Are You Rich? 富有是一种感觉

什么是富有？也许它直接与我们自己的心灵有关，而与一切世俗的、物质的东西没有什么必然的联系。富有是一种感觉，只拥有一套茶具的人也可以是富有的吧，至少它们是相配的一套。

Two children in ragged1 coats knocked on my door. "Any old papers, lady?"

I was busy. I wanted to say no —then I looked down at their feet. They wore thin little shoes, wet from the storm. "Come in and I’ll give you something to eat."

There was no conversation. Their wet shoes left marks on my carpet, which I had just cleaned fifteen minutes ago. I served them chocolate milk and bread to make them feel warmer. Then I went back to the kitchen and continued to do my housework. The silence in the front room struck me. I looked in. The girl held the empty cup in her hands, looking at it. The boy asked in a small voice, "Lady ... are you rich?"

"Am I rich? Of course not!"

The girl put her cup back in its saucer2 very carefully. "Your cups match your saucers."

Her voice was old, with a hunger that was not of the stomach. They left, holding their old papers against the wind. They didn’t say "Thank you". They didn’t need to. They had done more than that. I had plain blue cups and saucers, but they matched. I began to clean the living room. The dirty prints of their small shoes on my carpet were still wet. I let them be. I wanted them there in case I ever forgot how rich I was.

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Notes:

1. ragged adj.破旧的

2. saucer n.茶托, 茶碟