文章改编自《联合早报》20/08/2007现在版。
作者：苏婴。
江凌老师导读。
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好友告诉我她最近经历的一件“气闻”：用餐时，她发现热气腾腾的面里，赫然躺着一只蟑螂！顿时，她的好胃口无影无踪。找来摊主，那位仁兄还强词夺理：“蟑螂有脚的嘛！我哪里知道它怎么爬进去的！”
气愤难平的朋友拨了一通电话，向卫生管理部门投诉，对方相当重视，要求朋友报上摊主的确切资料，以展开调查，若情况属实，定予以相应处罚。此际，朋友突然犹豫了，她告诉对方，自己弄清后，会再拨电告之。
实际上，她始终没拨出第二通电话。
“为什么？”我大惑不解。“他确实做错，你还包庇他？”
“我不后悔，反倒庆幸自己的选择。”朋友平静地说。“想想看，那个摊主也四十多岁了，上有老，下有小，如果让他停业整顿，一家老小的生活必定会陷入窘境。况且，我在他那里用餐，也不是一回两回，还是头一回遇到这种事。应该不是惯犯，而是一时疏忽，经过这一次，他会留意的。”
“如果他再犯呢？”
“我经常光顾那儿，还会向他买面。若是再让我遇到，”朋友冲我一笑，“当然会毫不留情地举报！”我对这个朋友刮目相看。
想起了一件往事。
有一回，跟先生去国外旅游。一位当地的老妇向我们兜销纪念品，我施展杀价功夫，把售价从五元杀到一元。正兴高采烈要付钱时，先生突然瞥了我一眼，掏出钱包，按照五元一个的价钱买下了那些纪念品。
当时，我相当恼火，可是，先生的一句话，浇熄了我的怒火，至今记得，当时他是这么说的：“一个八十多岁的老人家，冒着寒风，到处奔波赚点钱，容易吗？”
所谓善良，不一定是做出惊天动地的大事，凡事多设身处地为别人着想，心存忍让，不介意自己吃亏，也是一种善良。
Word List
1) 瞥一眼 【piē yī yǎn】斜视一眼/cast a sideways look
2) 赫然 【hè rán】形容令人惊讶/impressively
3) 顿时 【dùnshí】立刻，一下子/immediately
4) 气愤难平 【qìfèn nán píng】非常生气很难平复/furious or indignant
5) 大惑不解 【dàhuòbùjiě】感到非常迷惑，不能理解/extremely puzzled
6) 包庇 【bāobì】袒护或掩护（坏人坏事）/enshield
7) 庆幸 【qìngxìng】欣喜，为某事高兴/rejoice, be happy about
8) 窘境 【jiǒngjìng】十分为难的处境/predicament, quandary
9) 惯犯 【guànfàn】经常犯罪而屡教不改的人habitual offender
10) 毫不留情 【háobùliúqíng】不给一点情面/without any mercy
11) 举报 【jǔbào】向有关单位报告/report
12) 刮目相看 【guāmùxiāngkàn】指别人已有进步，不能再用老眼光去看他/look through new eyes; see in a new light
13) 兜销 【dōuxiāo】到处找人购买（自己手上的货物）/hawking, trying to sell
14) 施展 【shīzhǎn】很好地使用、展示/put to good use; exhibited
15) 杀价 【shājià】讨价还价/bargaining
16) 兴高采烈 【xìnggāocǎiliè】形容很高兴的样子/happily, elatedly
17) 浇熄 【jiāoxī】使火熄灭/quench, extinguish
18) 惊天动地 【jīngtiāndòngdì】形容声势浩大很有影响力/earthshaking
问题
Q1. 请为文中空格处选择适当的成语填充：
1. A一败涂地 B 无影无踪 C 与日俱增 D 天渊之别
2. A金玉良言 B 苦口婆心 C 人云亦云 D 强词夺理
3. A大惑不解 B 不耻下问 C 口是心非 D 理直气壮
4. A了如指掌 B 拍案叫绝 C 刮目相看 D 情同手足
5. A伤天害理 B 兴高采烈 C 幸灾乐祸 D 再接再厉
6. A舍己为人 B 以身作则 C 宁死不屈 D 惊天动地
7. A设身处地 B 三思而行 C 守望相助 D 同甘共苦
Q8. 当卫生管理部门要求作者的朋友“报上摊主的确切资料”时，那个朋友为什么“突然犹豫了“？
A. 她怕承担责任
B. 她记不清摊主的确切资料
C. 她想给摊主一次改过的机会
D. 她想等自己弄清后，再拨电告之
Q3. 倒数第3段中写到“先生突然瞥了我一眼”。这“一眼”中蕴含着：
A. 赞许 B. 同情 C. 怨恨 D. 不满
Q4. 朋友为什么会原谅那个摊主？请列出两点原因。
Q5. 萧伯纳曾经说过：“善良之于品德，有如宝石之于金属，两者互为衬托，益增光彩”。你同意他的看法吗？请结合文章内容加以说明。
Q6. 请举出你所知道的善良的例子，和同学分享。
中、英对照：
另一种善良（A DIFFERENT KIND OF VIRTUE）
好友告诉我她最近经历的一件“气闻”：用餐时，她发现热气腾腾的面里，赫然躺着一只蟑螂！顿时，她的好胃口无影无踪。找来摊主，那位仁兄还强词夺理：“蟑螂有脚的嘛！我哪里知道它怎么爬进去的！”
A close friend told me about something that made her angry recently. While eating, she discovered a cockroach lying impressively in her steaming bowl of noodles. Her appetite went away immediately. When she brought this to the attention of the stall owner, he was defensive and argued: “Cockroaches have legs! How would I know how it got into the bowl?”
