经典英文演讲2950.docx

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