品味人生篇13：Gold and Diamond黄金和钻石

A long time ago, in Egypt lived a famous mystical person named Zun-Nun. A young man came to visit him and asked,"Teacher, I do not understand why people like you when you dress in such a simple way?"  
很久以前，在埃及生活着一位著名的神秘人物，他的名字叫做祖南。有一个年轻人前去拜访他，问道：“老师，我不明白为什么人们喜欢穿着简单的您？”   

The mystic only smiled and took his ring from one of his fingers, and said:"Young friend, I will answer your question, but first do one thing for me, take this ring and go to the market across this street, can you sell this for one chip of gold?"  
哲人笑而不答，从他的手指上取下戒指，说：“我的朋友，我会回答你的问题的，但是，你得先替我做件事情。把这只戒指拿到街对面的市场上，看看能不能卖上一块金子。”   

Looking at Zun-Nun's dirty ring, the young man became doubtful, "One chip of gold? I am not sure this ring could be sold at that price." 
 年轻人看了看祖南那枚不太干净的戒指，心中充满怀疑：“卖块金子？这枚戒指能卖到那个价钱吗？”   

The young man went to the market quickly. He offered the ring to the textile, vegetable, meat, fish traders, and the others. The fact is that no body was willing to pay for a chip of Gold. He went back to Zun-Nun's residence and reported,"Teacher, nobody's brave enough to offer more than one chip of silver."  
年轻人很快就来到了市场。他把这枚戒指介绍给卖布的、卖菜的、卖肉的，卖鱼的商人和一些其他的人。事实上没有一个人愿意花金子来买这枚戒指。年轻人回到了祖南的住处，说：“老师，这枚戒指连一块银子也没有人愿意买。”   

With a wise smile Zun-Nun said,"Now go to the Gold Shop at the back of this street and show this to the owner or to the gold trader. Don't give your price; just listen how much he will pay for this ring."  
祖南睿智地笑了，说：“现在你把它拿到街后面的金店，给黄金商人看看。你不要给价钱，看看黄金商人会出多少钱。”   

The young man went to the shop mentioned and returned with a different expression_r_r_r on his face. He then reported,"Teacher, the traders in the market really didn't know the value of this ring, the gold trader offered this ring for one thousand of gold, and the value of this ring was one thousands times from what the traders in the market offered." 
 年轻人去了金店，回来时表情与刚才大不相同。他说：“老师，市场上的那些商人真的不知道这枚戒指的价值，黄金商人出价一千枚金币，这个价是那些市场上的人的一千倍。”   

Zun-Nun just smiled subtly¹ and spoke² softly," That was the answer of your question, my friend. Someone cannot be valued only from his dress. The traders in the market give value like that but not for 'the gold trader'."  
祖南微笑着说：“这就是我给你的答案。我们不能只凭一个人的衣着来判断他的价值，市场上的商人就是这样，只凭东西的表面样子来定价，而那些黄金商人则恰恰相反。”   

The gold and diamond inside someone only could be seen and valued if you could look at the inner soul. It needs heart to see, and it needs a process. We cannot see it from the words or attitude. Many a time what we think is a gold, is only a brass³ but a brass is a gold.
只有当你接近一个人的心灵的时候，才能看见这个人内在的“黄金”与“钻石”。这需要用心去观察，而且也需要一个过程。我们不能通过一个人的言语和态度来判断一个人的价值。有许多时候我们认为是金子的东西，只是黄铜而已；而我们认为是黄铜的东西，恰恰是金子。
 

1 subtly   

adj.微妙地，巧妙地

参考例句：

• Their attitude to me altered subtly.他们对我的态度已隐隐约约地有所改变。
• Such youth and prettiness reacted upon him more subtly than wine.如此青春的美色，比醇酒更令他沉醉入迷。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 brass   

n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器

参考例句：

• Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。