致加西亚的信英文版A-Message-to-Garcia

致加西亚的信英文版AMessagetoGarcia100多年前的一个傍晚，出版家艾尔伯特·哈伯德与家人喝茶时受儿子的启发，创作了一篇名为《致加西亚的信》的文章，刊登在《菲士利人》的杂志上，杂志很快就告罄。到1915年作者逝世为止，《致加西亚的信》的印数高达40，000，000册。创造了一个作家的有生之年一本图书销售量的历史记录。其后的80余年，该书被翻译成所有的文字，许多政府、军队和企业都将此书赠送给士兵和职员，作为培养士兵、职员敬业守则的必读书。1899AMessagetoGarciaInallthisCubanbusinessthereisonemanstandsoutonthehorizonofmymemorylikeMarsatperihelion.WhenwarbrokeoutbetweenSpain&theUnitedStates,itwasverynecessarytocommunicatequicklywiththeleaderoftheInsurgents.GarciawassomewhereinthemountainvastnessofCuba-nooneknewwhere.Nomailnortelegraphmessagecouldreachhim.ThePresidentmustsecurehiscooperation,andquickly.Whattodo!SomeonesaidtothePresident,"There’safellowbythenameofRowanwillfindGarciaforyou,ifanybodycan."RowanwassentforandgivenalettertobedeliveredtoGarcia.How"thefellowbythenameofRowan"tooktheletter,sealeditupinanoil-skinpouch,strappeditoverhisheart,infourdayslandedbynightoffthecoastofCubafromanopenboat,disappearedintothejungle,&inthreeweekscameoutontheothersideoftheIsland,havingtraversedahostilecountryonfoot,anddeliveredhislettertoGarcia,arethingsIhavenospecialdesirenowtotellindetail.ThepointIwishtomakeisthis:McKinleygaveRowanalettertobedeliveredtoGarcia;Rowantooktheletteranddidnotask,"Whereisheat?"BytheEternal!thereisamanwhoseformshouldbecastindeathlessbronzeandthestatueplacedineverycollegeoftheland.Itisnotbook-learningyoungmenneed,norinstructionaboutthisandthat,butastiffeningofthevertebraewhichwillcausethemtobeloyaltoatrust,toactpromptly,concentratetheirenergies:dothething-"CarryamessagetoGarcia!"GeneralGarciaisdeadnow,butthereareotherGarcias.Noman,whohasendeavoredtocarryoutanenterprisewheremanyhandswereneeded,buthasbeenwellnighappalledattimesbytheimbecilityoftheaverageman-theinabilityorunwillingnesstoconcentrateonathinganddoit.Slip-shodassistance,foolishinattention,dowdyindifference,&half-heartedworkseemtherule;andnomansucceeds,unlessbyhookorcrook,orthreat,heforcesorbribesothermentoassisthim;ormayhap,GodinHisgoodnessperformsamiracle,&sendshimanAngelofLightforanassistant.You,reader,putthismattertoatest:Youaresittingnowinyouroffice-sixclerksarewithincall.Summonanyoneandmakethisrequest:"PleaselookintheencyclopediaandmakeabriefmemorandumformeconcerningthelifeofCorreggio".Willtheclerkquietlysay,"Yes,sir,"andgodothetask?Onyourlife,hewillnot.Hewilllookatyououtofafishyeyeandaskoneormoreofthefollowingquestions:Whowashe?Whichencyclopedia?Whereistheencyclopedia?WasIhiredforthat?Don’tyoumeanBismarck?What’sthematterwithCharliedoingit?Ishedead?Isthereanyhurry?Shan’tIbringyouthebookandletyoulookitupyourself?Whatdoyouwanttoknowfor?AndIwilllayyoutentoonethatafteryouhaveansweredthequestions,andexplainedhowtofindtheinformation,andwhyyouwantit,theclerkwillgooffandgetoneoftheotherclerkstohelphimtrytofindGarcia-andthencomebackandtellyouthereisnosuchman.OfcourseImaylosemybet,butaccordingtotheLawofAverage,Iwillnot.Nowifyouarewiseyouwillnotbothertoexplaintoyour"assistant"thatCorreggioisindexedundertheC’s,notintheK’s,butyouwillsmilesweetlyandsay,"Nevermind,"andgolookitupyourself.Andthisincapacityforindependentaction,thismoralstupidity,thisinfirmityofthewill,thisunwillingnesstocheerfullycatchholdandlift,arethethingsthatputpureSocialismsofarintothefuture.Ifmenwillnotactforthemselves,whatwilltheydowhenthebenefitoftheireffortisforall?Afirst-matewithknottedclubseemsnecessary;andthedreadofgetting"thebounce"Saturdaynight,holdsmanyaworkertohisplace.Advertiseforastenographer,andnineoutoftenwhoapply,canneitherspellnorpunctuate-anddonotthinkitnecessaryto.CansuchaonewritealettertoGarcia?"Youseethatbookkeeper,"saidtheforemantomeinalargefactory."Yes,whatabouthim?""Wellhe’safineaccountant,butifI’dsendhimuptownonanerrand,hemightaccomplishtheerrandallright,andontheotherhand,mightstopatfoursaloonsontheway,andwhenhegottoMainStreet,wouldforgetwhathehadbeensentfor."CansuchamanbeentrustedtocarryamessagetoGarcia?Wehaverecentlybeenhearingmuchmaudlinsympathyexpressedforthe"downtroddendenizenofthesweat-shop"andthe"homelesswanderersearchingforhonestemployment,"&withitalloftengomanyhardwordsforthemeninpower.Nothingissaidabouttheemployerwhogrowsoldbeforehistimeinavainattempttogetfrowsyne’er-do-wellstodointelligentwork;andhislongpatientstrivingwith"help"thatdoesnothingbutloafwhenhisbackisturned.Ineverystoreandfactorythereisaconstantweeding-outprocessgoingon.Theemployerisconstantlysendingaway"help"thathaveshowntheirincapacitytofurthertheinterestsofthebusiness,andothersarebeingtakenon.Nomatterhowgoodtimesare,thissortingcontinues,onlyiftimesarehardandworkisscarce,thesortingisdonefiner-butoutandforeverout,theincompetentandunworthygo.Itisthesurvivalofthefittest.Self-interestpromptseveryemployertokeepthebest-thosewhocancarryamessagetoGarcia.Iknowonemanofreallybrilliantpartswhohasnottheabilitytomanageabusinessofhisown,andyetwhoisabsolutelyworthlesstoanyoneelse,becausehecarrieswithhimconstantlytheinsanesuspicionthathisemployerisoppressing,orintendingtooppresshim.Hecannotgiveorders;andhewillnotreceivethem.ShouldamessagebegivenhimtotaketoGarcia,hisanswerwouldprobablybe,"Takeityourself."Tonightthismanwalksthestreetslookingforwork,thewindwhistlingthroughhisthreadbarecoat.Noonewhoknowshimdareemployhim,forheisaregularfire-brandofdiscontent.Heisimpervioustoreason,andtheonlythingthatcanimpresshimisthetoeofathick-soledNo.9boot.OfcourseIknowthatonesomorallydeformedisnolesstobepitiedthanaphysicalcripple;butinourpitying,letusdropatear,too,forthemenwhoarestrivingtocarryonagreatenterprise,whoseworkinghoursarenotlimitedbythewhistle,andwhosehairisfastturningwhitethroughthestruggletoholdinlinedowdyindifference,slip-shodimbecility,andtheheartlessingratitude,which,butfortheirenterprise,wouldbebothhungry&homeless.HaveIputthemattertoostrongly?PossiblyIhave;butwhenalltheworldhasgonea-slummingIwishtospeakawordofsympathyforthemanwhosucceeds-themanwho,againstgreatoddshasdirectedtheeffortsofothers,andhavingsucceeded,findsthere’snothinginit:nothingbutbareboardandclothes.Ihavecarriedadinnerpail&workedforday’swages,andIhavealsobeenanemployeroflabor,andIknowthereissomethingtobesaidonbothsides.Thereisnoexcellence,perse,inpoverty;ragsarenorecommendation;&allemployersarenotrapaciousandhigh-handed,anymorethanallpoormenarevirtuous.Myheartgoesouttothemanwhodoeshisworkwhenthe"boss"isaway,aswellaswhenheisathome.Andthemanwho,whengivenaletterforGarcia,quietlytakethemissive,withoutaskinganyidioticquestions,andwithnolurkingintentionofchuckingitintothenearestsewer,orofdoingaughtelsebutdeliverit,nevergets"laidoff,"norhastogoonastrikeforhigherwages.