It was a bitter cold evening in northern Virginia many years ago. The old man’s beard was glazed by winter’s frost while he waited for a ride across the river. The wait seemed endless. His body became numb and stiff from the frigid north wind.

　　He heard the faint, steady rhythm of approaching hooves galloping along the frozen path. Anxiously, he watched as several horsemen rounded the bend. He let the first one passed by without any effort to get his attention, then another passed by, and another. Finally, the last rider neared the spot where the old man sat like a snow statue. As this one draw near, the old man caught the rider’s eye and said, “sir, would you mind giving an old man a ride to the other side? There doesn’t appear to be a passage way by foot.”

　　多年前，在北弗吉尼亞的一個寒冷夜晚，一位老人正等著有人把他帶過河，他的胡子已經(jīng)被這冬日的嚴(yán)寒凍得像塊玻璃了。這種等待好像遙遙無期。他的身體在這寒冷的北風(fēng)中被凍得麻木而僵硬。

　　他聽到了一陣模糊而又持續(xù)的、有節(jié)奏的馬蹄聲正從上凍的小路上緩緩傳來。他焦慮地注視著幾個騎馬者轉(zhuǎn)過路彎。當(dāng)他們一個一個過去時，老人沒有做任何努力來引起他們的注意。最終，最后一個騎馬者駛近，老人站在那里已經(jīng)成了一個雪雕。當(dāng)騎手慢慢接近時，老人看到了騎馬人的眼神，他說：“先生，你能把我?guī)н^河嗎?這里沒有可以步行的路了。”

　　Reining his horse, the rider replied, “sure thing. Hop aboard.” Seeing the old man was unable to lift his half-frozen body from the ground, the horseman dismounted and helped the old man onto the horse. The horseman took the old man not just across the river, but to his destination, which was just a few miles away.

　　As they neared the tiny but cozy cottage, the horseman’s curiosity caused him to inquire, “sir, I notice you let several other riders pass by without making an effort to secure a ride. Then I came up and you immediately asked me for a ride. I am curious why, on such a bitter night, you would wait and ask the last rider. What if I had refused and left you here?”

　　騎馬人拉住韁繩，回答說：“可以，上來吧。”看到老人不能移動他凍僵的身體，騎馬人下馬幫老人騎上馬。騎馬者不但把老人帶過了河，還把他送到了幾英里以外的目的地。

　　當(dāng)他們接近了一個很小、但很舒適的村舍時，騎馬者好奇地問老人：“先生，我注意到您讓那幾個騎馬者過去了，卻沒有請他們帶你過河。而我來到時，您立刻向我尋求幫助。我很好奇這是為什么，在這個寒冷的夜晚，您寧愿等待著去向最后一個尋求幫助。如果我拒絕了，把您留在那里，您怎么辦?”

　　The old man lowered himself slowly down from the horse, looked the rider straight in the eyes, and replied, “I have been around these here parts for some time. I reckon I know people pretty good.” The old-timer continued, “I looked into the eyes of the other riders and immediately saw there was no concern for my situation. It would have been useless even to ask them for a ride. But when I looked into your eyes, that your gentle spirit would welcome the opportunity to give me assistance in my time of need.”

　　Those heart-warming comments touched the horseman deeply. “I’m so grateful for what you have said, ” he told the old man. “May I never get too busy in my own affairs that I fail to respond to the needs of others with kindness and compassion.”

　　With that, Thomas Jefferson turned his horse around and made his way back to the White House.

　　老人緩慢地下了馬，目光直視著騎馬人，回答道：“我徘徊在那里很久了。我看人是很準(zhǔn)的。”老人又繼續(xù)說道，“我望著他們的眼睛，立刻看出他們對我的處境沒有絲毫關(guān)心。就算尋求他們的幫助，也只是徒勞。但望著你的眼睛，我看到了明顯的善良和憐憫。當(dāng)時我就知道，你仁慈的心靈會給予我所需要的幫助。”

　　這些感人肺腑的話深深觸動了騎馬人的心。“我很感謝您所說的話。”他告訴老人，“我絕不會再因為事務(wù)繁忙而放棄給別人提供善良和憐憫的幫助。”

　　隨即，托馬斯·杰斐遜調(diào)轉(zhuǎn)馬頭，奔向白宮。