Anonymous

心靈寄語

你所珍視的價值絕不會受世間紛亂的干擾，它是你一生的依靠。當我們沮喪、氣餒、懊惱時，不要忘記自己的信念。相信自己絕不會失去自己所珍視的價值。

A well—known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a ＄20 bill. In the room of 200，he asked，“What is this piece of paper？Is it worth anything？”

“It is a ＄20 bill， cashable in international and national markets for it"s quoted value.”replied one of the many participants who raised their hands.

He proceeded to crumple1 the dollar bill up using both his hands till it became a bundle of wrinkled paper.

He then unfolded it again and made an unsuccessful attempt to keep it straight he asked，“Would you still be able to negotiate it for it"s quoted value？”

“Yes！”was the echoing reply from the participants.

“Well，”he said，“Looks like I haven"t done enough！What if I do this？”And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind2 it onto the floor with his shoe. He picked it up， which was now all crumpled3，dirty， defaced and not easy to recognise from a distance.

“Now will someone like to trade it for its quoted value？”Many hands went in the air.

“I think this piece of currency is still holding its quoted value，”replied a participant in a slightly unsure voice.

“This bill can still fetch4 goods worth 20 Dollars，”said the other participants. Everyone agreed.

“My friends， there is a very valuable lesson in this exercise that we are just going through with. It may have appeared to some of you， that I was able to reshape， deface， mutilate5 and alter the ＄20 bill during the process as the effects were quite visible.”

“However， no matter what I did to this piece of paper， you still upheld its negotiability6 because you were sure in your mind that my actions did not actually decrease its value. It was still a currency note worth ＄20.”

“Many times in our lives， we feel like as if we were dropped， crumpled， and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and/or the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. It may also appear to onlookers as if it has really happened to certain extent. But no matter what has happened or what will happen， please remember you never lose your"Value".”

佚名

在一場學術討論會開始時，一位著名的演講者手里舉著一張20美元的鈔票。他問在場的200位聽眾：“這張紙是什么？它有什么價值嗎？”

“它是20美元的鈔票，在國內和國際市場上都能按照它的面值進行等價交換。”其中一位與會者舉手答道。

接著，演講者開始用雙手揉搓那張美鈔，直到它成了一團皺巴巴的紙。

他又把那張鈔票展開，試圖把它變得平整些，但是已經不可能恢復原貌了。他又問道：“現在你們還能把它按照面值進行等價交換嗎？”

“能！”與會者異口同聲地回答。

“噢，”他說，“看來我做得還不夠啊！如果這樣呢？”接著他把鈔票扔在地上，踩上去用鞋用力地碾。然后把鈔票撿起來，現在這張鈔票已經皺得不像樣了，臟兮兮的，面目全非，從遠處看很難辨認出是什么了。

“現在還有人愿意以它的面值跟我進行等價交換嗎？”還是有很多人舉起了手。

“我覺得這張鈔票仍然保留著它的票面價值，”一位聽眾不太肯定地回答道。

“這張鈔票還是能換來價值20美元的東西的，”另一位聽眾說。大家紛紛表示贊同。

“我的朋友們，在我們剛剛所做的練習中蘊涵著一個非常有價值的道理。可能你們當中的一些人已經發現了，剛才我能夠把這張20美元鈔票弄變形，使它面目全非、殘缺、走樣，效果十分明顯。”

“然而，不論我對這張鈔票做了什么，你們始終堅持說它還具有可流通性。那是因為，你們非常確定我所做的一切并沒有真正地使這張鈔票貶值。它仍然是一張現金鈔票，價值20美元。”

“在我們的一生中，有很多時候，在我們做出決定后或種種境況下，會覺得自己好像是被扔在地上，揉成一團，在臟兮兮的地上被碾來碾去。我們感覺自己好像毫無價值。可能在某種程度上，對旁觀者來說，事情好像的確如此。但是，不論以前發生過什么，也不管以后會如何，請記住，你永遠沒有失去自己的‘價值’。”

詞匯空間 ocabulary

1.crumple v. 把……弄皺

2.grind v. 碾（碎）

3.crumpled adj.摺皺的，弄皺的

4.fetch v.（去）拿來

5.mutilate v. 使殘缺不全

6.negotiability n. 可流通性

文化鏈接 Culture Background

美元

美元是美利堅合眾國的官方貨幣。目前流通的美元紙幣是自1929年以來發行的各版鈔票。1792年美國鑄幣法案通過后出現。它同時也作為儲備貨幣在美國以外的國家廣泛使用。當前美元的發行是由美國聯邦儲備系統控制。從1913年起美國建立聯邦儲備制度，發行聯邦儲備券。現行流通的鈔票中99%以上為聯邦儲備券。美元的發行主管部門是國會，具體發行業務由聯邦儲備銀行負責辦理。美元是外匯交換中的基礎貨幣，也是國際支付和外匯交易中的主要貨幣，在國際外匯市場中占有非常重要的地位。

妙語拾珠

1.Many times in our lives， we feel like as if we are dropped， crumpled， and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and/or the circumstances that come our way.

在我們的一生中，有很多時候，在我們所做的決定后或種種境況下，會覺得自己好像是被扔在地上，揉成一團，在臟兮兮的地上被碾來碾去。我們感覺自己好像毫無價值。

2.But no matter what has happened or what will happen， please remember you never lose your"Value".

但是，不論以前發生過什么，也不管以后會如何，請記住，你永遠沒有失去自己的‘價值’。