经典英文演讲2950.docx
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经典英文演讲2950.docx
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经典英文演讲2950
经典英文演讲_29
RussellConwell:
AcresofDiamonds
WhengoingdowntheTigrisandEuphratesriversmanyyearsagowithapartyofEnglishtravelersIfoundmyselfunderthedirectionofanoldArabguidewhomwehiredupatBaghdad,andIhaveoftenthoughthowthatguideresembledourbarbersincertainmentalcharacteristics.Hethoughtthatitwasnotonlyhisdutytoguideusdownthoserivers,anddowhathewaspaidfordoing,buttoentertainuswithstoriescuriousandweird,ancientandmodernstrange,andfamiliar.ManyofthemIhaveforgotten,andIamgladIhave,butthereisoneIshallneverforget.
Theoldguidewasleadingmycamelbyitshalteralongthebanksofthoseancientrivers,andhetoldmestoryafterstoryuntilIgrewwearyofhisstory-tellingandceasedtolisten.IhaveneverbeenirritatedwiththatguidewhenhelosthistemperasIceasedlistening.ButIrememberthathetookoffhisTurkishcapandswungitinacircletogetmyattention.Icouldseeitthroughthecornerofmyeye,butIdeterminednottolookstraightathimforfearhewouldtellanotherstory.ButalthoughIamnotawoman,Ididfinallylook,andassoonasIdidhewentrightintoanotherstory.Saidhe,“IwilltellyouastorynowwhichIreserveformyparticularfriends.”Whenheemphasizedthewords“particularfriends,”IlistenedandIhaveeverbeengladIdid.Ireallyfeeldevoutlythankful,thatthereare1,674youngmenwhohavebeencarriedthroughcollegebythislecturewhoarealsogladthatIdidlisten.
TheoldguidetoldmethatthereoncelivednotfarfromtheRiverIndusanancientPersianbythenameofAliHafed.HesaidthatAliHafedownedaverylargefarm;thathehadorchards,grain-fields,andgardens;thathehadmoneyatinterestandwasawealthyandcontentedman.OnedaytherevisitedthatoldPersianfarmeroneofthoseancientBuddhistpriests,oneofthewisemenoftheEast.Hesatdownbythefireandtoldtheoldfarmerhowthisoldworldofourswasmade.
Hesaidthatthisworldwasonceamerebankoffog,andthattheAlmightythrustHisfingerintothisbankoffog,andbeganslowlytomoveHisfingeraround,increasingthespeeduntilatlastHewhirledthisbankoffogintoasolidballoffire.Thenitwentrollingthroughtheuniverse,burningitswaythroughotherbanksoffog,andcondensedthemoisturewithout,untilitfellinfloodsofrainuponitshotsurface,andcooledtheoutwardcrust.Thentheinternalfiresburstingoutwardthroughthecrustthrewupthemountainsandhills,thevalleys,theplainsandprairiesofthiswonderfulworldofours.Ifthisinternalmoltenmasscameburstingoutandcooledveryquickly,itbecamegranite;lessquicklycopper,lessquicklysilver,lessquicklygold,and,aftergold,diamondsweremade.Saidtheoldpriest,“Adiamondisacongealeddropofsunlight.”Nowthatisliterallyscientificallytrue,thatadiamondisanactualdepositofcarbonfromthesun.
TheoldpriesttoldAliHafedthatifhehadonediamondthesizeofhisthumbhecouldpurchasethecounty,andifthehadamineofdiamondshecouldplacehischildrenuponthronesthroughtheinfluenceoftheirgreatwealth.AliHafedheardallaboutdiamonds,howmuchtheywereworth,andwenttohisbedthatnightapoorman.Hehadnotlostanything,buthewaspoorbecausehewasdiscontented,anddiscontentedbecausehefearedhewaspoor.Hesaid,“Iwantamineofdiamonds,”andhelayawakeallnight.Earlyinthemorninghesoughtoutthepriest.Iknowbyexperiencethatapriestisverycrosswhenawakenedearlyinthemorning,andwhenheshookthatoldpriestoutofhisdreams,AliHafedsaidtohim:
"WillyoutellmewhereIfinddiamonds?
”
"Diamonds!
Whatdoyouwantwithdiamonds?
”
“Why,Iwishtobeimmenselyrich.”
“Well,then,goalongandfindthem.Thatisallyouhavetodo;goandfindthem,andthenyouhavethem.”
“ButIdon’tknowwheretogo.”
“Well,ifyouwillfindariverthatrunsthroughwhitesands,betweenhighmountains,inthosewhitesandsyouwillalwaysfinddiamonds.”
“Idon’tbelievethereisanysuchriver.”
“Ohyes,thereareplentyofthem.Allyouhavetodoistogoandfindthem,andthenyouhavethem.”
SaidAliHafed,“Iwillgo.”
Sohesoldhisfarm,collectedhismoney,lefthisfamilyinchargeofaneighbor,andawayhewentinsearchofdiamonds.Hebeganhissearch,veryproperlytomymind,attheMountainsoftheMoon.AfterwardhecamearoundintoPalestine,thenwanderedonintoEurope,andatlastwhenhismoneywasallspentandhewasinrags,wretchedness,andpoverty,hestoodontheshoreofthatbayatBarcelona,inSpain,whenagreattidalwavecamerollinginbetweenthepillarsofHercules,andthepoor,afflicted,suffering,dyingmancouldnotresisttheawfultemptationtocasthimselfintothatincomingtide,andhesankbeneathitsfoamingcrest,nevertoriseinthislifeagain.
