只有逆境中的強者，才配得上命運的補償

02-14

按：這是我前天在Quora上看到的一個問題回答，中文部分是我的譯文。

本文同時也獻給我的一位老朋友——皋小二先生，他目前正身處逆境，希望他看完本文後能有所啟發，重新振作起來。加油！

What was one experience in your life that hardened you as a person?

你經歷過怎樣的逆境，從而塑造了你的人格？

文/匿名用戶

My father still thinks I am an engineer but am not!

我的父親一直以為我是一名工程師，但實際上，我並不是。

Going anonymous for obvious reasons… and it』s a long story.

我之所以選擇匿名，想必你們也清楚...嗯，這個故事可能有點長。

I am from India, a small town 6 hours from Bangalore. My dad is a farmer, had a small piece of land and did his best to educate us. My brother (he is 4 years younger) and I studied in a government school. My dad and mom wanted us to get good education and we worked really hard. After my 12 (PUC); I was hoping to get into engineering – I got decent marks and secured good rank as well (Engineering Common Entrance Test); after this, I was supposed to travel to Bangalore for Seat Selection (it』s a session conducted by the state government and based on your rank you get to choose colleges). While I could get into a college I wanted, I could not get the stream I wanted (E&C) – I am from general category and my rank didn』t make it.

我出生在印度一個不知名的小鎮，距離班加羅爾（印度南部城市，有亞洲矽谷之稱）6小時車程。我的父親是農民，在家裡種了點地，他盡其所能，供我們讀書。我和弟弟（小我4歲）都在公立學校讀書。父母都希望我們接受良好的教育，當然，我們也都非常刻苦用功。讀完12年級（大學預科課程）之後，我想進入大學學工程。我的分數和排名都很好（工程基本入學考試），然後需要我本人到班加羅爾去進行Seat Selection（政府主辦，根據成績排名來選取大學）。雖然以我的成績，完全可以讀我喜歡的大學，但由於我的排名屬於通用類，所以對於我所熱愛的工程建築專業，可能並不太好進。

This was my first time in Bangalore and I was alone (Friends dad accompanied me). I was a little confused and back then we didn』t have mobile phones or even a telephone (at my home) to call home and discuss (my dad is not educated, can barely read would not have had no clue, I was the most educated; but still); during this confusion, I met a man who claimed to be a parent accompanying one of the students. He spoke to me nicely and was advising me on engineering courses, I was happy I found someone knowledgeable. He also spoke to me about his connections and assured me a seat that I wanted if I was ready to pay a 『little extra』 and advised me to let go of what I had.

這是我第一次來班加羅爾，並且還是一個人，以前都有朋友或父親陪我。我開始有點兒迷茫，那時我們還沒有手機，甚至家裡連座機都沒有，所以也無法打電話回家跟父親商討對策。但其實父親他沒受過教育，連字都不太認得，所以也沒有能力給我提供意見。我是家中屬於教育程度最高的了，直到今天都是如此。正當我焦頭爛額之際，我遇到了一位自稱是過來陪孩子的學生家長。他友好地與我攀談，並給予了我工程課方面一些建議。我喜出望外，慶幸自己碰到了懂行的人。他還提到了他的一些關係人脈，並肯定地向我表示，他可以幫我選到我想要的專業，但前提是需要支付一點費用。他讓我把帶來的材料都交給他，由他來幫我辦理。

And I did. I also gave him all the marks cards (he wanted that to start the process) and as a token, gave him the money I was carry to pay my fees (INR 3000, about USD 500); I was told the 『extra fees』 would be INR 2 Lac (USD 3000) (one time) and was told to get the money as soon as possible. I was so confident about the decision I made - I went back home and convinced my dad to mortgage the small piece of land he had and get money from a local moneylender. I went back to Bangalore with exactly INR 2 lac and extra 700 for expenses. I met this new friend of mine, and handed over the money to him…

我照做了，還按他的要求把成績單都給了他，他說註冊的時候會用到。作為表示，我把我身上的生活費（3000盧比，約合500美元）都給了他。他說，還差20萬盧比（3000美元），並讓我儘快把錢交上。那時的我堅信自己的決定是正確的，於是便回家說服父親，將家裡一小片地割了抵押了出去。從放債人那裡拿到錢之後，我又立即回到了班加羅爾，並將20萬盧比交給了這位新朋友，自己身上只留了700。

By now you would know what I had done. I was na?ve but arrogant – a deadly combination which can ruin your life… The man disappeared… I lost all my money and all my pride. I didn』t know how to face my dad so I decided not to tell him. I called home and told them that I had been admitted to the college and the courses start immediately (my dad is still na?ve and he believed every word I said; he even asked me if I needed more money to buy books).

