I Want to Take Money with Me
我想带走我的钱
As Mr. Smith was on his death bed, he attempted to formulate a plan that would allow him to take at least some of his wealth with him.
史密斯先生快要死了,他想到一个计划能让他在死后带走至少一部分财产。
He called for the three man he trusted most--his lawyer, his doctor, and his clergyman.
他叫来自己最信任的三个人——他的律师、私人医生和牧师。
He told them, "I'm going to give you each $30,000 in cash before I die. At my funeral, I want you to place the money in my coffin so that I can try to take it with me."
他对他们说:“我死前会给你们每个人3万块钱,我要你们在我的葬礼上把这些钱放到我的棺材里,这样我才好尽量把它们带走。”
All three agreed to do this and were given the money. At the funeral, each approached the coffin in turn and placed an envelope inside.
那三个人都同意这样做并拿到了钱。葬礼上,三个人依次走到棺材前,然后把一个信封放进去。
While leaving the cemetery, the clergyman said, "I have to confess something to you fellow. Brother Smith was a good churchman all his life, and I know he would have wanted me to do this. The church needed a new baptistery very badly, and I took $10,000 of the money he gave me and bought one. I only put $20,000 in the coffin."
从墓地离开时,牧师说道:“我有事情要对你们忏悔。教友史密斯终身都是虔诚的教徒,我相信他会要我这样做的。教堂里急需一个新的浸礼池,我就从他给我的钱里拿出1万块买了一个,所以我只在他的棺材里放了2万块钱。”
The physician then said, "Well, since we're confiding in one another, I might as well tell you that I didn't put the full $30,000 in the coffin either. Smith had a disease that could have been diagnosed sooner if I had this very new machine, but the machine cost $20,000 and I couldn't afford it then. I used $20,000 of the money to buy the machine so that I might be able to save another patient. I know that Smith would have wanted me to do that."
医生跟着说道:“既然我们互相信任,那么我得告诉你们我也没有把那3万块钱都放进棺材里。史密斯先生得了一种病,如果我有一种最先进的仪器的话就能早些诊断出来,可是那仪器要2万块钱,当时我买不起。所以我从那笔钱里拿出2万块钱买了仪器,这样我就能用它救治其他的病人。我想史密斯先生会让我这么做的。”
The lawyer then said, "I'm ashamed of both of you. When I put my envelope into that coffin, it held my personal check for the full $30,000."
律师接着说:“我真替你们两个害臊。我放进棺材的那个信封里可是有一张我签的整整3万元的个人支票。”