Coffee on the Wall

Track 8

by anonymous

翻譯：魚又

Coffee on the Wall

墻上的咖啡

Track 8

by anonymous

翻譯：魚又

“It’s a truly beautiful thing.

Probably the most beautiful wall anywhere in the world！”

I sat with my friend in a well-known coffee shop in a1）neighboring town of Venice， Italy， the city of lights and water.

As we enjoyed our coffee， a man entered and sat at an empty table beside us. He called the waiter over and placed his order， saying， “Two cups of coffee， one of them there on the wall.”

We heard this order with interest and2）observed that he was served one cup of coffee but he paid for two. When he left， the waiter put a piece of paper on the wall， saying， “A Cup of Coffee.”

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. This time also，the waiter did the same: He put a piece of paper on the wall， saying， “A Cup of Coffee.”

It was something unique and3）confusing for us. We finished our coffee， paid the bill and left.

After a few days， we had a chance to go to this coffee shop again. While we were enjoying our coffee， a man who appeared homeless entered. As he4）seated himself， he looked at the wall and said， “One cup of coffee from the wall.” The waiter served coffee to this man with the5）customary respect. The man had his coffee and left without paying.

We were amazed to watch all of this， as the waiter took a piece of paper off the wall and threw it into the6）trash.

注：needy是形容詞，表示“貧困的”，the加形容詞表示“某一類人”，因此the needy表示“貧困的人”。

Now it was no surprise for us—the matter was very clear. The great respect for the needy注shown by the7）inhabitants of this town made our eyes well up with tears.

Just think about what this man wanted. He entered the coffee shop without having to lower his8）self-esteem. He had no need to ask for a free cup of coffee. 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.

It’s a truly beautiful thing. Probably the most beautiful wall anywhere in the world！

1） neighboring ［?ne?b?r??］ adj. 附近的，鄰近的

2） observe ［?b?z??v］ v. 觀察，注意到

3） confusing ［k?n?fju?z??］ adj. 令人困惑的

4） seat ［si?t］ v. 使就座

5） customary ［?k?st?m?r?］ adj. 習慣的，慣例的

6） trash ［tr??］ n. 垃圾

7） inhabitant ［?n?h?b?t?nt］ n. 居民

8） self-esteem ［self ??sti?m］ n. 自尊

在光與水交融的城市—意大利威尼斯附近的一個小鎮上，我和我的朋友坐在當地一家有名的咖啡廳里。

當我們享用著美味的咖啡時，一個男人走了進來，坐到我們旁邊的空桌上。他叫來服務員點單，說：“兩杯咖啡，其中一杯貼在那邊的墻上。”

我們頗感興趣地聽著他下單，注意到他付了兩杯咖啡的錢，服務員卻只上了一杯。他走后，服務員在墻上貼了一張紙條，上面寫著：“一杯咖啡”。

我們依舊待在咖啡廳里，這時，又有另外兩個男人進來了。他們點了三杯咖啡，兩杯放桌上，一杯貼墻上。他們喝了兩杯咖啡，卻在付了三杯的錢后離開了。這次也不例外，服務員做了同樣的事：他把一張寫著“一杯咖啡”的紙條貼在墻上。

這個獨特的現象讓我們困惑不已。我們喝完咖啡、買完單后就離開了。

幾天后，我們有機會再次光臨這家咖啡廳。在我們享用咖啡的時候，一個看起來無家可歸的人走了進來。他落座后，看了看那面墻，說：“來一杯墻上的咖啡。”服務員帶著一貫的尊重為這個男人上了杯咖啡。那個男人喝完咖啡，沒有付賬就走了。

服務員取下墻上的一張紙條，然后將之丟到垃圾桶里，而我們驚奇地看著這一切。

現在我們不再驚訝了—事情已經非常明了。這個小鎮的居民對窮苦人民所展現的極大的尊重讓我們熱淚盈眶。

想想那個男人想要什么吧。他可以在不損害自尊心的情況下走進一家咖啡廳。他不需要為一杯免費的咖啡低聲下氣。他不需要詢問或知道是誰送了他一杯咖啡，只需要看看那面墻，自己下單，享用一杯屬于自己的咖啡，然后瀟灑離開。

這真的是一件很美好的事情。這很可能是世界上最美麗的一面墻了！

其實“墻上的咖啡”有一個專門的名稱哦，叫“待用咖啡”。待用咖啡（Suspended Coffee）起源于意大利南部城市那不勒斯的一家咖啡館，在那里人們可以提前多買一兩杯咖啡，給其他可能比較貧困的咖啡愛好者享用。待用咖啡從二戰開始慢慢流行起來。這個愛心之舉如今已經在網絡上引起了轟動，歐洲和北美的咖啡店也都加入到了“待用咖啡”的行列中。

在中國，除了不少咖啡廳也加入到這個行列外，一些餐館還衍生了“待用餐點”，使貧苦人家可以免費享用餐點。不過，可能由于很多人羞于領用，許多餐廳出現了“捐多吃少”的現象。