結果想必你們也都猜到了。那時的我天真幼稚，而且還有些自負，就是這樣的性格，差點毀了我的人生。那個「熱心人」徹底失了蹤。我的錢財和尊嚴，在那一瞬間全部失去。我沒有勇氣去面對我的父親，所以我只能決定瞞著他，不讓他知道真相。我給家裡打電話，謊稱自己已經被大學錄取了，過兩天就會開學。父親淳樸憨厚，他對我所說的每一句話都深信不疑，他甚至還問我是否需要再買書，錢如果不夠用就跟他說。

After this, I tried to find the man who cheated me (went to all the places I met him; even to a police station; no one helped); after 3 days I was out of money – I started working in a mess (it』s a kind of eatery); I thought I will work hard and earn back whatever money I had lost.. I did that for 3 years... In another year I was expected to graduate as an engineer; find a good job and help my brother get into engineering…

我試過去尋找那個騙子，找遍了所有與他見過面的地方，甚至跑去警察局報警，但是根本沒人幫我。三天之後，我徹底身無分文。走投無路之際，只得找了一家小餐館去打工。那時我曾天真地以為：「只要我努力工作，就能把我失去的錢全掙回來，我已經足足幹了三年了，如果不是因為騙子，原本再過一年，我就能順利畢業，成為一名工程師，然後找個好工作，接著便能幫扶我弟弟讀大學了。真是造化弄人。」

My pay when I started off was 30 rupees a day with food and accommodation and end of 3 years was 50 rupees; I worked 7 days a week and with tips and others could save about 600 rupees a month (+ I saved whatever my dad sent every month for me to buy books and as hostel fees). End of three years I had saved about 75000 rupees (USD 1200); which was nowhere close to what I had lost. It』s then when a few of my friends helped me to get a job in an event management company (in 2006) with a starting pay of 4500 rupees per month (USD 75)… I guess that was the turning point... I slogged my ass off for; got promotions and salary hikes regularly (attrition at event management agencies is high so that helped as well).

剛開始打工的時候，我的工資是30盧比一天，包食宿，三年之後漲到了50盧比。我一周工作7天，加上小費每月大概能存600盧比。父親每月都給我寄書籍費和住宿費，我也都一一存著，三年下來，我大約存了有75000盧比（1200美元），這跟我當初失去的金額數仍舊相差甚遠。直到2006年，我的朋友們幫我介紹了一份工作，是在一家策劃管理公司，起始月薪是4500盧比（75美元）。我想那應該是我人生的轉折點。我豁出去卯足了勁兒地干，之後不斷地升職加薪，不過，這行離職率高也是其中一個原因。

Right now, I work as marketing manager for a global MNC (I did complete my Graduation at a night college); got my brother into engineering – he finished and is working now. I paid back the mortgage and got the land back. So life is good… But, my dad still thinks I am an engineer (except for my wife). And I hope it remains that way (he is proud and happy).

如今，作為一名跨國企業的市場經理，我在夜校繼續深造並完成了我的學業，還幫扶我弟讀完了大學，他現在也參加了工作。我還償還了當年父親抵押的貸款，拿回了家裡的土地。是的，生活已經美好了起來。不過，父親至今一直以為我是一名工程師，雖然只有妻子知道真相，但我希望就這麼保持下去挺好的。父親一直以我為榮，並為此感到幸福。

So what did I learn…?

那麼，從那段艱辛的經歷當中，我到底學到了什麼呢？

Bad things happen… Learn as much as you can.

我學到了：人生難免會遇到逆境，既然躲不了，那就只有通過逆境，不斷地去學習，去從中領悟。

Accept whatever comes your way... once you accept, life becomes a lot easier and your mind will automatically start finding ways to make best out of the situation.

生活中出現任何事物，都應坦然地面對它、接受它。只有當你接受它，不逃避，一切才有可能往好的方向發展，才能真正從困擾的問題中獲得解脫。

Love is a powerful motivator, it can make you do some amazing things to keep someone happy.

愛是一種強大的激勵器，它甚至能夠促使你創造「奇蹟」，來令他人獲得幸福。

Don』t ever give up. Life is too short to whine and cry. Humans are survivors and you will find a way out.

永遠不要自暴自棄。生命短暫而又寶貴，來不及去哭泣和抱怨。人的潛能是無限的，只要不放棄，總會找到出路。

Be nice. Sometimes we take people for granted; judge them on work they do or their education. Please don』t.

請您保持善良。有些時候，我們會很想當然，通過職業或學歷標籤來看低別人，我希望您不要這麼做。

Lastly, hard work pays.

最後一句：苦心人，天不負，卧薪嘗膽，三千越甲可吞吳。

2017年2月9日