Honesty is the Best Policy
诚实最重要
Published by S. W. Partridge & Company
C.1860
Faithfulness in Little Things
从小事做起
“Is Mr. Harris in?” inquired a neatly-dressed boy of twelve or thirteen to a clerk, as he stood by the counter of a large publisher’s shop.
The well-paid clerk regarded the boy with a haughty look, and answered:“Mr. Harris is in, but he is engaged.”
“哈里斯先生在吗？”一个衣着整洁的小男孩，大概十二、三岁的样子，站在一家大型书店的柜台前向店员询问。
那个领着不菲薪金的店员上下打量了小男孩一番，语气傲慢地回答：“哈里斯先生在店里，但他现在正忙。”
The boy looked at the clerk hesitatingly, and then said:“If he is not particularly engaged, I should like much to see him.”
“If you have any business to transact. I can attend to it,” replied the clerk, “Mr. Harris cannot be troubled with boys like you.”
小男孩看着店员，迟疑了一下，继续说道：“如果他不是实在抽不开身，我非常希望今天能够见到他。”
“除非有生意要谈，否则哈里斯先生可不会把时间浪费在像你这样的小鬼身上！”店员不耐烦地说。
“What is it, Morley?” said a pleasant-looking elderly man, stepping up to the clerk, “what does the boy want?” “He insisted on seeing you, though I told him you were engaged,” returned the clerk, a little abashed by the manner of his employer.
“什么事，莫里？”一位风度不俗的老人走过来，对店员说。“这个男孩来做什么？”
“他坚持要见您，先生。不过我已经告诉他您有约了。”店员小心翼翼地回答着他的老板，神情有一些尴尬。
“And what would you have with me, my lad?” inquired Mr. Harris, kindly.
The boy raised his eyes, and timidly said, “I wish you to look at the bill of some books which I bought here some three months since, sir; there is a mistake in it which I wish to correct.”
“要见我有什么事吗，我的朋友？”哈里斯先生和蔼地说。
男孩抬起头来望着哈里斯先生的眼睛，羞怯地回答：“我希望您能看一看三个月前我来这里买书的单据，先生，上面有个错误，我是来更正它的。”
“Ah, my boy I see,” replied Mr. Harris, “you have overpaid us, I suppose.”
“No, sir,” answered the boy. “On the contrary, I purchased some books which are not charged in the bill, and I have called to pay you for them.”
Mr. Harris folded his arms across hid breast, regarded the boy earnestly for a moment, and then asked, “When did you discover this mistake?”
“哈，孩子，我明白了，”哈里斯先生说，“你大概是多付了钱吧？”
“不是的，先生。”小男孩说，“恰恰相反，我得到了一些书，却没有被计算在帐单上。我这次是来补齐欠您的款项的。”
哈里斯先生将双手环抱在胸前，不由得打量起眼前这个孩子来，表情也变得严肃：“那么，你是什么时候发现这个错误的？”
“Not until I reached home,” replied the lad. “When I paid for the books I was in a great hurry, fearing the steamboat would leave before I could reach it, and did not examine the bill.”
“Why did you not return and rectify the mistake?” asked the gentleman in a tone slightly altered.
“还没到家就发现了，”男孩回答道。“付款的时候我非常焦急，生怕错过了轮船，所以没有仔细检查一下。”
“那么你当时为什么不回来呢？”哈里斯先生的语调里有一些不易觉察的变化。
“Because, sir, I live at some distance from the city, and have not been able to return until now.”
“My dear boy,” said Mr. Harris, “you have given me great pleasure. In a long life of mercantile business, I have never met with an instance of this kind before. You have acted nobly, and deserve a recompense.”
“因为，先生，我住在离市区很远的地方，来一趟不容易。”
“我亲爱的孩子，”哈里斯先生说，“你的出现让我感到愉悦。在漫长的商贸生涯中，我从未遇到过像今天这样的事。你品格高尚，该得到相应的报偿。”
“I ask no recompense, sir,” returned the boy, proudly; “I have done nothing but my duty —— a simple act of justice, and that deserve no reward but itself.”
“May I ask who taught you such noble principles?” inquired Mr. Harris.
“My mother,” answered the boy, bursting into tears.
“不用的，先生，”男孩的语气里带着一丝骄傲。“我只是尽我所能去维护公平罢了，举手之劳，无需嘉奖。”
“能告诉我是谁教会你这些的吗？”哈里斯先生问。
“我的妈妈。”男孩回答道，突然泪水涟涟。
“Blessed is the child who has such a mother,” said Mr. Harris, with much emotion; “and blessed is the mother of such a child. Be faithful to her teachings, my dear boy, and you will be the staff of her declining years.”
“Sir,” sobbed the boy, “my mother is dead! It was her sickness and death which prevented me from coming here before. ”
“感谢上帝你有一位好妈妈，”哈里斯先生充满深情地说，“同样的，你的妈妈也有一个好孩子。照妈妈说的去做吧，你将成为她暮年的骄傲。”
“先生，”男孩啜泣道，“我的妈妈已经去世了！因为她的病，需要人照顾……所以我直到今天才过来。”
“What is your name?” inquired Mr. Harris.
“Edward Delong.”
“Have you a father?”
“No, sir; my father died when I was an infant.”
“Where do you reside?”
