珍貴的硬幣

Mahatma Gandhi was on an expedition[旅行，考察] to collect funds from various cities and villages for Charkha Sangh[（印度）手紡車聯合會]. He went to several places and reached Orissa， where he made a speech.

After the speech， an old woman with bent back， faltered[搖搖欲墜] clothing and white hair showed up. She was trying to reach Gandhi on the stage， but the volunteers stopped her， yet she finally managed to reach Gandhi.

She touched the feet of Gandhi， and took out a copper coin kept in her saree[紗麗服] and placed it at his foot. Then she left.

Gandhi took the coin very carefully. The in-charge of the Sangh asked Gandhi for the copper coin， but he refused.

“I keep cheques[支票] worth thousands of rupees[盧比] for the Charkha Sangh，” the in-charge said， “yet you dont trust me with a copper coin.”

Gandhi said， “This copper coin is worth much more than those thousands. If a man has several lakhs[十萬盧比] and he gives away a thousand or two， it doesnt mean much.”

Yes， the coin was the only thing the poor old woman possessed[擁有]. She could not afford proper clothes or food， yet she gave everything she had. It was indeed the greatest offer ever made.

莫罕達斯·甘地正在為手紡車聯合會去到各個城市及鄉鎮進行籌款。在到訪幾個地方之后，他來到奧里薩邦，并在那里進行了一場演講。

演講結束后，一名衣衫襤褸、白發蒼蒼的駝背老婦出現了。她想走近臺上的甘地，但志愿者阻止了她，然而她最終還是來到甘地面前。

她摸了摸甘地的雙足，從她的紗麗服中掏出一枚銅幣，放在甘地腳上，然后離開了。

甘地非常小心地拿起硬幣。聯合會負責人讓甘地把硬幣給他，可甘地拒絕了。

“我為手紡車聯合會保管著好幾千盧比的支票，”負責人說，“可你連一個硬幣都不信任我。”

甘地說：“這個硬幣的價值比那幾千盧比要高得多。如果一個有幾十萬盧比的人捐出一兩千，也不算多。”

是的，那枚硬幣是那位可憐的老婦人的全部財產。她無法負擔像樣的衣服和食物，卻捐出了自己的一切。這確實是最偉大的捐贈。