A Pyment Greater Than Money 比金钱更重要的东西1A Pyment Greater Than Money 比金钱更重要的东西When I was 14 , I earned money in the summer by mowing lawns , and I got to know people by the flowers I had to remember not to cut down , by the things stuck in the ground on purpose or by the things lost in the grass . I also learned something about my neighbors in Louisville , Ky. , by their preferred method of payment : by the job , the month -- or not at all .在十四岁的时候，我利用暑假时间给人割杂草挣点零花钱，通过这个机会，我接触了形形色色的人，有的人告诉我割草时不许伤害园子里的花，有的人故意给地里插些东西，有的人在园子的草地上丢了东西。

我还通过付款方式了解了我肯塔基州路易维尔的邻居们，他们有的按照工作量付钱，有的按月付，有的干脆不给钱。

2Mr Ballou fell into the last category , and he always had a reason.One day he had nothing smaller than a fifty . On another he was flat-out of checks ; on another he was simply not home when I knocked on his door . Still , except for the money , he was a nice enough old guy , always waving or tipping his hat when he'd seen me from a distance . I figured him for a thin retirement check , maybe an injury that kept him doing his own yardwork . I kept a running total , but didn't worry about the amount too much . Grass was grass , and the little that was Mr Ballou's didn't take long to trim.巴卢先生属于最后一种人，而且他总是有不付钱的借口。

有时是因为他没有少于五十美分的零钱，有时是因为支票上没钱，有时当我敲门时他根本不在家。

不过，除了不给钱外，他还是个很不错的老人，每次总是在很远的地方看见我就挥挥他的帽子，或用手指碰一下他的帽檐，跟我打招呼。

我猜想他一定只有微薄的退休金，很有可能是因为受过伤所以不能干院里的杂活。

我坚持了整整一个暑假，但是并不很担心他欠我的钱。

他园子里的杂草还是像过去一样的疯长，隔上好久巴卢先生才清理一次。

3Then one late afternoon in mid-July I was walking by his house , and he motioned me to come inside . The hall was cool , shaded , and it took my eyes a minute to adjust to the muted light. 4" I owe you , " Mr Ballou began , " but...."5I thought I'd save him the trouble of thinking up a new excuse . "No problem. Don't worryabout it."后来，在七月中旬的一个傍晚，我路过他门前时，他招呼我进去。

他房子的大厅又冷又暗，过了几分钟我才渐渐适应了屋内昏暗的光线。

"我还欠你钱呢，"他跟我说到，"不过....."我想我还是不用让他劳神想个借口了,就说:"没关系的,不要紧."6"The bank made a mistake in my account , " he continued , ingoring my words . " It will becleared up in a day or two . In the meantime I thought perhaps you could choose one or two volumes for a down payment ."7He gestured toward the walls , and I saw books stacked everywhere . It was like a library ,except with no order to the arrangement ."我银行的帐户出了点问题,"他继续说到,好象没注意到我的话,"在一两天之内会弄清楚的.还有,我想你也许可以选择其中一两册书作为分期付款的定金."说着,他指了指周围的墙,我这才发现屋子里到处都堆着书,就像一个图书馆,只是不像图书馆那样分类排放整齐.8" Take your time , " Mr Ballou encouraged. "Read , borrow , keep . Find something you like . What do you read "9"I don't know." And I didn't . I generally read what I could get from the paperback rack at thedrugstore or what I found at home----magazines , the backs of cereal boxes , comic . The idea of consciousely seeking out a special title was new to me , but not without appeal ----- so I browsed through the piles of books and asked " You actully read all of these ""这些书你可以在这儿读,可以借走,也可以送给你.想看多久都行,不用着急还."巴卢先生鼓励我说,"找一些你喜欢的书读吧,你喜欢什么类型的书""我不知道."我没真正读过书.通常,我的读物都是来自杂货店的平装书,或者是从家里翻出来的杂志,谷类食品包装盒上的文字,或者漫画书.专门找一本书来读这一想法对我来说还是头一回,但是并不是没有吸引力---我把那些书浏览了一遍,好奇地问他,"你真的把这些书都看完了吗"10Mr Ballor nodded. " This is just what I've kept , the ones worth looking at a second time. " 11"Pick for me then."12He raised his eyebrows , cocked his head , regarded me appraisingly as though measuring mefor a suit . After a moment , he searched through a stack and handed me a dark--red book , fairly thick .巴卢先生点点头."这些仅仅是我收藏的,都是值得反复读的好书.""那么给我拿几本吧."他抬了抬眉毛,歪着头,上下打量着我,好象在看我的衣服是否合身.过了一会,他在一堆书里找了半天,递给我厚厚的一本书,封面是黑红色的.13"The Last of the Just," I read . "By Andre Schwarz--Bart . What's it about "14"You tell me ," he said ." Next week."15I started after supper , sitting outdoors on an uncomfortable kitchen chair . Within a fewpages , the yard , the summer , disappeared , and I was plunged into the aching tragedy of the Holocaust , the extraordinary clash of good , represented by one decent man , and evil . The language was elegant , simple , overwhelming . When the evening light finally failed , I moved inside and read all through the night .“《最后的正义》，作者安德烈·施瓦茨巴特。

里面写了些什么呀”我迫不及待地问道。

“应该是你告诉我呀，”他答道，“下一周。

”晚饭后我就坐在屋外一个小凳子上，开始读那本书，凳子是厨房里用的，不太舒服。

刚读了几页，我就被书中的情节深深吸引了，周围的一切，院子，夏天，全部消失了。

我进入了忘我的境界，为犹太人所遭受的大屠杀感到深深的悲痛，书中由一个正直的角色代表的正义与邪恶势力的较量，也给我极大的震撼。