TRUST

　　Last night I was driving from Harrisburg to Lewisburg，Pa.，a distance of about eighty miles.It was late.I was late and if anyone asked me how fast I was driving，I'd have to plead1） the Fifth Amendment2） to avoid self-incrimination3）。Several times I got stuck behind a slow-moving truck on a narrow road with a solid white line on my left，and I was clinching my fists with impatience.

　　At one point along an open highway，I came to a crossroads with a traffic light.I was alone on the road by now，but as I approached the light，it turned red and I braked to a halt.I looked left，right and behind me.Nothing.Not a car，no suggestion of headlights，but there I sat，waiting for the light to change，the only human being for at least a mile in any direction.

　　I started wondering why I refused to run the light4）。I was not afraid of being arrested，because there was obviously no cop around，and there certainly would have been no danger in going through it.

　　Much later that night，after I'd met with a group in Lewisburg and had climbed into bed near midnight，the question of why I'd stopped for that light came back to me.I think I stopped because it's part of a contract5） we all have with each other.It's not only the law，but it's an arrangement we have，and we trust each other to honor it：we don't go through red lights.Like most of us，I'm more apt to6） be restrained from doing something bad by the social convention that disapproves of it than by any law against it.

　　It's amazing that we ever trust each other to do the right thing，isn't it ？And we do，too.Trust is our first inclination7）。We have to make a deliberate8） decision to mistrust someone or to be suspicious or skeptical9）。Those attitudes don't come naturally to us.

　　It's a damn good thing too，because the whole structure of our society depends on mutual trust，not distrust.This whole thing we have going for us would fall apart if we didn't trust each other most of the time.We do what we say we'll do；we show up when we say we'll show up；we deliver when we say we'll deliver；and we pay when we say we'll pay.We trust each other in these matters，and when we don't do what we've promised，it's a deviation10） from the normal.It happens often that we don't act in good faith and in a trustworthy manner，but we still consider it unusual，and we're angry or disappointed with the person or organization that violates11） the trust we have in them.

　　I was so proud of myself for stopping for the red light that night.

　　by Andy Rooney

　　昨天晚上我駕車從哈里斯堡駛往賓西法尼亞州的劉易斯堡，路程約為80英里。天色已晚。我遲到了，如果有人問我行駛速度有多快，我得求助于美國憲法的第五條修正案，不要自證有罪。我好幾次被堵在一輛開得緩慢的卡車后面，路面很窄，而且我左邊是不可超越的白線，于是我捏緊雙拳，有點(diǎn)按捺不住了。

　　在公路的某一處，我行駛到了有交通燈的一個(gè)十字路口。這時(shí)路上只剩下我一個(gè)了，但當(dāng)我快到路口時(shí)，交通燈變成了紅燈，于是我剎了車。我左看右看，又向后面望了望。毫無動(dòng)靜。沒有車子，也沒有車燈的影兒，但我就那么坐在那兒，等著紅燈變綠，方圓一英里內(nèi)就我一個(gè)人。

　　我開始想，為什么我不闖紅燈呢？我不怕被抓著，因?yàn)楹苊黠@周圍并沒有警察，闖紅燈肯定也不會(huì)有任何危險(xiǎn)。

　　那天夜里，我在劉易斯堡會(huì)見了一些朋友，接近午夜時(shí)上床后，我又回想起了我為什么要停下來而不闖過去呢。我想，我停了下來，是因?yàn)樗俏覀兿嗷ラg的一種公約。這不僅是法律，而且也是我們共有的一個(gè)協(xié)議；我們互相信任，都要遵守：我們不能闖紅燈。像我們大多數(shù)人一樣，我要善于克制自己，不做社會(huì)行為準(zhǔn)則不許做的壞事，而不僅是因?yàn)橛蟹山顾?/p>

　　我們從來都是彼此信任會(huì)做正確的事，這難道不令人驚奇嗎？我們也的確是這樣的。信任是我們的第一本能。要讓我們不信任某人，猜疑，不相信，那是非常不容易的，因?yàn)檫@種態(tài)度對(duì)我們很不自然。

　　這也是一件很好的事情，因?yàn)槲覀冋麄€(gè)社會(huì)結(jié)構(gòu)是靠互相信任而不是猜疑來維系的。如果我們大部分時(shí)間互不信任，那么整個(gè)社會(huì)秩序?qū)⒈罎?。我們說到做到；我們說什么時(shí)候到場，就什么時(shí)候到場；我們說什么時(shí)候交貨，就什么時(shí)候交貨；我們說什么時(shí)候付款，就什么時(shí)候付款。在這些問題上，我們互相信任，要是我們違約的話，那是不正常的。雖然我們常發(fā)生不守信用的事，但我們?nèi)哉J(rèn)為這是不正常的；對(duì)有負(fù)我們對(duì)其信任的個(gè)人或組織，我們感到生氣或失望。

　　我為那天晚上沒有闖紅燈而感到驕傲。

　　注釋：

　　1. plead vt. 作為答辯提出，為（案件等）辯護(hù)

　　2. Fifth Amendment 《美國憲法修正案》第五條（主要規(guī)定在刑事案中任何人不得被迫自證其罪）

　　3. self－incrimination 自證其罪（指刑事案件中的作不利于自己或者有可能使自己受到刑事起訴的證言，美國憲法認(rèn)定此種證言不合法）

　　4. run the light 闖過（紅色交通信號(hào)燈）

　　5. contract n.合同， 契約， 婚約

　　6. apt to do sth. （習(xí)性） 易于…的，有…傾向的

　　7. inclination n.（性格上的）傾向，意向

　　8. deliberate adj. 慎重的，深思熟慮的

　　9. skeptical adj. 懷疑的

　　10. deviation n. 背離

　　11. violate vt. 違反，違背

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