Just in Time
by Dan Clark
One night at 11:30, an older African-American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her - which was generally unheard of in the deep South during those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxi cab. She seemed to be in a big hurry! She wrote down his address, thanked him and then rode away.
Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his great surprise, a giant combination console color TV and stereo record player were delivered to his home. A special note was attached. And the note read:
Dear Mr. James:
Thank you for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain had drenched not only my clothes but my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bed side just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and for unselfishly serving others.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nat King Cole
譯文參考:
及時的幫忙
丹•克拉克
在一個晚上的十一點半,在亞拉巴馬州一條高速公路旁,一個上了年紀的非洲裔美國婦女正站在急風(fēng)暴雨里。她的車出故障了,她急需有人把她載走。全身濕透的這位婦女決定攔截下一輛車。一個年輕的白人男子停下來幫她——這在六十年代種族沖突肆虐的美國南方腹地是很難想像的。這位青年把婦女帶到安全的地方,讓她得到所需的幫助,并把她送上了出租車。那位婦女看起來非常匆忙,她留下男青年的地址,謝過他后就坐車離開了。
七天后,那位男青年家響起了敲門聲。他驚喜地發(fā)現(xiàn),有人給他送來了一個巨大的落地彩色電視機和立體聲唱機,上面還附著一張紙條。紙條上寫道:
親愛的詹姆斯先生:
非常感謝那天晚上你在高速公路旁給予我的幫助。暴風(fēng)雨不僅淋濕了我的衣服,也浸透了我的心。接著,你出現(xiàn)了。因為你的幫助,我能夠在我丈夫去世之前趕到他的床前。你幫了我,而且無私地為他人服務(wù),愿上帝保佑你。
真誠的,
納特•金•科爾夫人