那些給我智慧和勇氣的寓言故事17：一絲不茍的州長(zhǎng)

A Governor visiting a state prison was implored by a convict to pardon him.

州長(zhǎng)在視察一所州管監(jiān)獄時(shí)，有個(gè)罪犯哀求州長(zhǎng)寬恕他。

“What are you in for?”asked the Governor.

“你犯了什么事?”州長(zhǎng)問(wèn)道。

“I held a high office,”the convict humbly replied,“and sold subordinate appointments.”

“我曾經(jīng)是個(gè)高級(jí)官員，”犯人低聲下氣地回答，“因?yàn)橄蛳录?jí)賣(mài)官。”

“Then I decline to interfere,”said the Governor, with asperity,“a man who abuses his office by making it serve a private end and purvey a personal advantage is unfit to be free. By the way, Mr. Warden,”he added to the official beside him, as the convict slunk away,“in appointing you to this position, I was given to understand that your friends could make the Shikane county delegation to the next State convention solid for the present administration. Was I rightly informed?”

“那樣的話，我絕不會(huì)管你的事情，”州長(zhǎng)嚴(yán)厲地說(shuō)，“為達(dá)到個(gè)人目的、牟取私利而濫用職權(quán)的人不應(yīng)該得到自由。順便說(shuō)一下，監(jiān)獄長(zhǎng)，”當(dāng)那個(gè)罪犯偷偷溜走時(shí)，他接著對(duì)身旁的那位官員說(shuō)，“我在任命你擔(dān)任這個(gè)職務(wù)時(shí)，得知你的朋友能讓西科恩縣參加下屆州會(huì)議的代表團(tuán)支持本屆政府。我得到的消息準(zhǔn)確嗎?”

“You were, sir.”

“是的，州長(zhǎng)先生。”

“Very well, then, I will bid you good-bye. Please be so good as to appoint my nephew Chaplain.''

“那么，很好，我該向你道別了。請(qǐng)別忘記任命我的侄子為牧師啊。”