时间：2022-04-14 12:09:25
（海诺・莫尔斯） / 文
胡冬宁 / 编译
Many years ago I drove a taxi for extra money. I primarily worked the east end of Toronto. This was back in the days when the Greenwood Racetrack was in operation.
The track was a pretty lively place. Crowds of people were always streaming in and out. I did a lot of business down there dropping off fares and picking them up. When I think of those days, I remember one particular summer about 30 years ago.
Each time a taxi drove up to the front of the track, a group of local kids would run along the sidewalk angling for position by the passenger door. One lucky kid, or to be more accurate the most aggressive kid, would open the passenger door and say good luck at the track, Mister! The man getting out of the cab would invariably mumble thanks and flip the kid a quarter on his way from the taxi to the entrance of the track.
It was a routine that everybody knew. Sometimes the cops would chase these kids away but they always came back a couple of hours later or the next day.
Throughout the summer, one kid caught my eye. He was bigger than most of them but he was pushed away by even the smallest of all the other kids. He never pushed back. In fact he would even step aside when others pushed forward. He was actually courteous in the midst of all these aggressive kids.
Each time my cab or any other cab drove up it was another chance to be the one to open the door and say, “good luck, Mister!” and maybe get a quarter. This kid never stopped trying. He would watch the cab approach, figure out where it would stop along the sidewalk and then try his best to get to the door. He never made it. He always got pushed aside. But he never gave up.
Then one day his chance arrived.
As I was pulling up to the sidewalk all the kids were scrambling for a cab that had arrived just ahead of mine. They didn’t notice me pulling up.
The boy saw me and walked toward my taxi. As I pulled up I made sure to position the passenger door right beside him. He didn’t miss a beat. He opened the passenger door with a flourish and said to the man getting out, good luck at the track, Mister! But the man who got out of my cab did not say thanks. He did not flip him a quarter. He said, “get out of my way, kid!” and he pushed him aside so hard that the boy fell on the sidewalk and I knew it hurt him bad.
I was out of the cab in less than 10 seconds but I knew I would never find the man that pushed this boy down. He was gone in the crowd.
So I looked for the kid. I decided to give him $20 for the effort and gumption that I had watched him go through. By the time I spotted him he was far up ahead, walking away through the crowd, hands in his pockets and his head hanging down. I could not get to him. The other cabs behind mine were honking their horns and drivers were screaming obscenities at me, telling me to move the cab. The traffic cop was waving at me to get back in my taxi and get going.
The kid was walking the opposite way. By the time I got the cab turned around I lost sight of him. All I could do was pound my fist on the steering wheel.
I never saw him again.
Over time I have thought about that kid. I thought I would like to find him one day and tell him that if only he had stuck around a little longer I would have given him a whole $20 instead of the lousy quarter he was after, because I was so struck by his spirit.
After 30 years I realized that maybe I learned an important lesson from this kid. And maybe I am supposed to pass it along.
When things seem so hopeless that you are ready to give up, that is the time when things are most likely to turn around for you. One day we will all be recognized for how we tried. Not necessarily for what we did.
So don’t ever let up or walk away from integrity, because it will be the reason for your reward.
多年前靠开出租车赚些外快的时候，我主要在多伦多东部工作，那时格林伍德赛马场还在营业。
赛马场很热闹，人们成群结队、络绎不绝地进进出出。我在那里接了很多生意，把乘客送到那或者接他们走。每当想起那些日子，我都会记起大约30年前的一个夏天。
每当有出租车开到赛马场前面的时候，一群当地孩子就沿着人行道跑，这样才能抢到离车门最近的位置。幸运的孩子，或者更准确地说是最有闯劲的孩子，就会打开车门，然后说：祝您好运，先生。从出租车里出来的人总是含糊地说声谢谢，然后一边向赛马场的入口走一边扔给这孩子一枚两角五分钱的硬币。
每个人都知道这个惯例。有时，警察会把孩子们赶走，但是过不了几个小时或者第二天，他们就又来了。
整个夏天，总有一个孩子吸引着我去注意他。他的个头比那里的大多数孩子都要大，但是哪怕最小的孩子都能把他推开，他却从不还手。事实上，当其他孩子往前挤的时候他总是闪到一边，在这群好斗的孩子中，他显得很有礼貌。
每次我的车或者其他车开到跟前的时候都是一个打开车门说声“祝您好运”的机会，说不定还能得到一枚硬币。这个孩子从不放弃尝试，他会看着车靠近，判断出它将停在哪里，然后努力走近车门，不过他从未得手，总是被推到一边，但他没有放弃。
终于有一天，他的机会来了。
我把车停在人行道边的时候，一群孩子正冲向先到的那辆车，他们没注意到我来了。
这个男孩看见了我，并向我的车走了过来。停车时，我故意让车门就在他旁边。他没错过这个机会，兴奋地打开车门对出来的人说：“祝您好运，先生。”但是这个人没说谢谢就下车了，也没给他硬币，而是说“别挡路，小家伙。”他还重重地推了那孩子一下，男孩摔倒在人行道上，我知道他一定很受伤害。
我马上下了车，但我知道我不会找到刚才那个人了，他已经走进人群之中。
所以我想找到那个孩子，我决定给他20美元来奖励他的努力与进取。我看到那个男孩的时候他已经走得很远了，他离开人群，手插在口袋里，低垂着头，我无法走到他跟前，因为后面的出租车喇叭都在响，司机对我喊着脏话，让我赶快开车，交警也在向我挥手。
那孩子向相反方向走去，等我把车掉过头的时候已经看不见他了，我只能狠狠地用拳头打方向盘。
我再没见过这孩子。
随着时间的流逝，我还是会想起他。我想有一天我会找到他，并且告诉他只要再多呆一会我就会给他整整20美元，而不是那可怜的两角五分钱硬币，因为他的精神给我留下了深刻印象。
30年过去了，我认识到或许我从这孩子身上学到了重要的一课，或许我应该把它告诉大家。
当事情看起来没有希望的时候，当你就要放弃的时候，也是最容易出现转机的时候。总有一天会有人认可我们的努力，而不一定是我们做了什么。
所以不要放弃，也不要走开，完完整整地做一件事情，因为这就是你得到奖励的理由。