Random acts of kindness 贈人玫瑰，手有餘香

俗話說：贈人玫瑰，手有餘香。你有沒有遇到過這類情況：一個素未謀面的陌生人前來幫忙，卻不求回報；一位咖啡店員出於好心而免費給你一杯咖啡…這些平日裡看似不經意的好人好事可能會改變人們一天的心情。有些善舉可能無足輕重，但有些則可能救人於生命之危。本集《隨身英語》探討生活中那些隨手做出的善行。

Vocabulary: kindness 詞匯: 善行

It could happen anywhere at any time. It’s often unexpected, but almost never unappreciated. Most people, at one time or another, have been on the receiving end of a random act of kindness – that moment of pure altruism when a complete stranger stops to offer aid, generosity or compassion. You may even be in a moment of dire need. In a sometimes callous world where people can be so focused on what they’re doing, a random act of kindness can make all the difference.

They can be relatively insignificant. Hannah Bailey from London, for example, told the Metro newspaper about how she was given her fruit and vegetable shopping for free. The seller did her a kindness when it emerged she didn’t have any change to pay. She was happy about it all day.

The city of Naples has long had a tradition called ‘caffè sospeso’. When buying coffee, a person who has recently been lucky would purchase two cups but only drink one, leaving the second one anonymously, out of the goodness of their heart, for a poor person to claim for free. This tradition is now more common worldwide.

However, in some cases, these little acts can be a matter of life and death. Take, for example, the unnamed commuter, who in June 2018 fell off a station platform onto an electric railway track in Toronto, Canada. A quick-thinking, but even now unknown, bystander selflessly leapt down to pull him to safety.

Or Jonny Benjamin, who in London in 2008 was persuaded not to commit suicide by a passer-by. He had been considering jumping from a bridge. He later found the Good Samaritan and thanked him.He may one day find a way to pay him back in kind – though that’s not the point.

So, why do it? Often, the acts aren’t reciprocated. The people never meet again. According to UK charity The Mental Health Foundation, acts like these can “give our lives new purpose, show us other perspectives on our own problems and even make us feel euphoric.”

So give it a try. Hold open a door for someone, deliver a compliment – even give up your seat on a bus. Help someone who is in need. It takes all kinds. It needn’t be anything huge. One day, whether you need it or not, someone might help you in your hour of need.

詞匯表

unexpected 出乎意料的
unappreciated 不被感激的，沒被領情的
random act of kindness 不經意的善舉
altruism 利他主義
aid 幫助
generosity 慷慨
compassion 同情
dire 急切的
callous 冷漠的，麻木不仁的
do someone a kindness 幫助某人，為某人做件好事
out of the goodness of someone’s heart 出於某人的好意
selflessly 無私地
Good Samaritan 樂於助人的人
pay someone back in kind 回報某人的幫助
reciprocate 回報
It takes all kinds 世界之大，無奇不有

測驗與練習

1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。

1. True or false? Random acts of kindness are predictable and taken for granted.

2. How did Hannah Bailey feel after she received a random act of kindness?

3. What happens to the second coffee in a ‘caffe sospeso’?

4. According to The Mental Health Foundation, why do people commit random acts of kindness?

5. Which word used in the article means ‘a feeling of extreme happiness and excitement’?

2. 請在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。

1. He’s rich and likes to give gifts. He’s known for his ______.

appreciation generosity compassion callousness

2. Just when I needed help, someone stopped to ______.

random act of kindness do me a kindness pay me back in kind pay me back in my own coin

3. I pay him the bribe and he ______ by letting me ‘bend’ the law. Understand?

altruisms aids callouses reciprocates

4. You’re never too busy to help someone, are you? You’re a real ______.

Good Samaritan Goof Samaritan Good Sumaritan Good Somaritan

5. Excuse me, can I use your bathroom. I’m in ______ need of a toilet!

callous unexpected unappreciated dire

答案

1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。

1. True or false? Random acts of kindness are predictable and taken for granted.
False. They are often unexpected, but almost never unappreciated.

2. How did Hannah Bailey feel after she received a random act of kindness?
She was happy about it for the rest of the day.

3. What happens to the second coffee in a ‘caffe sospeso’?
It is left at the cafe to be donated to a poor person.

4. According to The Mental Health Foundation, why do people commit random acts of kindness?
They give our lives new purpose, show us other perspectives on our own problems and even make us feel euphoric.

5. Which word used in the article means ‘a feeling of extreme happiness and excitement’?
Euphoric (They give our lives new purpose, show us other perspectives on our own problems and even make us feel euphoric.)

2. 請在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。

1. He’s rich and likes to give gifts. He’s known for his generosity.

2. I Just when I needed help, someone stopped to do me a kindness.

3. I pay him the bribe and he reciprocates by letting me ‘bend’ the law. Understand?

4. You’re never too busy to help someone, are you? You’re a real Good Samaritan.

5. Excuse me, can I use your bathroom. I’m in dire need of a toilet!