书城文学生命是创造自己的过程
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第35章 Three Old Men and a Housewife

A woman canle out of her house and saw three old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard.She did not recognize them.She said,“I don’t think I know you,but you must be hungry.Please come in and have something to eat.”“Is the man of the house home?”they asked.”NO.”she said.“He’S out.”“Then we cannot come in,”they replied.

In the evening when her husband came home,she told him what had happened.”Go teU them I am home and invite them in.”

“We do not go into a house together.”they replied.“Why is that?”she wanted to know.One of the old men explained:“His name is Wealth,”he said,pointing to one of his friends,and then pointed to an。other one.“He is Success,and I am Love.”Then he added,“Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of US you want in your home.” The WClman went in and told her husband what the old man had said。Her husband was overjoyed.“How nice!”he said,“Since that is the case.1et US invite Wealth.Let him come and fall our home with wealth!”

His wife disagreed.“My dear.why don’t we invite‘Success’?”Their daughter..in,.1aw was listening from the other comer of thehouse.She jumped in with her own suggestion:“Would it not be better toinvite‘Love’?Our home will then be filled with love!”

“Let US heed our daughter—in—law’S advice.”said the husband tohis wife.“Go out and invite‘love’to be our guest.”The woman wentout and asked the three old men,“V~"lO is‘Love’?Please come in andbe our guest.”“Love”got up and started walking toward the house.Theother two also got up and followed him.Surprised,the lady asked Wealthand Success:“I only invited‘love’.Why are you coming in?”

The old men replied together.“If you had invited‘Wealth’or‘Suc.cess’,the other two of US would’ve stayed out.but since you invited‘Love’.Wherever he goes,we go with him.Wherever there is Love,there is alSO Wealth and Success I”

recognize V.认出,识别;正式承认;认识;认可,认定

invite V.邀请;请求;招待;征求

disagree v.不一致;不适宜

guest n.客人;旅客;来宾,客座通道,不用输入密码能进入因特网或当地网络的能力(计算机用语);寄生虫类动物(动物学用语)

三个老人和一个家庭主妇

一个女人从屋里走出来,看到在自家的前院里坐着三个白胡子老头。她对这三个陌生人说道:“虽然我不认识你们,不过你们一定饿极了。请赶快进屋吧!我给你们弄点东西吃。”“男主人在家吗?”他们问道。“不在,”她说,“他去外面了。”“那么,我们就不能进去。”他们答道。

晚上丈夫回到家后,女人对他说了今天发生的事。“去对他们说我在家,邀请他们进来吧!”

老人们回答:“我们不能一块进去。”她急忙问道:“为什么不呢?”其中一位老人指指身边的一个朋友解释说:“他叫‘财富’。”又指着另外一个说:“他是‘成功’,而我是‘爱’。”然后,他接着说:“现在你们到底想邀请哪一位进屋呢?去跟你的丈夫商量商量吧!”

女人进屋把老人所说的话告诉了丈夫,她丈夫兴奋地说道:“太好了!既然这样,我们就邀请‘财富’,让他给我们带来家财万贯吧!”

“亲爱的,我们为什么不邀请‘成功’呢?”他的妻子反驳道。坐在屋子另一个角落的儿媳听到了,就插嘴说出了自己的观点:“邀请‘爱’难道不是更好吗?这样我们家就充满爱意了!”

丈夫对妻子说,“我们还是听从儿媳的建议吧!你去外面请‘爱’进来做客!”女人出去问三位老人,“谁是‘爱’?请进来做客。”“爱”起身走向房子。另外两个老人也站了起来,跟着他。女人吃惊地问“财富”和“成功”:“只有‘爱’受到了邀请。你们为什么也跟着进来呢?”

三个老人同时答道:“如果你们邀请的是‘财富’或‘成功’,那么其他两位就不会进屋了,但你邀请的是‘爱’,我们与‘爱’同在。只要有‘爱’的地方,就有‘成功’与‘财富’!”

名人名言

Man becomes man only by the inteUigence, but he is man 0nly bythe heart.

——Henri Frederic Amiel

人只因为智力才成为人,但人要作为人而存在必须依靠其情感。

——亨利·弗雷德里克·埃米尔