“In the town of Linwood, about fifty miles from here.”
“你叫什么名字？”哈里斯先生问。
“爱德华·迪朗。”
“你的父亲呢？”
“我的父亲在我还是个婴儿的时候就不在了。”
“你住在哪里？”
“林武德镇，离这里大概五十英里。”
“Well, my boy, what were the books which were forgotten?”
“Tacitus, and a Latin Dictionary.”
“Let me see the bill. Ah! Signed by A. C. Morley. I will see to that. Here, Mr. Morley,” called Mr. Harris; but that functionary was busily engaged bowing and smiling to a customer at the opposite side of the shop.
“好的，孩子，是哪几本书漏掉了？”
“《塔西陀》，还有一本拉丁字典。”
“让我看看单据……嗯，是莫里先生签的字！我会追究的。莫里，请你过来一下！”哈里斯先生喊道，这时那家伙正在书店另一头对着一位客人点头哈腰呢。
“Edward,” continued the kind-hearted Mr. Harris, “I am not going to reward you for what you have done, but I wish to manifest my approbation of your conduct in such a manner as to make you remember the wise and excellent precepts of your departed mother. Select from my shop any ten books you choose, which, in addition to the two you had before, shall be a present to you; and from henceforth, as now, my boy, remember not to ‘despise the day of little things.’- If ever you need a friend, call on me; and, for your mother’s sake, I will assist you, since you have acted most nobly.”
“爱德华，”好心的哈里斯先生继续说，“我不再坚持要给你报偿，但是我希望能够通过另外一种方式来表达对你的行为的赞许，同时也想让你记住这些从母亲那里继承而来的优良品性。现在，从书店里随意挑选十本书，再加上你已经拿到的那两本，算作是我送给你的礼物。从今以后，我的孩子，谨记‘勿以善小而不为’。任何时候，当你觉得需要帮助，就来找我。因为你母亲的美德，我会一直关注你，直到你成长为一个真正高贵的人。”
When the grateful boy left the warehouse, through his own tears he saw the moistened eyes of his kind benefactor.
Edward Delong wished for knowledge; and though the scanty means of his mother could hardly satisfy his desire, he had advanced far beyond most boys of his age. By working nights and mornings for a neighbour, he had amassed what seemed to him a large sum of money, and this was expended in books.
当这个满怀感激的小男孩离开的时候，透过潮湿的泪眼，他看到他那好心的捐助人的眼睛也湿润了。
爱德华·迪朗渴望获得知识，尽管他那贫寒的母亲在这一方面无能为力，但他比同龄的任何孩子都要努力。他早晚给邻居干活攒下一笔可观的积蓄，而这些钱全都用来买书了。
Scarcely was he in possession of his treasures, when his mother sickened and died. His home was now with a man who regarded money as the chief end and aim of his life, and severe and constant labour as the only means of obtaining that end.
For two years Edward struggled with his hopeless condition. Toil, early and late, expressed wish of obtaining an education, his employer answered:
但当他刚刚拥有了这些“财富”，妈妈就一病不起并且离开了他。他居住的房子现在归一个男人所有，那人视钱如命，将不间断的艰苦劳动当作实现这一目标的唯一途径。
大概有两年的时间，爱德华被这种希望渺茫的生活折磨着。辛勤劳作，夜以继日，间或表达着想要接受教育的愿望，然而他的老板这样回答道：
“Learning never made corn grow, or tilled a field, and what is the use of it? I can only read and write; and there ain’t a richer man in the place, not excepting Squire Morrison, with all his learnt notions.”
“学习不会使玉米长高，不会让田地丰收，要它来做什么？我会读也会写，但在这个地方没有一个稍微有点钱的人，包括乡绅莫里松，是因为他的学识而变富有的。”
“Is Mr. Harris in?” inquired Edward, as he again entered the shop of that very worthy gentleman.
“Will you wait a moment, and he will be at liberty.”
“Did you wish to see me?” asked Mr. Harris of the boy, whose thoughts were so intense that he had not noticed the approach of his friend.
“Mr. Harris!” exclaimed Edward, and it was all that he could say.
“My noble Edward!” said the gentleman. “And you have needed a friend. Well, you shall have one.”
“哈里斯先生在吗？”爱德华问，在他又一次踏进那位令人尊敬的先生的书店时。
“请你稍等，他一会儿有空。”
“是你想见我？”哈里斯先生的声音响起，男孩的思想被强烈的感情占据着以至于没有注意到他的到来。
“哈里斯先生！”男孩高兴得叫出声来，而这也是他唯一能说的。
“我品行高贵的爱德华！”先生这样说道。“现在你需要帮助了是吗？你早该拥有。”
Five years from that time Edward Delong was the confidential clerk of Mr. Harris, and in three more a partner in the firm. The integrity of purpose which first won the regard of his benefactor, was his guide in after life. Prosperity crowned his efforts, and happiness blessed his heart——the never-failing result of faithfulness in “little things.”
从那之后的五年里，爱德华·迪朗成为了哈里斯先生的秘密雇员。而差不多有三年时间，他的身份更像公司的一个合伙人。诚实正直的品行赢得了这位援助人的赞许，也为他今后的人生指引了道路。成功为他的努力加冕，幸福与他的心灵相伴——作为“凡事从小做起”的最好回报。