导读:当今社会，不少人都感叹中国人“物质上去了，精神下来了”，生活中处处是骗局，难怪有人感叹中国再无好人，但是本文作者却以自己的亲身经历讲述了人间的善意。
Last week, I took a train from Beijing to Yanji, Northeast China’s Jilin Province, on a business trip. On the train, I put my suitcase under my seat, and the woman sitting next to me wondered out loud, "Is this really okay?"
上周我乘火车从北京出差到吉林延吉。在火车上，我把行李箱放在了我的座位下面，坐我旁边的女子大声问我：“这样真的好么？”
From experience of dealing with people on the train, I thought she meant I might make it inconvenient for her, so I replied in a rather gloomy manner, "It’s fine, and it’s in my leg space, not yours."
从我以往和火车上的人打交道的经验来看，我认为她的意思是我可能会让她不方便，所以我不太友好地回答说：“很好，反正是我放腿的地方，又不是你的！”
After sitting for about half an hour with my legs crouched because of the suitcase, the woman spoke to me again, this time offering to put the suitcase on the baggage rack for me. Then it suddenly dawned on me that she wasn’t complaining, and she was genuinely worried about me and trying to help. I felt a bit ashamed for thinking she had her own agenda.
由于放着行李箱，我的腿不得不蜷曲着。坐了大约半个小时之后，旁边的女子又和我说话，这次她提议帮我把行李箱放上行李架。此时我突然意识到她不是在抱怨，她真的是在担心我，想要给我一些帮助。我因为自己以小人之心度君子之腹感到有点羞愧。
I have been told over and over again that this is a common trait of China’s Northeasterners. Though this was my first trip to that region, I have a few friends from Harbin, and when we get together for dinner, they are usually quite generous, fight over the bill and know how to keep the atmosphere light. I’ve always assumed it’s a personality trait, but now it seems to be more than that; it’s a common trait of people raised in the Northeastern region of China.
我曾不止一次听人说，这是东北人一个共同特点。尽管这是我第一次去东北，我却有几个来自哈尔滨的朋友，当我们一起出去吃饭的时候，他们总是非常大方，总是抢着买单、还懂得怎么把气氛搞活。我一直认为这只是一种个人品格，但是现在这似乎不仅仅只是个人，而是整个东北地区的人们都有一种这样的品德。
I spent about a week in Yanji. I found the people there have this uncontrollable zest to help others. It’s not with everybody, but most of the people I met along the way attempted to help me, and it’s sizably much more than I would encounter in other cities.
我在延吉待了大约一周。我发现那里的人们都有一种压抑不住的热情想要去帮助别人。虽然不是所有人，但是我一路上遇到的大多数人都试图帮助我，比我在其他城市遇到的多得多。
For example, when I went shopping, I was instantly surrounded by four staff members at a supermarket, asking me whether I need assistance, when I only glanced their way. When I ate at a restaurant and asked to wrap up my leftovers to go, they not only did a perfect job, but also wrapped mint candies to go and included a hand-written note that said, "Thank you and have a nice day."
比如当我去一家超市买东西的时候，我立即就被四名工作人员包围了起来，问我是否需要帮助，而我只不过是往他们那个方向看了一眼。当我在一家饭店吃完饭要求打包剩菜的时候，他们不仅打包得很好，还给我送了薄荷糖和一张手写纸条，写着：“谢谢用餐，祝您愉快！”
If you think these are only examples in service and don’t mean anything, I can say strangers I meet on the streets have been just as helpful. Besides the lady on the train, when I asked for directions, one woman walked 10 minutes with me to arrive at the destination.
如果你认为这只是服务业个例、没有什么说服力的话，我可以说大街上的陌生人也一样热心助人。除了火车上那个乐心助人的女子以外，当我问路时，一个大姐陪我走了10分钟到达目的地。
I was raised to be in the habit of defending myself from others taking advantage of me. I don’t think this is something to be shameful about, because I see scams happening all the time around me and I think one needs to be alert.
我从小就养成了避免让别人占便宜的习惯。我认为这并不可耻，因为我时常看到身边的人受骗，因此我认为人们都应该提高警惕。
Just last week, I ran into an old lady on the street around the corner from my house and she said she was in desperate need of food and asked me for money. When I offered to call the police to help her, she became furious and called me dirty names. I knew instantly she was trying to scam me. So much for my good-heartedness, it was all in vain.
就在上周，我在我家附近街角遇到了一个老太太，她说她饿极了，想找我要些钱。当我说要报警帮她的时候，老太太就火了，把我一顿痛骂。我立刻明白她是想要骗我！可惜了我一番好心，全做了无用功。
When such incidents happen, I yearn for what I encountered in the Northeast.
当这些事情发生的时候，我就会变得无比向往我在东北遇到的人和事。
