《聪明的最高境界》英译 

说到做人需要什么样的聪明，我的一位从欧洲回来的朋友说：“做可以反复做、长期做的事，才叫聪明。”他接着说到这样一件事：在欧洲某国的一些华人，发现这个国家的救护车救人，是不收费的，于是他们把房子租到医院附近，每次回家都装着生了急病，打电话给医院让派救护车来，到了医院他们又说自己的身体好些了，不需要救治了，然后出了医院很快就到了家。“后来人家一听见是华人的声音就把电话挂了，人家再也不相信他们是真的得了急病了。”我说如果真的是某个华人得了需要救治的急病呢？“所以说，那些华人的聪明，就是害人啊！而且恰恰是害了华人自己啊！”朋友说。

是呀，那些骗坐免费救护车的人，他们的聪明，只能得计于一时，不可能被反复使用，更不可能被长期使用。这种建立在自欺欺人基础上的聪明，一旦被识破，他们丧失的，不仅只是使用这种聪明时得到的好处，而且还有他们的形象与信誉——-以及那些与他们血肉相联痛痒相关者的形象与信誉。

一个人做了败坏自己形象与信誉的事，肯定是会累及他人的。首先累及的，就是那些与他来往最密切关系最亲切的人的形象与信誉。有的人总喜欢说“好汉做事好汉当”，可他“当”得了吗？有言道，唇亡齿寒。“唇”若把自己给损了，毁了，他能说他损的毁的仅仅只是他自己吗？中国人自古都信奉家丑不可外扬——家里的丑，为什么不可外扬？因为哪怕那只是家里的某一个人做的丑事，一旦它扬开来，它也会败坏整个家庭的形象与信誉，损害整个家庭的脸面与利益。说到这里，我要感谢所有没有累及到我的形象与信誉的朋友与亲人，他们在做人做事上的诚实与守信，就是对我的最宝贵的帮助和爱护。

我真的是希望我的那位从欧洲回来的朋友搞错了，那些在医院的救护车上玩聪明的，不是华人。那样做，哪里谈得上聪明？简直是愚蠢透了！不过，我朋友那句“做可以反复做、长期做的事，才叫聪明。”却是对的。我还想在这里说：真正的聪明，或者说聪明的最高境界，是一个人做某一件事的结果，是那件事他做得越多，别人越会相信他；不仅会相信他，而且还会相信他的朋友，相信他的家人；他在做那件事时，不仅会为自己建立美好的形象，赢得美好的信誉，还能为自己的亲人与朋友、国家与家乡，建立美好的形象，赢得美好的信誉。

Speaking of what sort of smartness is most desirable in human conduct, a friend of mine recently back from Europe has this to say: Real smartness must be something that can be practiced repeatedly and infinitely. Then, he goes on to relate this event: In one European country there resided some Chinese. Upon learning that ambulance rides there are provided free to patients in emergency cases, they rented an apartment near a hospital. Each time they wanted to go home, they just pretended to be sick, calling to send for an ambulance. After they were taken to the hospital, they said now that they felt much better and had no need of any treatment. The next moment saw them leaving the hospital, safe and sound, to their apartment! “From then on, ” said my friend, “the telephone operators hung up the receiver as soon as they made out it was a Chinese voice calling for help, because nobody would believe any more they were emergency calls. ” Then what if there happens to be a resident Chinese calling for help and is hardly in need of rescue? “That’s why we say the so-called smartness or cleverness of these Chinese is harmful to everybody; they are hardly aware that mean act is harmful to no other than themselves!” said my friend.

Exactly! Those Chinese took free ambulance rides by telling lies. Their “being-clever” affords them only short-lived pleasure and joy; it could not be practiced repeatedly, still less infinitely. Such smartness is based on “too clever to be wise”; once seen through, they will lose the benefits they profited by playing dirty tricks. They will also suffer the impairment of their own image and reputation as well as that of those who are tied with them by blood or by common interests.

When a person has done something to the discredit of one’s own image and reputation, it will surely involve others related to him in one way or another. Among those inflicted most by what folly he may have done are those who, to him, have been close in relations and dear in sentiment. Some people might come up and say, “A real man has the courage to take the consequence arising from his own act.” Now, the question is: Is he in a “position” to? There is a Chinese saying: When the lips are gone, the teeth will be left cold. When the lips are marred or impaired of their own accord, can we say they do no harm to others? Lips and teeth, being interdependent, cannot survive without the other. Since time of antiquity, we Chinese have held this belief: Family scandal mustn’t go beyond the walls of the homestead; similar to the English proverb: Dirty linen mustn’t be washed in public. Why not washed in public? This is because even it is a scandal committed by one particular member of the family, if made known, the image, reputation and interests of the who family are likely to suffer. At this point, I cannot but be grateful to all my friends and relatives, who have done nothing at the expense of my image and prestige; their most valuable support and affection for me is their honesty and credibility.

How I wish that friend of mine from Europe were mistaken; those “clever” guys playing with fraud on the ambulance couldn’t have been Chinese. Their ignominious behavior is anything but wise; it is downright stupidity! Nonetheless, my friend was right when he said, “Wisdom must be an act that can be practiced repeatedly and infinitely.” Here, I have something more to say: Whether one’s act is wise or unwise, rather the summit of wisdom, depends on the result of the act; if the result of the act is positive, then the more often he does it, the better will he be believed. While repeating that act, he is not only earning himself an admirable image but also contributing to the fine impression and reputation of his relatives, his friends, his motherland and his hometown.