Blessings Always Boomerang

Blessings Always Boomerang

因果报应论 — 人间恩德相回报

 

The following story is excerpted from another book written by Dr. Robert Lee several years ago: Build the Rainbow of Your Success.

It’s been translated into Chinese, so the bilingual content is exhibited here.

English readers may go to the middle part of the webpage, to read the English section directly.

 

以下故事摘自罗伯特·李博士好几年前写的另外一本书：

七彩人生 (Build the Rainbow of Your Success )

http://www.amazon.com/Build-Rainbow-Your-Success-Robert/dp/1479343277/

该书的主题展示罗伯特·李博士的独特人生历程，以跌宕起伏的真实经历、酸甜苦辣的顽强奋斗，展示了融合东西方文明的感悟智慧之外，也展示了李博士 从“无神论”信徒的“科学派”精英 逐步 转变，变成了 敬畏“神灵”、敬畏因果报应 的 传统信仰文化 守护者。

 

摘录的这部分 — Blessings Always Boomerang（人间恩德相回报 ）

是李博士从个人感悟的角度，去阐述他对于 因果报应 的 独特看法，除了引用名人的传奇故事之外，也有李博士个人非常独特的经历 去佐证“善有善报、恶有恶报”的传统信仰文化。

 

摘录的这部分有十几页内容。大体的内容可以简要总结为：贫穷的苏格兰农夫弗莱明（Fleming）在偶然的事件中拯救了一位孩子，结果那位孩子碰巧就是大英帝国的贵族伦道夫•邱吉尔勋爵(Lord Randolph Churchill)的儿子，孩子也命大，大难不死，长大后成为传奇英雄 — 震撼20世纪人类文明的丘吉尔首相 （当代英雄 — 泽连斯基的影响力有可能接近丘吉尔）。当时，为了表达感谢，邱吉尔勋爵把弗莱明（Fleming）的儿子送到 名牌大学 — 伦敦圣玛丽医院附属医学院（St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School） 去培养，结果造就了20世纪的诺贝尔奖名医 — 亚历山大·弗莱明爵士（Sir Alexander Fleming）。弗莱明爵士发明了盘尼西林(Penicillin)，拯救了无数人的生命，其中包括少年罗伯特。 少年罗伯特在中国成长，六岁时感染肺炎 (pneumonia)。如果没有盘尼西林(Penicillin), 肺炎当时就是绝症，会直接夺走少年罗伯特的生命！  

 

除了这部分亲生经历之外，还有另外一部分，青年罗伯特在美国学习。当时身上本来就没有多少钱，倒霉的是一场低烈度的车祸意外事件，让他赔光了所有的积蓄，无法再读书，但是卢芹斋先生创办的公益基金让青年罗伯特幸运地获得 卢芹斋奖学金（C. T. Loo Fellowship），最终顺利完成了学业，日后成长为 航天领域 的科学界顶级精英，为阿波罗登月工程作出了卓越的贡献，并且在1980年代的改革开放时代，应前国家副主席叶剑英的邀请，把智慧技能奉献给祖国，有力地应对了前苏联的威胁。

 

十几页的内容，大部分的内容非常平实。原书的英语文字基本上也不使用复杂语法结构的表达，适合青少年学生认真阅读。

过度泛滥的游戏、过度娱乐化的气氛，是应该调整和扭转。在未来的文化潮流中，“爱国爱党、自立自强”的文化色彩会得到加强，去平衡过于泛滥的玄幻游戏题材。

以上所说的那些特殊人物的故事 — 包括丘吉尔、弗莱明医生、甚至罗伯特·李博士的独特成长经历，也可以作为精神文化素材，在青少年的写作中适当引用。 在“爱国爱党、自立自强”的作文中 引用 那些真正有水平的 科学界、医学界精英 的奋斗历史，比引用 李宇春 之类 的娱乐界 明星的 成长历史， 不只是 语境更和谐，作文的整体格局水平也会跟着提高。

 

以下内容为图书原文摘录：

 

You make a living by what you get; you make a life by what you give!