气愤难平的朋友拨了一通电话，向卫生管理部门投诉，对方相当重视，要求朋友报上摊主的确切资料，以展开调查，若情况属实，定予以相应处罚。此际，朋友突然犹豫了，她告诉对方，自己弄清后，会再拨电告之。
My friend was indignant and called the health authorities to make a complaint. They took the complaint seriously and requested that my friend provide the exact details of the stall so that they can investigate. If the complaint is found to be true, the offender will be surely be penalised. Upon hearing this, my friend hesitated. She told the officer that she will call again after she clarified the details.
实际上，她始终没拨出第二通电话。
In actual fact, she has yet to call them back.
“为什么？”我大惑不解。“他确实做错，你还包庇他？”
“Why?”, I was extremely puzzled, “He was clearly in the wrong. Why are you covering up for him?”
“我不后悔，反倒庆幸自己的选择。”朋友平静地说。“想想看，那个摊主也四十多岁了，上有老，下有小，如果让他停业整顿，一家老小的生活必定会陷入窘境。况且，我在他那里用餐，也不是一回两回，还是头一回遇到这种事。应该不是惯犯，而是一时疏忽，经过这一次，他会留意的。”
“I do not regret what I did. I am actually quite happy I made this choice.” my friend said calmly. “Think about it. That stallholder is in his forties. He probably has parents and children to support. If his stall is suspended, his entire family, old and young, will be in a difficult predicament. Furthermore, I have eaten at his stall several times and this was the first time this happened. I doubt he is a habitual offender. It was just due to momentary carelessness. After this incident, he will be more careful.
“如果他再犯呢？”
“What if he makes the same mistake again?”
“我经常光顾那儿，还会向他买面。若是再让我遇到，”朋友冲我一笑，“当然会毫不留情地举报！”我对这个朋友刮目相看。
“I frequent that stall often and will buy from him in the future. If I encounter this situation again...”, and my friend laughed at this juncture, “I will report him without any mercy!” I saw my friend in a new light.
想起了一件往事。
I recalled something that happened in the past.
有一回，跟先生去国外旅游。一位当地的老妇向我们兜销纪念品，我施展杀价功夫，把售价从五元杀到一元。正兴高采烈要付钱时，先生突然瞥了我一眼，掏出钱包，按照五元一个的价钱买下了那些纪念品。
Once, I went for an overseas holiday with my husband. An elderly native lady was trying to sell us some souvenirs. I demonstrated my bargaining skills, cutting the price down from five dollars to one dollar. Just as I was cheerfully paying the woman, my husband cast a sideways look at me, took out his wallet, and paid the woman the price of five dollars per piece.
当时，我相当恼火，可是，先生的一句话，浇熄了我的怒火，至今记得，当时他是这么说的：“一个八十多岁的老人家，冒着寒风，到处奔波赚点钱，容易吗？”
At that time, I was quite annoyed. However, a few words from my husband quelled my anger right away. I still remember what he said. “Can it easy for an eighty year old woman to brave the cold winds scurrying around to earn a bit of money?”
所谓善良，不一定是做出惊天动地的大事，凡事多设身处地为别人着想，心存忍让，不介意自己吃亏，也是一种善良。
Virtue is not some earthshaking thing. When one puts oneself in the shoes of other people and thinks on behalf of others, when one learns to be forbearing and conciliatory and can overlook losing out occasionally, then this too is a kind of virtue.
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