A CheCk of 500,000 dollArs

A CheCk of 500,000 dollArs

A businessman was deep in debt and could see no way out. He sat on the park bench, head in hands,seeking solutions to save his company.

Suddenly an old man appeared. “Are you in trouble now?” he asked. After he heard the businessman's stories,the old man said, “I believe I can help you.” He asked the businessman’s name, wrote a check, and handed it to the businessman, “Take this. Meet me here one year from today. At that time I believe you can pay me back with your efforts.” Then he left.

In his hand, the businessman saw a check of 500,000 dollars, signed by John D. Rockefeller, who was then one of the richest men in the world. “I can solve my problems now!” he exclaimed to himself. But he decided not to use the money, he put the check aside in his safe case, He took it as the source of hope pushing him to work hard to save his company.

Within a few months, he was out of debt and making money once again. One year later, he returned to the park with the check of $500,000. At the agreed-on time, the old man appeared. Just as the businessman was about to hand back the check and share his successful story with him, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man.“I am so glad I caught him!” she cried, “I hope he hasn’t been bothering you. He’s always escaping from the mental institution and telling people he’s John D. Rockefeller.”And she took him away by the arm. The businessman stood there, dumbfounded. ◆

50萬元支票

一生意人負債累累，投資者切斷注資，供貨商催收貨款，他深感擺脫困境無望，坐在公園的長椅上，雙手抱頭，苦苦思索挽救公司避免破產之招。

這時一位老人突然出現在他面前，老人說：“你遇到麻煩了嗎？”

聽生意人道出原委后，老人說：“我能幫你。”

老人問生意人叫什么名字，然后開出了一張支票，塞到生意人手里，說：“把這錢拿著，一年后還在這兒，我想你一定能把這錢還給我的。”

說完，老人轉身走了。生意人看著手里50萬元的支票，簽名是“約翰·D·洛克菲勒”，一位超級富翁。

“資金問題一下子就解決了。”生意人自言自語。

不過，生意人決定把這張支票放入保險箱，因為有了這張支票，他想，他很可能能找到挽救公司的方法。這樣想著，他變得積極樂觀起來，因此與合作者的談判更為順暢，并獲得了延期付款的許可。隨后，他成功地做了幾宗大生意。數月之后，他終于擺脫債務危機，生意重新步入穩定賺錢的軌道。

一年之后，他遵照與老人的約定如期來到公園，手里拿著那張沒有兌現的支票。沒過多久，老人出現了，生意人剛想把支票交還給老人，并告訴其轉機的經歷時，一護士飛跑過來，一把抓住老人。

“我抓住他了。”護士叫著，“希望他沒有打擾你。先生，他總是從休息室逃出來，遇到人就說他是約翰·D·洛克菲勒。”護士一邊說，一邊抓著老人的胳膊離開了。◆