—Sir Winston Churchill

通过谋取，您获得生存；通过奉献，您活出的是精彩人生。

－温斯顿•丘吉尔爵士（Sir Winston Churchill）

 

In America, society often measures a successful person by his or her net worth, which is tangible. A person of value is measured by his or her significant contributions, based on eternal values, which are often intangible but may reach far beyond his or her own lifetime.

在美国，社会经常用一个人的净资产来衡量个人的名利成就，那是有形的物质。而一个人的价值则以其所做出的重大贡献来衡量，这是永恒的价值，通常是无形的，但是它的影响远远超出这个人的一生。

In real life, it’s the intangible that manifests itself in everything we do and accomplish.

现实中，在我们所做的事情中处处都能彰显无形的价值。

It’s what we are on the inside that determines what we do on the outside. It’s the dream that builds the empire. It’s the faith that moves mountains. It’s our mission in providing value that moves us beyond success into significance.

是我们的内在自我决定了我们的外在行为。先有梦想，而后才能铸就成功的王国。 先有信仰意志，而后才有移山的壮举。确立了为人类造福的价值观，我们将超越世俗的成功，升华为永恒的神圣。

 

We Are Blessed To Be a Blessing.

上天眷顾天下苍生

 

A poor Scottish farmer named Fleming was working on his farm. He heard a cry for help from a nearby bog. He ran to the bog. There, mired to his waist in black muck was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what would have been be a slow, terrifying death.

一个名字叫弗莱明（Fleming）的苏格兰贫穷农夫正在他的农田里干活，这个时候他叫到附近的沼泽里传来呼救声。他往沼泽冲过去。一个男孩陷在沼泽里，黑色的淤泥已经没过他的腰部，他惊恐万分，尖叫着、不断地挣扎着想要脱离沼泽。农夫弗莱明（Fleming）把这个小伙子救了出来，避免了一场无力挣扎而死亡的恐怖悲剧。

The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman’s home. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Fleming had saved.

第二天，一辆豪华的马车来到了这个苏格兰人的家里。一个穿着优雅的贵族从车上下来，并自我介绍说他就是弗莱明所救助的那个男孩的父亲。

“I want to pay you,” said the nobleman. “You saved my son’s life.”

“我想来报答您，”这个贵族说道。“您救了我儿子的命。”

“No. I can’t accept payment for what I did. It’s my God-given duty,” the Scottish farmer replied, waving away the offer.

“不，我不能因为这件事接受您的报答，这是上帝给我的责任。” 苏格兰农夫回答道，他拒绝了回报。

At that moment, a young boy came to the door of the family home.

这个时候，一个年青的男孩走进了农夫家门口。

“Is this your son?” the nobleman asked.

“这是您的儿子吗？”贵族问道。

“Yes,” the farmer replied proudly.

“是的。”农夫很自豪的答道。

“I’ll make you a deal,” said the noblemen. “Let me send him to a good school and give him a first-rate education. If the lad is anything like his father, he’ll grow up to be a man you can be proud of.” And to that, they agreed.

“我有一个提议，”贵族说。“请让我把他送到一所好学校，去接受一流的教育。这个小伙子如果有点像他的父亲，那么有一天他将会成长为使您感到骄傲的男人。”他们同意了这个提议。

In time, farmer Fleming’s son graduated from St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School in London and became known as Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin and winner of the Nobel Prize.

后来，农夫弗莱明（Fleming）的儿子从伦敦圣玛丽医院附属医学院（St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School）毕业， 并成为大名鼎鼎的 亚历山大·弗莱明爵士（Sir Alexander Fleming）。他发现了盘尼西林（青霉素），并因此获得了诺贝尔奖。

Years afterward, the nobleman’s son was stricken with pneumonia.

