What goes around usually comes around/摘自網路文章

What goes around usually comes around/摘自網路文章


1892年美國史丹福大學兩個窮大學生突發奇想，寫信波蘭有名鋼琴家巴德雷烏斯基，邀請他到美國舉辦演奏會，希望門票的錢除了支付鋼琴家的2000元美金以外，剩餘的前可以用來繳學費。巴德雷烏斯基答應了，演奏會如期舉行，可惜門票只1600元。學生只好1600元全給巴德雷烏斯基，外加400元支票一張，保證儘快償還。

巴德雷烏斯基斯向學生說：我可不接受照樣的安排；退回現金，撕掉支票。他告訴學生：拿這些錢去繳學費，剩下的寄給我就好。

後來巴德雷烏斯基斯在1919年擔任波蘭總理(行政院長)。不過有一年波蘭面臨財政窘境，政府苦於沒預算來餵飽飢餓的人民。巴德雷烏斯基斯向美國糧食與救援署要求支持。署長胡佛答應了，波蘭危機總算解除。巴德雷烏斯基斯於是撘飛機到美國親自向胡佛署長致謝。

巴德雷烏斯基斯才講了謝謝兩個字，正準備再表達感恩之意，胡佛馬上插嘴：總理，您不用謝我。您可能忘掉從前曾經資助過兩位美國窮學生，其中一個就是我。

胡佛來當選美國第31任總統(1929)。



原文如下

AMAZING, BUT TRUE

This is a true story that had happened in 1892 at Stanford University. Its moral is still relevant today.

A young, 18-year-old student was struggling to pay his fees. He was an orphan, and not know­ing where to turn for money, he came up with a bright idea. A friend and he decided to host a musical concert on campus to raise money for their education.

They reached out to the great pianist Ignacy J. Paderewski. His manager demanded a guaranteed fee of $2000 for the piano recital. A deal was struck. And the boys began to work to make the concert a success.

The big day arrived. Paderewski performed at Stanford. But unfortunately, they had not managed to sell enough tickets. The total col­lection was only $1600. Disappointed, they went to Paderewski and explained their plight. They gave him the entire $1600, plus a cheque for the balance $400. They promised to honour the cheque soonest possible.

"No." said Paderewski. "This is not acceptable." He tore up the cheque, returned the $1600 and told the two boys "Here's the $1600. Please deduct whatever expenses you have incurred. Keep the money you need for your fees. And just give me whatever is left" The boys were surprised, and thanked him profusely.

It was a small act of kindness. But it clearly marked out Paderewski as a great human being. Why should he help two people he did not even know?

We all come across situations like these in our lives. And most of us only think "If I help them, what would hap­pen to me?" The truly great people think, "If I don't help them, what will happen to them?" They don't do it expecting something in return. They do it because they feel it's the right thing to do.

Paderewski later went on to become the Prime Minister of Poland. He was a great leader, but unfortunately when the World War began, Poland was ravaged. There were over 1.5 mil­lion people starving in his country, and no money to feed them. Paderewski did not know where to turn for help. He reached out to the US Food and Relief Administration for help.

The head there was a man called Herbert Hoover - who later went on to become the US President. Hoover agreed to help and quickly shipped tons of food grains to feed the starving Polish people. A calamity was averted.

Paderewski was relieved. He decided to go across to meet Hoover and person­ally thank him. When Paderewski began to thank Hoover for his noble gesture, Hoover quickly interjected and said, "You shouldn't be thanking me Mr. Prime Minister. You may not remember this, but several years ago, you helped two young students go through college in the US. I was one of them."

The world is a wonderful place.
What goes around usually comes around.