还乡了。 有一年，饥荒、动乱和战争接连不断，偷盗抢劫在家乡很猖狂。 一天夜里，一个小偷跳过窗户，潜入了陈蹇的住宅。小偷正要行窃，这时陈蹇正好起床入厕。因此他只好潜伏在房梁上。陈蹇发现了小偷，但他没有声张。穿好衣服后，他没有喊小偷下来，而是把儿子们叫到床前，正色训诫他们：“一个人应该时时勉励自己走正道。我认为恶人不是天生就是恶人。"半夜里父亲的这番话让儿子们都很迷惑，他们不知道到底发生了什么事情。然后父亲提高声音说道：“你们必须记住，一个人穷不要紧，但不能失去尊严。”父亲向儿子们暗示，自己所说的都是针对房梁上的人。 小偷听了这些言语，对自己的所作所为感到很羞愧,忍不住流泪了。匆忙从梁上下来,俯身跪倒在地向陈蹇谢罪：“很对不起，我是因为战争和饥荒，不得已才这样做的。”最后陈蹇原谅了他，还送了些布给他，让他走了。 尽管故事中的小偷让人同情，然而他终究还是小偷。从那以后，这样的小偷又被称作“梁上君子”。 The Gentleman on the Beam In the Eastern Han Dynasty（25~220 AD)，there lived a man called Chen Shi, who had been the head of a county. He was admired and respected by people for his fine morality and good reputation. He was ready to be promoted, instead he retired for some political reasons and lived in his hometown since then. One year, turmoil and war took place because of a terrible famine. Robberies and thieves were rampant in that area. One night a thief got into the house of Chen Shi through one of the windows. The thief was about start his deal when Chen Shi got up to relieve himself. So the thief hid himself on the beam immediately. Chen Shi had noticed the thief but he pretended to know nothing about him. After he tied the belt around his waist, instead of calling the thief down, he called his sons up and then spoke out to them，”Listen!" the father declared, “As a man, one should act straightly and firmly. And I don’t think those who serve the devils have an instinct for evil.” The address made by the father in the middle of the night puzzled the sons. They didn't know what on earth had happened. And then the father raised his voice and continued, "You must remember that one can be short of property, however, he must stand on his dignity.” The father hinted for his sons what he said was all aimed to the man on the beam. The thief felt very sorry and shamed for what he did. So he began to weep on the beam. Later, he climbed down and knelt before Chen Shi, "I'm terribly sorry, but that is all because of the famine and the war. " At last Chen Shi forgave him, gave him some cloth, and let him go. Though the thief in the story was a little commiserated with, yet he was regarded as a thief admittedly. Since then such a person has got another name, that is, THE GENTLEMAN ON THE BEAM. |
