部长还缺什么

Long, long ago, a minister asked his men, saying, "Who can collect debts for me in the villages far away?" A servant of his said he was willing to do it. The master a greed and then added, "When you come hack, buy something that I don't have."

The servant went to the villages one after another. He called together all the debtors and brought out their IOUs. He said, "My master has said that you shall not pay the debts any more." He burnt all the IOUs before them. They all shouted, "Long live the minister!"

The servant returned soon. His master was surprised to see the man had brought nothing back, so he asked, "Have you collected all the debts, man?"

"Yes, Master."

"What have you bought for me?"

"Didn't you say, 'Buy what I don't have'? I know you have lots of gold, jewels and servants.I don't think you have the love for the people. Now I've come back with it."

"What do you mean by the love for the people?"

"The villagers are very poor, too poor to pay off the debts. You have not shown them your love for them. But I did this for you by burning all their IOUs."

Hearing this the minister became very angry.

Two years later, when the minister was removed from office, he went to the country. The people there, old and young, all came out to welcome him.He said to the servant, "Today, I've come to know what the love for the people really means."

很久很久以前，一个部长问他的手下：“谁能为我到那些很远的村子里去讨债?”一个仆人说他愿意，部长同意了，又补充说：“你回来的时候，买一些我没有的东西。”

仆人上路了，去了一个又一个的村子。他叫来所有的欠债人，拿出他们的借据说：“部长说了，你们不用还债了。”他当面把所有的借据都烧了。村民们大喊：“部长万岁!”（接下页）

不久仆人就回去了。他的主人看到他两手空空地回来，感到很奇怪，就问，“你把债都要齐了吗?”

“是的，主人。”

“那你给我买什么了?”

“您不是说，‘买我没有的东西吗?我知道您不缺金银财宝和仆人，我想您缺的是对民众的爱。我现在就把它给您带回来了。”

“你说的对民众的爱是指什么?”

“村民们都很穷，哪有钱还债。您尚未表达您对他们的爱，不过我已经帮您做了，我把所有的借据都烧了。”

部长听了这话勃然大怒。

两年后，部长被罢免了官职，去了乡下。那儿的村民，不论老少，都出来欢迎他。他对仆人说：“今天，我总算明白关爱民众有多么重要了。”