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每周有三次，我都要到拉斯韦加斯大学教经济学课程。上周一，刚上课，我兴奋地问我的学生们，周末过得怎么样。一个年轻人说他过得并不好。他的智齿被拔掉了。这个年轻人接着问我为什么总是看起来这么兴高采烈的。 他的问题让我想起了以前曾经读过的一句话：“每天早上起床时，你都有一个选择，选择那一天你要怎样度过，"我说，“我选择愉快地度过。” "举个例子说，”面对着全班60个学生，我继续说道，“除了在这里教学，我还在亨德森社区大学教书。走高速公路的话，那里距离我住的地方有17英里。几个周之前，有一天，我幵车沿着那条高速公路去亨德森。驶出高速公路后,我转到学院快车道上。我只需要再行驶剩下的四分之一的路程便可以到达学院。可是就是这个时候，我的汽车熄火了。我试着重新启动，可是发动机纹丝不动。于是，我把车灯打开，抓起书本，一路急行军似的跑到了学院。一到那里，我马上就打了个电话，并叫了一辆拖车，约好了下课后在我的汽车那里见面。教务办公室秘书问我发生了什么事。‘今天是我的幸运曰’我回答,并对她微笑着。” “你的车都坏了，今天还是你的幸运日？’她迷惑不解，‘你这是什么意思？’" "我住的地方离这里有17英里。’我回答她说，我的车很有可能在高速公路上的任何一个地方抛锚。可是它没有。而是在一个非常合适的地方:下了高速公路，在一个能步行过来的地方。我还能来上课，并且还能安排一辆拖车在下课后和我碰面。如果我的车注定要今天坏掉，那么这是最方便不过的一种方式了。’" "秘书的眼睛睁得大大的，之后便笑了。我回敬了她一个微笑，便去上课了。”到这里我的故事便讲完了。 我扫视着拉斯韦加斯大学经济学课上那60张面孔。尽管那时候还比较早，可看上去没有一个人打瞌睡。在某种程度上，我的故事打动了他们。或者，也许根本不是故事打动他们。事实上，这个故事完全起源于学生对我一贯愉悦情绪的观察。 曾经有一位印度智者说过：“你的为人，对我来说比你说的任何话语都有用。” Who You Are Speaks Louder than Anything You Can Say I teach economics at UNLV three times per week. Last Monday, at the beginning of class, I cheerfully asked my students how their weekend had been. One young man said that his weekend had not been so good. He had his wisdom teeth removed. The young man then proceeded to ask me why I always seemed to be so cheerful. His question reminded me of something 11 d read somewhere before ： " Every morning when you get up, you have a choice about how you want to approach life that day," I said. “I choose to be cheerful." "Let me give you an example," I continued, addressing all sixty students in the class. "In addition to teaching here at UNLV, I also teach out at the community college in Henderson, 17 miles down the freeway from where I live. One day a few weeks ago I drove those 17 miles to Henderson. I exited the freeway and turned onto College Drive. I only had to drive another quarter mile down the road to the college. But just then my car died. I tried to start it again, but the engine wouldn11 turn over. So I put my flashers on, grabbed my books, and marched down the road to the college. As soon as I got there I called AAA and arranged for a tow truck to meet me at my car after class. The secretary in the Provost’s office asked me what has happened. 'This is my lucky day,’ I replied, smiling." 'Your car breaks down and today is your lucky day?' She was puzzled. 1 What do you mean?” “' I live 17 miles from here. 'I replied. 1 My car could have broken down anywhere along the freeway. It didn’t. Instead, it broke down in the perfect place： off the freeway, within walking distance of here. I，m still able to teach my class, and I’ve been able to arrange for the tow truck to meet me after class. If my car was meant to break down today, it couldn't have been arranged in a more convenient fashion.，" "The secretary1 s eyes opened wide, and then she smiled. I smiled back and headed for class.” So ended my story. I scanned the sixty faces in my economics class at UNLV. Despite the early hour, no one seemed to be asleep. Somehow, my story had touched them. Or maybe it wasn't the story at all. In fact, it had all started with a student's observation that I was cheerful. An Indian wise man said，" WHO you are speaks louder to me than anything you can say." |