Civilizationisonelonganxioussearchforjustsuchindividuals.Anythingsuchamanasksshallbegranted;hiskindissorarethatnoemployercanaffordtolethimgo.Heiswantedineverycity,townandvillage-ineveryoffice,shop,storeandfactory.Theworldcriesoutforsuch:heisneeded,&neededbadly-themanwhocancarryamessagetoGarcia.THEEND-ByElbertHubbardAMessagetoGarciaInallthisCubanbusinessthereisonemanstandsoutonthehorizonofmymemorylikeMarsatperihelion.WhenwarbrokeoutbetweenSpainandtheUnitedStates，itwasverynecessarytocommunicatequicklywiththeleaderoftheInsurgents.GarciawassomewhereinthemountainvastnessofCuba——nooneknewwhere.Nomailnortelegraphmessagecouldreachhim.ThePresidentmustsecurehiscooperation，andquickly.Whattodo﹖SomeonesaidtothePresident，“There‘safellowbythenameofRowanwillfindGarciaforyou，ifanybodycan.”RowanwassentforandgivenalettertobedeliveredtoGarcia.How“thefellowbythenameofRowan”tooktheletter，sealeditupinanoil-skinpouch，strappeditoverhisheart，infourdayslandedbynightoffthecoastofCubafromanopenboat，disappearedintothejungle，andinthreeweekscameoutontheothersideoftheIsland，havingtraversedahostilecountryonfoot，anddeliveredhislettertoGarcia，arethingsIhavenospecialdesirenowtotellindetail.ThepointIwishtomakeisthis：McKinleygaveRowanalettertobedeliveredtoGarcia；Rowantooktheletteranddidnotask，“Whereisheat﹖”Thereisamanwhoseformshouldbecastindeathlessbronzeandthestatueplacedineverycollegeoftheland.Itisnotbook-learningyoungmenneed，norinstructionaboutthisandthat，butastiffeningofthevertebraewhichwillcausethemtobeloyaltoatrust，toactpromptly，concentratetheirenergies：dothething——“CarryamessagetoGarcia！”GeneralGarciaisdeadnow，butthereareotherGarcias.Noman，whohasendeavoredtocarryoutanenterprisewheremanyhandswereneeded，buthasbeenappalledattimesbytheimbecilityoftheaverageman——theinabilityorunwillingnesstoconcentrateonathinganddoit.You，reader，putthismattertoatest：Youaresittingnowinyouroffice——sixclerksarewithincall.Summonanyoneandmakethisrequest：“PleaselookintheencyclopediaandmakeabriefmemorandumformeconcerningthelifeofCorreggio”。Willtheclerkquietlysay，“Yes，sir，”andgodothetask﹖Onyourlife，hewillnot.Hewilllookatyououtofafishyeyeandaskoneormoreofthefollowingquestions：Whowashe﹖Whichencyclopedia﹖Whereistheencyclopedia﹖WasIhiredforthat﹖Don‘tyoumeanBismarck﹖What‘sthematterwithCharliedoingit﹖Ishedead﹖Isthereanyhurry﹖Shan‘tIbringyouthebookandletyoulookitupyourself﹖Whatdoyouwanttoknowfor﹖AndIwilllayyoutentoonethatafteryouhaveansweredthequestions，andexplainedhowtofindtheinformation，andwhyyouwantit，theclerkwillgooffandgetoneoftheotherclerkstohelphimtrytofindGarcia——andthencomebackandtellyouthereisnosuchman.OfcourseImaylosemybet，butaccordingtotheLawofAverages，Iwillnot.Myheartgoesouttothemanwhodoeshisworkwhenthe“boss”isaway，aswellaswhenheisathome.Andthemanwho，whengivenaletterforGarcia，quietlytakethemissive，withoutaskinganyidioticquestions，andwithnolurkingintentionofchuckingitintothenearestsewer，orofdoingaughtelsebutdeliverit，nevergets“laidoff，”norhastogoonastrikeforhigherwages.Civilizationisonelonganxioussearchforjustsuchindividuals.Anythingsuchamanasksshallbegranted，hiskindissorarethatnoemployercanaffordtolethimgo.Heiswantedineverycity，townandvillage——ineveryoffice，shop，storeandfactory.Theworldcriesoutforsuch：themanwhocancarryamessagetoGarcia.