阿尔卑斯山的守泉人

铖铖

he late Peter Marshall was an eloquent speaker and for several years served as the chaplain of the U.S. Senate. He used to love to tell the story of the “Keeper of the Spring”， a quiet forest dweller who lived high above an Austrian village along the eastern slope of the Alps.

The old gentleman had been hired many years earlier by a young town councilman to clear away the debris from the pools of water up in the mountain crevices that fed the lovely spring flowing through their town. With faithful， silent regularity， he patrolled the hills， removed the leaves and branches， and wiped away the silt that would otherwise have choked and contaminated the fresh flow of water. The village soon became a popular attraction for vacationers. Graceful swans floated along the crystal clear spring， the mill wheels of various businesses located near the water turned day and night， farmlands were naturally irrigated， and the view from restaurants was picturesque beyond description.

Years passed. One evening the town council met for its semiannual meeting. As they reviewed the budget， one mans eye caught the salary figure being paid the obscure keeper of the spring. The keeper of the purse said， “Who is the old man？ Why do we keep him on year after year？ No one ever sees him. For all we know， the strange ranger of the hills is doing us no good. He isnt necessary any longer.” By a unanimous vote， they dispensed with the old mans services.

For several weeks， nothing changed.

By early autumn， the trees began to shed their leaves. Small branches snapped off and fell into the pools， hindering the rushing flow of sparkling water. One afternoon someone noticed a slight yellowish-brown tint in the spring. A few days later， the water was much darker. Within another week， a slimy film covered sections of the water along the banks， and a foul odor was soon detected. The mill wheels moved more slowly， and some finally ground to a halt. Swans left， as did the tourists. Clammy fingers of disease and sickness reached deeply into the village.

Quickly， the embarrassed council called a special meeting. Realizing their gross error in judgment， they rehired the old keeper of the spring， and within a few weeks， the veritable river of life began to clear up. The wheels started to turn， and new life returned to the hamlet in the Alps.

Never become discouraged with the seeming smallness of your task， job， or life. Cling fast to the words of Edward Everett Hale，“I am only one， but still I am one. I cannot do everything， but still I can do something； and because I cannot do everything， I will not refuse to do something I can do.”

The key to accomplishment is believing that what you can do will make a difference.

故的彼得·马歇尔是一位雄辩的演说家，有几年时间他曾出任美国参议院牧师。那时他爱讲一个关于“守泉人”的故事。这位平静的守泉人住在阿尔卑斯山东坡一侧远远高出奥地利村庄的森林里。

多年前，这位老者受聘于一位年轻的镇议员，负责清除山涧水塘中的杂物。美丽的泉水发源于那里，并缓缓流过他们的小镇。守泉人忠于职守，默默工作。他定期在山上巡逻，清走枯枝败叶，清除可能淤塞和污染清新泉水的泥沙。不久后，村庄便成了一处度假胜地。优雅的天鹅在晶莹透亮的泉水上浮游，水源附近的各类水车日夜转动，农田得到天然灌溉，从小镇的饭馆望出去，风景如画，美得难以言喻。

这样过了许多年。一天晚上，镇议会举行半年一度的会议。在审查预算时，有位议员的视线落在了那位鲜为人知的守泉人的薪水上面。这位财务主管说：“这老头是谁？为什么我们年复一年地聘用他？根本都没人见过他。据我们所知，这位神秘的护林员对我们一点用处都没有。我们再也不需要他了！”镇议会一致投票同意不再需要老人的服务。

几周过去了，小镇并没有什么变化。

直至秋天来临，树木开始落叶。折断的小树枝掉落到水塘里，阻碍了波光粼粼的泉水的奔流。一天下午，有人注意到泉水出现了些许的棕黄色。几天后，泉水变得更浑浊了。又过了一周，沿岸的多段泉水蒙上了一层黏糊糊的泥膜。不久，泉水发出恶臭。水车转得慢了，有些最后慢慢停住了。天鹅飞走了，游客也不再光临。各种疾病开始侵袭村庄。

尴尬的议会急忙召开特别会议。他们知道自己犯了一个重大的错误，于是重新聘用那位守泉老人。几周之后，那条真正的生命之河又恢复了洁净。水车重新转动起来，这个阿尔卑斯山上的小村庄又恢复了勃勃生机。

永远不要因为自己的任务、工作或生活看起来微不足道而垂头丧气。引用爱德华·埃弗里特·黑尔的话：“我只有一个人，但我始终是一个人。我做不了所有的事，但我依然能做一些事。因为我不能做所有的事，我不会拒绝做我力所能及的事。”

成功的秘诀就是，坚信你所能做的事情将影响这个世界。