3.5 The beauty of honesty 诚实之美

There once was a very honest shopkeeper whose day to day business was to provide goods to the local people . He would open his shop at 8:00 a.m. after having his breakfast and at 1:00 p.m. he would go for lunch. In the evening at 8:30 p.m. he closed his shop to complete his daily routine¹.

However, to get time for lunch was really difficult because he didn't have anybody to help him at that time. Therefore, it was his daily practice that whichever customer was shopping at 1:00 p.m. would be asked to oversee² the shop until the shopkeeper returned from lunch.

This system of having the new customer oversee the shop at lunchtime quickly became known to thieves of the area. One day, a group of four thieves planned to steal from his shop while he was gone for lunch. One of the thieves went at 1:00 p.m. to be the customer that would be asked to oversee the shop.

The thief, pretending to be a customer, went in at 1:00 p.m. and started purchasing several items. As planned, the shopkeeper asked the thief to sit on the shopkeeper chair for thirty minutes until the shopkeeper returned from lunch. The thief agreed and sat on the chair, and the shopkeeper left.

Then, the other three thieves quickly came in to steal as much as they could. They told the pretend customer to also help them steal everything, but something had changed within him and he no longer wanted to participate in the stealing with his fellow theives.

When he sat on the chair of the shopkeeper, he was transformed by the magic impression of the shopkeeper's honesty. The thief was now converted³ to an honest person and his attitude of stealing was completely transformed. He knew deeply in his heart that if he was given responsibility for the shop, he should not perform any dishonest acts during that time.

His friends did not agree, and so they forcefully began stealing things. As the now honest man tried to stop them, they resisted and a fight started. Other customers noticed the disturbance⁴ and came to ask what was going on, and at the same time the shopkeeper returned and also asked to know why there was fighting in his shop. The now honest man explained the entire plan, including his experience of transformation⁵ and how that led to the fight.

The shopkeeper, now 60 years old, had been searching for an honest man who could take ownership⁶ of the shop and run it. The shopkeeper felt that he had found the right man, so after the other three thieves were arrested he gave the keys to the now honest man and departed⁷ for his journey into retired⁸ life.

1 routine   

n.例行公事，惯例；adj.例行的，常规的

参考例句：

• It is everyday routine.这是每天的例行公事。
• She found the hospital routine slightly dull.她感到医院的工作有点枯燥乏味。

2 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

3 converted   

adj.更换信仰的，修改的v.（使）转变( convert的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）转化；皈依；改变（信仰）

参考例句：

• The hotel is going to be converted into a nursing home. 那家旅馆将被改建成私人疗养院。
• He's living in a converted loft in lower Manhattan. 他住在下曼哈顿的一间改建的阁楼里。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 disturbance   

n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调

参考例句：

• He is suffering an emotional disturbance.他的情绪受到了困扰。
• You can work in here without any disturbance.在这儿你可不受任何干扰地工作。

5 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

6 ownership   

n.所有(权)，所有制

参考例句：

• The house is under new ownership.那栋房子已易新主。
• He claimed ownership of the house.他声称那幢房子归他所有。

7 departed   

a.(委婉的说法)已死的

参考例句：

• your dear departed brother 你挚爱的亡兄
• He departed from the text to tell an anecdote. 他偏离课文讲起了一则轶事。

8 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。