Thenafterthatoldguidehadtoldmethatawfullysadstory,hestoppedthecamelIwasridingonandwentbacktofixthebaggagethatwascomingoffanothercamel,andIhadanopportunitytomuseoverhisstorywhilehewasgone.Iremembersayingtomyself,“Whydidhereservethatstoryforhis‘particularfriends’?
”Thereseemedtobenobeginning,nomiddle,noend,nothingtoit.
ThatwasthefirststoryIhadeverheardtoldinmylife,andwouldbethefirstoneIeverread,inwhichtheherowaskilledinthefirstchapter.Ihadbutonechapterofthatstory,andtheherowasdead.Whentheguidecamebackandtookupthehalterofmycamel,hewentrightaheadwiththestory,intothesecondchapter,justasthoughtherehadbeennobreak.
ThemanwhopurchasedAliHafed’sfarmonedayledhiscamelintothegardentodrink,andasthatcamelputitsnoseintotheshallowwaterofthatgardenbrook,AliHafed’ssuccessornoticedacuriousflashoflightfromthewhitesandsofthestream.Hepulledoutablackstonehavinganeyeoflightreflectingallthehuesoftherainbow.Hetookthepebbleintothehouseandputitonthemantelwhichcoversthecentralfires,andforgotallaboutit.
AfewdayslaterthissameoldpriestcameintovisitAliHafed’ssuccessor,andthemomentheopenedthatdrawing-roomdoorhesawthatflashoflightonthemantel,andherusheduptoit,andshouted:
“Hereisadiamond!
HasAliHafedreturned?
”
“Ohno,AliHafedhasnotreturned,andthatisnotadiamond.Thatisnothingbutastonewefoundrightouthereinourowngarden.”
“But,”saidthepriest,“ItellyouIknowadiamondwhenIseeit.Iknowpositivelythatisadiamond.”
Thentogethertheyrushedoutintothatoldgardenandstirredupthewhitesandswiththeirfingers,andlo!
Therecameupothermorebeautifulandvaluablegemsthenthefirst.“Thus,”saidtheguidetome,“wasdiscoveredthediamond-mineofGolconda,themostmagnificentdiamond-mineinallthehistoryofmankind,excellingtheKimberlyitself.TheKohinoor,andtheOrloffofthecrownjewelsofEnglandandRussia,thelargestonearth,camefromthatmine.”
WhenthatoldArabguidetoldmethesecondchapterofhisstory,hethentookoffhisTurkishcapandswungitaroundintheairagaintogetmyattentiontothemoral.ThoseArabguideshavemoralstotheirstories,althoughtheyarenotalwaysmoral.Asheswunghishat,hesaidtome,“HadAliHafedremainedathomeandduginhisowncellar,orunderneathhisownwheatfieldsorinhisowngarden,insteadofwretchedness,starvation,anddeathbysuicideinastrangeland,hewouldhavehad‘acresofdiamonds.’Foreveryacreofthatoldfarm,yes,everyshovelful,afterwardrevealedgemswhichsincehavedecoratedthecrownsofmonarchs.”
WhenhehadaddedthemoralofhisstoryIsawwhyhereserveditfor“hisparticularfriends.”ButIdidnottellhimthatIcouldseeit.ItwasthatmeanoldArab’swayofgoingaroundathinglikealawyer,tosayindirectlywhathedidnotdaresaydirectly,that“inhisprivateopiniontherewasacertainyoungmanthentravelingdowntheTigrisRiverthatmightbetterbeathomeinAmerica.”IdidnottellhimIcouldseethat,butItoldittohimquick,andIthinkIwilltellittoyou.
ItoldhimofamanoutinCaliforniain1847,whoownedaranch.HeheardtheyhaddiscoveredgoldinsouthernCalifornia,andsowithapassionforgoldhesoldhisranchtoColonelSutter,andawayhewent,nevertocomeback.ColonelSutterputamilluponastreamthatranthroughthatranch,andonedayhislittlegirlbroughtsomewetsandfromtheracewayintotheirhomeandsifteditthroughherfingersbeforethefire,andinthatfallingsandavisitorsawthefirstshiningscalesofrealgoldthatwereeverdiscoveredinCalifornia.Themanwhohadownedthatranchwantedgold,andhecouldhavesecureditforthemeretaking.Indeed,thirty-eightmillionsofdollarshasbeentakenoutofaveryfewacressincethen.
AbouteightyearsagoIdeliveredthislectureinacitythatstandsonthatfarm,andtheytoldmethataone-thirdownerforyearsandyearshadbeengettingonehundredandtwentydollarsingoldeveryfifteenminutes,sleepingorwaking,withouttaxation.YouandIwouldenjoyanincomelikethat--ifwedidn’thavetopayanincometax.
ButabetterillustrationreallythanthatoccurredhereinourtownofPennsylvania.IfthereisanythingIenjoyaboveanotherontheplatform,itistogetoneoftheseGermanaudiencesinPennsylvania,andfirethatatthem,andIenjoyittonight.TherewasamanlivinginPennsylvania,notunlikesomePennsylvaniansyouhaveseen,whoownedafarm,andhedidwiththatfarmjustwhatIshoulddowithafarmifIownedoneinPennsylvania-hesoldit.Butbeforehesoldithedecidedtosecureemploymentcollect
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