做邻居的艺术

THE ART OF BEING A NEIGHBOUR

I used to believe in the American dream, which meant a job, credit, and success. I wanted it and worked for it like everyone else.

One year, through a series of unhappy events, my life changed a lot. I found myself homeless and alone. I had only my truck and $56.

I rented a little house in the countryside. The locals knew nothing about me. But slowly, they started teaching me the art of being a neighbour. They dropped off blankets, candles, tools and canned deer meat, and they began getting together to chat. They would ask if I wanted to go fishing or go for a drink together. They started to teach me belief in a different American dream —not the one of individual achievement, but one of neighbourliness.

Men would stop by with wild berries, ice cream and truck parts. The women there worked harder than anyone I’d ever met. They taught me the value of a whetstone to sharpen my knives, how to store food in the creek and keep it cold and safe. All those things I thought were the necessary requirements for a civilized life did not exist in this place. My most valuable possessions were my relationships with my neighbours.

After four years in that place, I moved back into town. I saw that a lot of people were having a really hard time, losing their jobs and homes. I managed to rent a big house to take in a handful of people.

It’s four of us now, but over time I’ve had nine come in and move on to other places from here. We would all be in shelters if we hadn’t banded together. The American dream I believe in now is a shared one. It’s not so much about what I can get for myself; it’s about what we all can get.

【日积月累】

◇credit 信誉，信用，信赖

◇whetstone n. 磨刀石

◇creek n. 小河，小溪

【参考译文】

做邻居的艺术

我以前相信美国梦，那意味着有份工作，有信誉，有成就。为了实现它，我像其他人一样为之奋斗。

有一年，在经历了一系列不愉快的事件后，我的生活发生了巨大的变化。我没了家，落得孤身一人。只剩一辆卡车和56美元。

我在郊外租了一个小房子。当地人对我一无所知。但是渐渐地，他们开始教我如何做一个邻居。他们给我送来毯子、蜡烛、工具和鹿肉罐头。他们开始过来和我聊天。他们会问我想不想去钓鱼或去喝一杯。他们让我知道另一个美国梦——这个梦不关乎个人成就，而是关于邻里和睦。

男人带着野果、冰激凌和卡车零件来看我。我从没见过比那里妇女工作更卖力的人。她们告诉我可以锋利刀子的磨刀石有多么的重要，教我如何在小河里储存食物，使食物既凉爽又安全。我认为文明生活里应具备的那里都没有。我最珍贵的东西就是与邻居的感情。

在那住了4年后，我搬回了城市。我看过很多时运不济的人，丢了工作，没了家。我设法租了一栋大房子，收留了几个人。

现在算我在内有4个人，但是以前还住过9个人，后来他们都搬去了别的地方。如果我们不团结在一起，我们就得住进避难所。我现在相信的美国梦是大家共同拥有的，不是我个人能得到什么，而是我们大家一起能得到什么。

【人生启迪】

人们说城市是冷冰冰的钢铁森林，在那里看不到相交甚好的邻里。是否因为“高处不胜寒”的缘故，住在高楼大厦里的人们都懒于交流沟通。这样说来，那些摩天大厦不过是高级些的监狱，隔离着一颗颗寂寞的心。打开你的心门，上下楼梯间和邻居打个招呼，借借东西帮帮忙，学做一名合格的邻居。