很多年后，那个贵族的儿子得了肺炎。

What saved him? Penicillin!

是什么救了他？盘尼西林！

The nobleman’s name was Lord Randolph Churchill. His son’s name was Sir Winston Churchill.

那个贵族的名字是伦道夫•邱吉尔勋爵(Lord Randolph Churchill)。他儿子的名字是温斯顿·丘吉尔爵士（Sir Winston Churchil）。

Lord Randolph Churchill’s purpose was to give a child an education. His generosity, unknowingly, helped develop a Nobel Prize winner, whose invention not only helped save his son’s life but countless other lives as well.

伦道夫•邱吉尔勋爵(Lord Randolph Churchill)的目的是让一个孩子接受教育。他的慷慨大量无意中铸就了一位荣获诺贝尔奖的英雄，而这个人的发明不仅拯救了他儿子的生命，还有无数人的生命。

Blessings Always Boomerang

人间恩德相回报

 

Penicillin also saved millions of lives in World War II and beyond. Many living now, including me, owe our very lives—directly or indirectly—to this single act of kindness.

在二战期间以及二战之后，盘尼西林救了成千上万人的生命。许多活着的人，其中包括我 — 都直接或间接地 — 因这个善举而得救。

Do you know that everyone of us is indebted to this uneducated and little known Scottish farmer, Fleming?

您是否知道，我们每个人都应该感激这位目不识丁、鲜为人知的苏格兰农民弗莱明（Fleming）？

According to recorded history of World War II, without the strong leadership of Winston Churchill, Britain would have collapsed during the Battle of Britain and surrendered early to Hitler. After Hitler conquered Europe, the United States would have had to fight Germany and the entire group of European nations alone, and we would have had no chance of winning.

根据第二次世界大战的历史记录，如果没有温斯顿·丘吉尔（Winston Churchil）强有力的领导，英国可能输掉不列颠之战（the Battle of Britain），并早早地向希特勒（Hitler）投降。在希特勒（Hitler）征服欧洲后，美国将不得不单独迎战德国及其掌控的整个欧洲国家军团，这样就无法取胜。

Why? Hitler’s Germany was well ahead of us in the development of the jet planes, the V-2 rockets, and the atomic bomb. Indeed, without farmer Fleming, all of you may well be speaking German now, and I most likely would be in China speaking Japanese, if I had survived.

为什么？希特勒统治的德国在喷气式飞机、V-2火箭和原子弹的开发上都比我们领先很多。的确，如果没有农夫弗莱明（Fleming），您们现在可能都要讲德语了，而我如果还活着的话，我很可能是呆在中国，讲日语。

 

A Personal Experience

个人体会

The Communists took over China in 1949, so my family was forced to escape to Hong Kong (then under British rule) as refugees. I came to the United States in early 1950 in my late teens to study aircraft and engine mechanics.

共产党于1949年接管了中国。我家被迫流亡香港避难（当时是英国统治香港）。我在1950年初、近20岁时来到美国，学习飞机引擎机械专业。

Many people asked if I had any fear coming to a foreign country, without any relatives or money and cannot speak English well. I can honestly say the “fear” never entered my mind, perhaps because I had a strong  mission!

独自一人去异国他乡学习, 没有亲友，没有钱，而且英语也说不好, 有许多人问我是否感到害怕。我可以很诚实地说“害怕”一词从来就没有在我的脑海中出现，可能是因为我有强烈的人生使命意识!

I had three brothers and seven sisters. As the eldest son, I knew it was a big sacrifice for my parents to send me with what was left of their limited resources. My mission was to do well, graduate in one year, get my aircraft and engine mechanic license, and find a job. With the money I earned, I was to bring my brothers and sisters to the United States, one by one, to study and give them a bright future.

