最美的一面墙

I sat with my friend in a well-known coffee shop in a neighboring town of Venice, Italy, the city of lights and water. 我和我的朋友坐在邻近的意大利威尼斯的一家著名的咖啡店里，那里是一座灯火通明的城市。 As we enjoyed our coffee, a man entered and sat at an empty table beside us. 当我们享用咖啡时，进来一个男人，坐在我们旁边的那张桌子。 He called the waiter and placed his order saying, “Two cups of coffee, one of them there on the wall.” 他叫来服务生：“两杯咖啡，一杯贴墙上。” We heard this order with rather interest and observed that he was served with one cup of coffee but he paid for two. 这点咖啡的方式让人感觉新奇，我们注意到最后服务员只给他端来一杯咖啡，他却付了两杯的钱。 When he left, the waiter put a piece of paper on the wall saying “A Cup of Coffee”. 他刚走，服务生就把一张纸贴在墙上，上面写着：一杯咖啡。 While we were still there, two other men entered and ordered three cups of coffee, two on the table and one on the wall. They had two cups of coffee but paid for three and left. 一会，又进来两个人，点了三杯咖啡，两杯自己喝，一杯贴在墙上。他们喝了两杯咖啡，付了三杯的钱。 This time also, the waiter did the same; he put a piece of paper on the wall saying, “A Cup of Coffee”. 等他们离开，服务生又像刚才那样在墙上贴了一张纸，上面写着：一杯咖啡。 It was something unique and perplexing for us. We finished our coffee, paid the bill and left. 似乎这种方式已经成了店里的常规，令人新奇和不解。事不关己，我们喝完咖啡，付了钱就走了。 After a few days, we had a chance to go to this coffee shop again. 几天后，我们又去了这家咖啡店。 While we were enjoying our coffee, a man poorly dressed entered. 正当我们享用咖啡时，进来了一个人，从衣着看来是个穷人。 As he seated himself, he looked at the wall and said, “One cup of coffee from the wall.” 他坐下来，看着墙上，然后说：“墙上的一杯咖啡。” The waiter served coffee to this man with the customary respect and dignity. The man had his coffee and left without paying. 服务生以惯常的恭敬态度给他端上一杯咖啡，那人喝完咖啡没有结账就走了。 We were amazed to watch all this, as the waiter took off a piece of paper from the wall and threw it in the trash bin. 我们惊奇地看着这一切，只见服务生从墙上揭下一张纸扔进了纸篓。 Now it was no surprise for us – the matter was very clear. The great respect for the needy shown by the inhabitants of this town made our eyes well up in tears. 此时，我们终于明白，这个小镇的居民对穷人的尊敬让人感动得热泪盈眶。 Ponder upon the need of what this man wanted. 仔细想想，这位穷人需要什么呢？ He enters the coffee shop without having to lower his self-esteem…he has no need to ask for a free cup of coffee… 他需求的大概是：走进一间咖啡馆时，无须放低自己的尊严，因为他不用向店家索要一杯没付过钱的咖啡。 Without asking or knowing about the one who is giving this cup of coffee to him… he only looked at the wall, placed an order for himself, enjoyed his coffee and left. 他也不用知道是谁为他买的单。他要做的只是看一眼墙上，点一份单，享用咖啡，然后安静地离开。 A truly beautiful thought. Probably the most beautiful wall you may ever see anywhere! 这个想法好美，而这面墙，大概是我见过最美的一面墙。