說話之道 How to Speak
【作者:取材自Catechetical Helps 顧美芬譯】剪下一方暖和--喻道小故事 2011.08.14
1.
A young man during the Middle Ages went to a monk, saying, "I have sinned by telling slanderous statements about someone. What should I do now?”
The monk replied, "Put a feather on every doorstep in town. " The young man did it. He then returned to the monk, wondering if there was anything else that he should do.
The monk said, "Go back and pick up all the feathers. " The young man replied, "That's impossible! By now the wind will have blown them all over town." The monk replied, "So has your slanderous word become impossible to retrieve."
2.
A young man supposedly went to the Greek philosopher Socrates to learn public speaking.
On being introduced, he talked so incessantly and disrespectfully of others that Socrates immediately demanded twice his ordinary fee. "Why charge me double?" the young man rudely asked.
Socrates replied, "I must teach you twice: first how to control your tongue, and second how to speak. "
字彙
monk 修士
slanderous 中傷的，毀謗的
retrieve 收回
philosopher 哲學家
Socrates 蘇格拉底
Incessantly 不斷地，不停地
一
在中古世紀，有個年輕人來到修士跟前說，「我說話中傷別人，犯了罪，現在該怎麼辦呢？」
修士回答說，「你到城裡每個門階上放枝羽毛。」年輕人照做了，他回到修士那兒，好奇地想知道還有什麼該做的。
修士說，「回到城裡把每枝羽毛撿起來。」年輕人答道，「不可能的，現在風早把羽毛吹得到處都是了。」修士說，「你說出的毀謗也一樣不可能收回了。」
二
有個年輕人，可能是要到希臘哲人蘇格拉底那兒學演講。
蒙引見的時候，他滔滔不絕又輕蔑地談論著別人，蘇格拉底馬上把收費提高了一倍。年輕人粗魯問道，「幹嘛收我雙倍價錢？」
蘇格拉底回答說，「我得加倍教你啊：先要教你管制舌頭，然後才教你如何說話。」
思考與應用
1.有人說，我們用兩年來學怎麼開口講話，用餘生來學怎麼閉口、控制自己，你覺得呢？
2.說人壞話前，三思羽毛難拾的比喻。
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