我有3个兄弟, 7个姐妹。作为长子，我知道在当时的情况下将所剩不多的资源给予我，父母为我所做的付出非常巨大。 我的使命就是好好学习，争取在一年内毕业, 拿到飞机引擎机械证书，并找一份工作。然后通过我赚的钱，可以把我的弟弟妹妹一个一个地送到美国学习，给他们一个光明的未来 。

 

Below is a true story about a person whose mission was to help people, including myself, to earn a higher education.

以下是真实的故事，讲述的是一个人, 他的人生使命是帮助人们获取更好的教育, 受过他帮助的人, 其中包括我本人。

 

C. T. Loo

卢芹斋（C. T. Loo）

 

Mr. C.T. (Ching-Tsai) Loo was a well-known, wealthy art dealer and a generous giver to Franco-Chinese philanthropies in France in the 1920s. The French government made him a Chevalier de la d’honneur, its highest civilian honor.

卢芹斋先生（Mr. C.T. (Ching-Tsai)）是举世闻名的、富有的艺术品商人。他在20世纪20年代非常慷慨地支持中法慈善事业。法国政府授予他“骑士勋章（Chevalier de la d’honneur）”，这是法国公民的最高荣誉。

He came to the United States when the Germans invaded France in World War II. He lived in New York City and worked with the China Institute to help poor Chinese students adjust to their new homes in the United States.

在第二次世界大战中，德国入侵法国后，他来到了美国。他居住在纽约，和华美协进会(China Institute)合作，帮助贫穷的中国学生在美国安家。

Mr. Loo went to France in 1900 when he was just an idealistic twenty-year-old. He wanted to prepare himself to help reform China. But he had difficulty gaining admission to a French college. Lonely and discouraged, he joined a group of young Chinese Republican revolutionaries, followers of Sun Yat-Sen, (the George Washington of the Republic of China), who had also found refuge in France at that time. Mr. Loo worked hard to raise funds and supplies to support the Chinese revolution to overthrow the Ching Dynasty.

卢先生于1900年去法国，那时候他20岁，充满了理想主义精神。他想锻炼自己，以促进中国的改革。但是他难以进入法国的大学。孤独而沮丧，他加入了一个由年青人组成的共和革命团体，成为孙中山（中华民国的国父，其地位类似美国国父乔治·华盛顿（the George Washington of the Republic of China））的追随者，孙中山那时候正在法国寻求避难。卢先生努力筹集资金物品，支持中国革命推翻清朝统治。

Besides starting a small business in soybean products to make a living, Mr. Loo educated himself to become an expert in Chinese art and antiques.

除了做大豆生意谋生之外，卢先生努力自学，力求成为中国艺术和古董领域的专家。

Surprisingly, his big opportunity came from farms outside Lyon, France, where he found huge supplies of priceless Chinese imperial arts and antiques at a small fraction of their actual worth.

出人意料的，他在法国里昂（Lyon, France）郊外的一些农庄里发现了很多被以超低价格贱卖的、价格难以估量的中国皇家艺术品和古董。

Many in the French army which invaded China and looted the Chinese Imperial Palace and the Chinese capital, Beijing, during the Boxer Rebellion (1898–1901). This army from the Eight-Nation Alliance brought back many Chinese art objects and treasures. To protect these objects from being stolen, they were usually painted black to hide their beautiful colors. Most soldiers did not know the worth of these items, and their descendants knew even less. As a result, these artifacts were literally dumped on estate sales around small farm markets by their children.

在“义和团运动（the Boxer Rebellion）”（1898－1901）期间，许多法国士兵入侵中国，在中国首都北京大抢劫，洗劫紫禁城，许多法国士兵参与其中。属于八国联军成员的法国军队带回了很多中国艺术品和珍宝。为了私藏这些物品，它们的外表被涂成黑色，以便掩盖原来的瑰丽色彩。大部分士兵并不知道这些艺术品的真正价值，而他们的后代就更知道得更少了。结果，在一些小型农贸市场周围的庄园拍卖场, 这些稀世珍品被夺宝士兵的后代简直是随意抛售。

Mr. Loo discovered his unique opportunity and started a company to buy and sell the priceless antiques. He expanded his operations throughout Europe and later in America.

