我想帶走我的錢
As Mr. Smith was on his death bed, he attempted toformulate a plan that would allow him to take atleast some of his wealth with him.
史密斯先生快要死了,他想到一個(gè)計(jì)劃能讓他在死后帶走至少一部分財(cái)產(chǎn)。
He called for the three man he trusted most--hislawyer, his doctor, and his clergyman.
他叫來(lái)自己最信任的三個(gè)人——他的律師、私人醫(yī)生和牧師。
He told them, "I'm going to give you each $30,000 in cash before I die. At my funeral, I wantyou to place the money in my coffin so that I can try to take it with me."
他對(duì)他們說(shuō):“我死前會(huì)給你們每個(gè)人3萬(wàn)塊錢,我要你們?cè)谖业脑岫Y上把這些錢放到我的棺材里,這樣我才好盡量把它們帶走。”
All three agreed to do this and were given the money. At the funeral, each approached thecoffin in turn and placed an envelope inside.
那三個(gè)人都同意這樣做并拿到了錢。葬禮上,三個(gè)人依次走到棺材前,然后把一個(gè)信封放進(jìn)去。
While leaving the cemetery, the clergyman said, "I have to confess something to you fellow.Brother Smith was a good churchman all his life, and I know he would have wanted me to dothis. The church needed a new baptistery very badly, and I took $10,000 of the money he gaveme and bought one. I only put $20,000 in the coffin."
從墓地離開時(shí),牧師說(shuō)道:“我有事情要對(duì)你們懺悔。教友史密斯終身都是虔誠(chéng)的教徒,我相信他會(huì)要我這樣做的。教堂里急需一個(gè)新的浸禮池,我就從他給我的錢里拿出1萬(wàn)塊買了一個(gè),所以我只在他的棺材里放了2萬(wàn)塊錢。”
The physician then said, "Well, since we're confiding in one another, I might as well tell youthat I didn't put the full $30,000 in the coffin either. Smith had a disease that could have beendiagnosed sooner if I had this very new machine, but the machine cost $20,000 and I couldn'tafford it then. I used $20,000 of the money to buy the machine so that I might be able to saveanother patient. I know that Smith would have wanted me to do that."
醫(yī)生跟著說(shuō)道:“既然我們互相信任,那么我得告訴你們我也沒(méi)有把那3萬(wàn)塊錢都放進(jìn)棺材里。史密斯先生得了一種病,如果我有一種最先進(jìn)的儀器的話就能早些診斷出來(lái),可是那儀器要2萬(wàn)塊錢,當(dāng)時(shí)我買不起。所以我從那筆錢里拿出2萬(wàn)塊錢買了儀器,這樣我就能用它救治其他的病人。我想史密斯先生會(huì)讓我這么做的。”
The lawyer then said, "I'm ashamed of both of you. When I put my envelope into that coffin,it held my personal check for the full $30,000."
律師接著說(shuō):“我真替你們兩個(gè)害臊。我放進(jìn)棺材的那個(gè)信封里可是有一張我簽的整整3萬(wàn)元的個(gè)人支票。”