热心助人是世界上每个普通人皆有的品质。有同情心的陌生人常常都会伸以援手，因为他们知道遇到麻烦是什么滋味。中国人的这种特点看起来尤其明显，因为我曾亲身经历过。
A willingness to extend kindness to strangers is a trait of ordinary people around the world — perhaps because most everyone at some time has been lost, hungry, in pain, confused or simply caught in the rain. Empathetic strangers, knowing what trouble feels like, often come to the rescue.
热心助人是世界上每个普通人皆有的品质——或许是因为几乎人人都有迷路、饥饿、疼痛、迷茫或仅仅是淋雨的时候。有同情心的陌生人常常都会伸以援手，因为他们知道遇到麻烦是什么滋味。
In China, this attribute seems especially pronounced. I know because I have been the beneficiary.
中国人的这种特点看起来尤其明显。因为我曾亲身感受过。
A few examples:
举几个例子：
As I was walking one day in Beijing, a major cloudburst opened up. You may have heard the expression “raining cats and dogs”. That day it rained whales and elephants. A stranger saw my plight and waved me quickly into his covered porch, where he offered a cup of tea and the chair he had been sitting in.
有一天我走在北京的街上，突然天降大雨。你可能听过“瓢泼大雨”这个词，可是那天的情形用“倾盆大雨”来形容都不为过。一个路人发现我的窘境，便向我招手让我赶快去他的门廊下躲雨。他不仅给我一杯茶，还把他的椅子让给我坐。
My bike once blew a tire a long way from home, the blast knocking the rubber off the rim. Pushing the disabled bike was difficult. Seeing my struggle, a young man pulled up in one of those three-wheeled open trucks. Using hand signals, he indicated he wanted to help, and then he hauled the bike and me to a repair shop 2 kilometers distant. I offered him money, but he just grinned, shook his head and waved goodbye.
有一次在离家很远的地方，我的自行车胎爆了，内胎都从车圈上脱落下来。推着爆胎的车子走路非常吃力。一个骑着三轮车的年轻人看到我后，就把车停下来用手势示意我他想帮助我。接着，他就载着我和自行车去了两公里外的修车店。我想给他钱，但他只是微微一笑，摇摇头就招手离开了。
Near the end of Spring Festival, I lost my reading glasses. Amazingly, the only business open in the neighborhood happened to be an eyeglass shop. The proprietor told me she would make the glasses, and I could pick them up the next day. When I said I needed them at the office that night, she paused, puzzled a moment, and then cheerfully told me to come back in two hours. I did, and collected the finished glasses. I tried to pay her extra for her trouble, but she refused.
临近春节假期尾声的时候，我丢了我的花镜。让我吃惊的是，附近唯一还在营业的店碰巧就是一家眼镜店。店主告诉我，她可以给我配镜不过得等到第二天才能拿到。当我告诉她我当天晚上办公需要眼镜时，她停顿思考了一会儿然后爽快地告诉我两个小时后回来取。我照做了，拿到了配好的眼镜。我想多付些钱来补偿给她造成的麻烦，但是她拒绝了。
A couple weeks ago, I went to buy four big suitcases for travel. If you’ve ever tried to push four of those by yourself, you may sympathize. I looked ridiculous, bags dancing wildly across the floor. Then I got a tap on the shoulder. It was the seller offering his assistance.
几周前，我去买了四个大旅行箱。如果你试过自己推着这几个箱子走，你可能就会了解我当时的心情了。箱子在地上跑来跑去，让我看起来特别搞笑。然后就有人拍了一下我的肩膀，是售货员要帮助我。
Taking two of the bags, he steered me to the freight elevator. At the bottom he indicated I should wait, and then he disappeared. A few minutes later he drove up in a canvas-covered vehicle with his two children, a boy and a girl, on his lap. He stuffed three bags inside and lashed the fourth to the roof.
他帮我拉着两个行李箱，带我去乘货梯。在底楼，他让我等一等，然后就消失了。几分钟后，他开着一辆帆布蓬车来了，腿上还坐着一双儿女。他把三个箱子装进车里，另外一个绑在车顶。
Then we all went sailing merrily down the road to my home, 20 minutes away. I offered money, but he refused. In broken English he said, “Feel good help you.”
然后我们就一起愉快地驶向我家，全程20分钟的路程。我给他钱，他也没收。他用不是很熟练的英语说：“能帮到你我很开心。”
Such deeds inspire me. Since I cannot pay back, I have vowed to pay forward when opportunities arise, and I invite you to join me. Try this: Every time a stranger helps you, return the favor by helping two other people. A wave of goodwill will roll forward exponentially.
这样的善举给了我很大的鼓舞。既然我无法回报他们，那我发誓以后一旦有机会就去帮助别人，要知恩图报。而且我想邀请大家跟我一起试着这样做：每当有陌生人帮助你时，你就主动帮助两个人作为回报。一次善举将会激发无数次善举。
At home I have a small ceramic plaque that was sent to me by my mother. The inscription states a great truth: “There’s no such thing as a small act of kindness.”
在我家里有一块我母亲送给我的小陶瓷牌匾，上面的铭文告诉我们一个伟大的真理：“但凡善举，都不是小事一桩。”
下一篇： Some eye rolls?