学雷锋 (双语小文)

学雷锋

Are We Supposed to “LEARN FROM LEI FENG”?

我们还要不要学雷锋呢？

At the mere mention of such a name “Lei Feng”, the majority of our younger people can’t help asking, “Who is Lei Feng?”

一提到“雷锋”这个名字，多数年轻人不禁会问：“雷锋是干嘛的呀？”

Now, here we go and just lend an ear to me. I will give you a line on such a mysterious hero back in the 1960s.

得了，干脆听我唠叨唠叨。我们一起了解一下这位60年代神秘的英雄吧。

Actually who is Lei Feng really does not make any sense. Imagine this way: If you were fortunate enough in having a Lei Feng as your brother, you would be tenderly cared for and nurtured into a person firm in character as well as a person of his words. Were Lei Feng your neighbor, you would never care about the squalid surroundings as he could have rushed to get through all dirty and tiring work you loathe to do. If Lei Feng remained alive, you just yelled “Here is Lei Feng” and all wrongdoers or offenders would be panic-stricken and took to their heels and ran as fast as their legs could carry them. This is Lei Feng’s portrait painted by Andrew Yan for you.

实际上，“雷锋是干嘛的呀？”已经不重要了。不妨这样设想一番：如果你很幸运有一位像雷锋这样的哥哥，那么你就会感到关爱备至、自然也就学会了意志坚强，而且也是一个信守诺言的汉子。假如你有雷锋这样的一位邻居，那你就用不着再担心生活环境肮脏龌龊了，因为他会把你不喜欢做的一切脏活累活全包了。如果雷锋还活着，你只管大叫一声：“雷锋来了”，那么所有的恶人或罪犯都会闻风丧胆，夺路而逃。这就是阎成席为你勾画的一幅雷锋肖像。

Lei Feng, however, is totally gone, leaving a blurred impression as a “Good Samaritan” on the mind of the Chinese people born in their fifties or sixties. Younger people know nothing about “Lei Feng”.

不过，雷锋早就离我们远去，但在五十年代和六十年代出生的中国人脑海里留下了模糊的印象，算是一位“乐善好施的”大好人吧。年轻人对雷锋知之甚少。

In our modern society, people are living under unexpected pressure and are obliged to set their minds on nothing but money. Who cares about the poor situation of others? So only when people got stranded or were left helpless in bitterness could they wish to be pulled out of their embarrassing situation by a “Good Samaritan” and sure they just thought of Lei Feng.

现代社会，人们生活压力超乎寻常，只好一门心思惦念着钱。谁还有心思关心他人生存状况好坏呀？所以只有当他们身陷困境或感到痛苦无助之时，方才会想着像“雷锋”这样的好人，希望能帮他们摆脱困境。

Nowadays, we have a harmonious and well-off society with the completely sound social security system, and it is the government that can render help to the poor and the disadvantaged or vulnerable groups. So as a modern citizen, we don’t need to think of how to render help to others but we only need to mind our own business.

现今，我们步入了和谐的小康社会，社会保障体系非常完善，为穷人和弱势群体提供帮助是政府天经地义的责任。所以作为现代的公民，我们无需考虑如何去帮助他人，相反。我们能管好自己的事儿就不错了。

In the second place, the richer the Chinese people are, the greater pressure they are faced with. People are on the go all day long, having no end of troubles and ever-increasing pressures as they haggle over even petty profits all along. So you have no time to care about others around, even your daddy and mommy.

另外，中国人越是富裕，面临的压力也就越大。人们成天忙的不亦乐乎，烦恼的事儿没完没了，压力与日俱增，因为他们对蝇头小利过于斤斤计较。因此，他们也就没有时间体察身边的人，甚至自己的父母。

Now let’s lay it on the line, I’d like to ask you such a question: Will you take your initiative to readily give a helping hand to those in need or pay a beggar for a meal? Never give me a high-sounding “Yeah or Sure, I will”. So don’t fool us by all your complimentary remarks as they are all ‘said with tongue in cheek’(假心假意地/言不由衷地).

说白了，我想问你们一个问题：你真的愿意主动去帮助需要你帮助的人或愿意为一个乞丐买上一顿饭吗？千万别尽说些冠冕堂皇的话：“当然我愿意呀”。请别尽说好听的话来唬弄我们，谁不了解谁呀（心照不宣罢了）。

After all, I’ll give a big reminder: Don’t be forced to learn from Lei Feng. But we can never do things against our conscience. Try to be good-hearted persons who are sober-minded to know their own life do’s and don’ts. If you please, just give others a helping hand. If you are not willing to do anything for others, that is your choice and your life attitude. I can not hold you to blame. But when others are really in dire need of your help or in danger, you can’t stand aloof or remain so indifferent without doing anything you should do. In that case, it will weigh heavily upon your conscience.

最后，我要提醒你：你用不着跟风去学雷锋！不过，做人总不能违背良心吧！做个好人吧，知道自己做人的底线就成。情愿就帮别人一把；不愿也没关系，那只是你的选择和人生态度，我不会怪你的。但如果有人真的需要你的帮助或身陷险情，你可不能袖手旁观或无动于衷。那样，你的良心就遭谴。