LESSON 52

TRUE COURAGE

真正的勇气

One cold winter's day, three boys were passing by a schoolhouse. The oldest was a bad boy, always in trouble himself, and trying to get others into trouble. The youngest, whose name was George, was a very good boy.

George wished to do right, but was very much wanting in courage. The other boys were named Henry and James. As they walked along, they talked as follows:

Henry. What fun it would be to throw a snowball against the schoolroom door, and make the teacher and scholars^〔1〕 all jump!

James. You would jump, if you should. If the teacher did not catch you and whip you, he would tell your father, and you would get a whipping^〔2〕 then; and that would make you jump higher than the scholars, I think.

Henry. Why, we would get so far off, before the teacher could come to the door, that he could not tell who we are. Here is a snowball just as hard as ice, and George would as soon throw it against the door as not.

James. Give it to him, and see. He would not dare^〔3〕 to throw it.

Henry. Do you think George is a coward? You do not know him as well as I do. Here, George, take this snowball, and show James that you are not such a coward as he thinks you are.

George. I am not afraid to throw it; but I do not want to. I do not see that it will do any good, or that there will be any fun in it.

James. There! I told you he would not dare to throw it.

Henry. Why, George, are you turning coward? I thought you did not fear anything. Come, save your credit^〔4〕, and throw it. I know you are not afraid.

George. Well, I am not afraid to throw. Give me the snowball. I would as soon throw it as not.

Whack! went the snowball against the door; and the boys took to their heels. Henry was laughing as heartily^〔5〕 as he could, to think what a fool he had made of George.

George had a whipping for his folly, as he ought to have had. He was such a coward, that he was afraid of being called a coward. He did not dare refuse^〔6〕 to do as Henry told him, for fear that he would be laughed at.

If he had been really a brave boy, he would have said, "Henry, do you suppose that I am so foolish as to throw that snowball, just because you want to have me? You may throw your own snowballs, if you please!"

Henry would, perhaps, have laughed at him, and called him a coward.

But George would have said, "Do you think that I care for your laughing? I do not think it right to throw the snowball. I will not do that which I think to be wrong, if the whole town should join with you in laughing."

This would have been real courage. Henry would have seen, at once, that it would do no good to laugh at a boy who had so bold a heart. You must have this fearless^〔7〕 spirit, or you will get into trouble, and will be, and ought to be, disliked^〔8〕 by all.

【中文阅读】

一个寒冷的冬日，三个男孩经过一座校舍。年纪最大的那个是个坏男孩，不但自己惹麻烦，还试图把别人也扯进去。年纪最小的那个，名叫乔治，是个很乖的男孩子。

乔治愿意做正确的事情，但是非常缺乏勇气。另外两个男孩，一个叫亨利，一个叫詹姆斯。他们在路上走的时候，谈话内容是这样的：

亨利：要是扔一个雪球去砸教室的门，让老师和学生都吓得跳起来，那该多好玩啊！

詹姆斯：你这么做的话，跳起来的那个人就是你！就算老师没有抓住你，用鞭子抽你，他也会告诉你爸爸，那样你也得挨一顿打。我想，那会让你比那些学生跳得更高。

亨利：什么呀，老师还没开门出来，我们已经跑得老远了。他根本就分辨不清我们是谁。这儿有个像冰块一样硬的雪球。而且，乔治会很乐意把它砸到门上的。

詹姆斯：把雪球给他，看看怎么样。他才不敢扔呢。

亨利：你以为乔治是个胆小鬼吗？你没有我那么了解他。来，乔治，拿着这个雪球，让詹姆斯看看你并不像他所想的那样是个胆小鬼。

乔治：我不是不敢扔，而是我不想这么做。我不认为这么做对我有任何好处，也看不出这有什么好玩。

詹姆斯：看吧！我告诉你他不敢扔。

亨利：不是吧，乔治，你真的变成胆小鬼了吗？我以为你什么都不怕。来吧，挽回你的荣誉，把雪球扔出去。我知道你并不是害怕。

乔治：好吧，我并不害怕。把雪球给我。我很乐意把它扔出去。

“砰”的一声，一击即中！雪球砸在门上。那两个男孩马上溜之大吉。亨利想到愚弄乔治的情景，尽情地哈哈大笑。

乔治为他的愚蠢挨了一顿打，一如他应该受到的惩罚。他真是个胆小鬼，他担心别人说他是胆小鬼，不敢拒绝亨利叫他做的事情，因为害怕会因此受到嘲笑。

如果他真是个勇敢的孩子，他应该说：“亨利，你以为我会那么笨，只是因为你想要我扔那个雪球，我就会照做吗？你要是愿意的话，你完全可以自己扔！”

也许，亨利会嘲笑他，叫他胆小鬼。

然而乔治可以说：“你以为我会在乎你的嘲笑吗？我认为扔这个球是不对的。我不会去做我认为是错的事情，哪怕全镇的人都跟你一起嘲笑我。”

这才是真正的勇气。亨利马上就会看到，嘲笑一个有着如此勇敢的一颗心的男孩没有任何好处。你必须有这种无畏的精神，否则你会陷入麻烦当中，而你将会、也应该会，为所有人所不耻。

注释

〔1〕Scholars, children at school.

〔2〕Whipping, punishment.

〔3〕Dare, have courage.

〔4〕Credit, reputation.

〔5〕Heartily, freely, merrily.

〔6〕Refuse, decline.

〔7〕Fearless, bold, brave.

〔8〕Disliked, not loved.