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The author finds out that good intentions alone are not enough when his attempt to be kind to an old man leaves them both feeling worse than before.
作者想对一位老人表示一番好意，结果却使两个人都很难堪，这时他才认识到，光有善良的意愿是不够的。
The Sampler
品尝家
In a certain store where they sell puddings, a number of these delicious things are laid out in a row during the Christmas season. Here you may select the one which is most to your taste, and you are even allowed to sample them before coming to a decision.
有一家出售布丁的商店，每年圣诞节期间都把许多这类美味的食品摆成一排供顾客选购。在这里你可以挑选最合你口味的布丁，甚至商店还允许你先把各色布丁品尝一番，然后再作出决定。
I have often wondered whether some people, who had no intention of making a purchase, would take advantage of this privilege. One day I asked this question of the shop girl, and I learned it was indeed the case.
我常常纳闷，会不会有一些根本无意购买的人利用这一优惠趁机揩油。有一天，我向女店员提出了这一问题，从她那儿得知事情果真如此。
Now there's one old gentleman, for instance, she told me, "he comes here almost every week and samples each one of the puddings, though he never buys anything, and I suspect he never will. I remember him from last year and the year before that, too. Well, let him come if he wants it, and welcome to it. And what's more, I hope there are a lot more stores where he can go and get his share. He looks as if he needed it all right, and I suppose they can afford it."
“比如说吧，有这样一位老先生，”她告诉我，“他差不多每个星期都要到这儿来，每只布丁他都要尝一尝，尽管他从来不买什么东西，而且我猜想他永远也不会买。我从去年，甚至前年就记住他了。哎，要是他想品尝就让他来吧，欢迎他来品尝。而且，我希望有更多的商店可以让他去品尝。他看上去似乎确实有这种需要，我想这点小意思他们是不在乎的。”
She was still speaking when an elderly gentleman limped up to the counter and began looking closely at the row of puddings with great interest.
就在她讲这话的时候，一位上了年纪的先生一瘸一拐地走到了柜台前，开始对着那排布丁兴致勃勃地仔细看了起来。
"Why, that's the very gentleman I've been telling you about," whispered the shop girl. "Just watch him now." And then turning to him: "Would you like to sample them, sir? Here's a spoon for you to use."
“喏，这就是我刚刚对你说的那位先生，”店员轻声对我说。 “现在你就看着他好了。”接着她就转过身去对老人说道：“先生，您想尝尝这些布丁吗？您可以用这把调羹。”
The elderly gentleman, who was poorly but neatly dressed, accepted the spoon and began eagerly to sample one after another of the puddings, only breaking off occasionally to wipe his red eyes with a large torn handkerchief.
这位老先生衣着虽然破旧，但却十分整洁。他接过调羹，便开始急切地一只接一只地品尝起来，只是偶尔停下来，用一方大的破手绢擦擦他的红眼睛。