卢先生发现了属于他的独特机会，他成立了一个公司专门买卖这些无价古董。他把生意扩展到整个欧洲，随后进军美国。

“They looted my country, and I looted them back,” Mr. Loo often joked.

“他们洗劫了我的国家，我只是抢回来，”卢先生经常这样开玩笑着说。

I read the following story in a Boston newspaper in the 1950s. A couple bought a pair of black, lion-like statuettes from a Vermont farm for five dollars. They used them as bookends. Later, one of the lions fell. A corner chipped and revealed its color green. Curious, the couple cleaned the black paint from the lions and discovered they were made of priceless Chinese imperial jade. They were worth a fortune!

20世纪50年代，我在波士顿公报（Boston newspaper）上看到了以下故事。一对夫妇用五美元从佛蒙特州（Vermont）的一个农场买了一对黑色的狮子雕像。他们用这对狮子雕像来做书夹。后来，有一只狮子摔掉了，磕坏了一个角，显示出绿的原色。好奇之余，他们把这对狮子上的黑色全洗掉，发现它们是用昂贵的中国特等玉制成的。它们值一大笔钱！

 

In 1950, Mr. Loo set up the C.T. Loo Educational Fund through the China Institute, which offered C.T. Loo fellowships to outstanding Chinese students struggling financially in graduate school. Though these fellowships were meant for graduate students, they were also, on occasion, awarded to outstanding undergraduates. On a lark, I applied for one at the end of my junior year at MIT.

1950年，卢先生通过华美协进会（the China Institute）成立了卢芹斋教育基金（C. T. Loo Educational Fund），该基金为出色的贫困中国留学研究生提供卢芹斋奖学金。虽然这个奖学金是发给研究生的，但在一些时候也会发给优秀的大学生。我在MIT的第一学年末申请了这个奖学金。

Later that year, I was involved in a minor auto accident during that summer. As a young student, I did not know how to defend myself in court. The attorney for the other party took every penny from me. I lost my car and was completely broke and would have had to quit school and work as an illegal immigrant.

当年夏天，我发生了一起小的车祸。作为一个年青的学生，我并不知道如何在法庭上为自己辩护，对方的律师拿走了我身上的所有钱财。我失去了汽车，完全破产，可能不得不退学，以非法移民的身份去打工。

Fortunately, (I call it a miracle now), I was awarded the C.T. Loo Fellowship, which gave me a new lease on life. (Details in Chapter 9.)

很辛运地，（我现在认为那是一个奇迹），我获得了卢芹斋奖学金（C. T. Loo Fellowship,），它改变了我的人生。（详见第9章）

Many other recipients of this fellowship are/were professors and top executives in the industry, all are thankful for his generosity. We would like to follow in his footsteps and give something back. That is why we formed the China International University (CIU). The main purpose is to improve understanding between the East and West and to promote world peace. The motto of this university is “Putting wings in young hearts.”

还有很多其他的受资助人成为了教授或各行业的高级主管，所有人都感激卢先生的慷慨无私。我们希望追随卢先生，回报社会。这就是我们成立中国国际大学（CIU）的原因。我们的主要目标是提高东西方的交流理解，促进世界和平。这所大学的校训是“让年轻的心灵振翅翱翔。”

 

Because of Mr. C. T. Loo’s spirit of philanthropy, he believed in his mission of giving back to the world and helping future generations. As a result, he inspired others and is a perfect model for the principle of this chapter.

因为卢芹斋先生（Mr. C. T. Loo）具有献身慈善事业的精神，他坚守使命, 回报社会、乐于助人、造福子孙。因此，他激励着别人前行。在书写人生使命这一篇章，卢先生堪称楷模典范。