讀點好英文:A Church BuiIt with 57 Cents57美分建成的教堂

所屬教程:英語漫讀

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2022年03月06日

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A Church BuiIt with 57 Cents57美分建成的教堂

·Anonymous·

A sobbing little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it was too crowded.“I can't go to Sunday School.”She sobbed to the pastor as he walked by. Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and, taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday School class.The child was so touched that she went to bed that night thinking of the children who have no place to worship Jesus.

Some two years later, this child lay dead in one of the poor tenement buildings and the parents called for the kindhearted pastor, who had befriended their daughter, to handle the final arrangements. As her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpIed purse was found which seemed to have been rummaged from some trash dump.Inside was found 57 cents and a note scribbled in childish handwriting which read，“This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday school.”

For two years she had saved for this offering of love. When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantIy what he would do.

Carrying this note and the cracked, red pocketbook to the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion. He challenged his deacons to get busy and raise enough money for the larger building.

But the story does not end there！

A newspaper learned of the story and pubIished it. It was read by a Realtor who offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands.When told that the church could not pay so much, he offered it for a 57-cent payment.

Church members made large subscriptions. Checks came from far and wide.Within five years the little girl's gift had increased to$250，000，a huge sum at that time（near the turn of the century）.Her unselfish love had paid large dividends.

When you are in the city of Philadelphia, look up Temple Baptist Church, with a seating capacity of 3，300，and Temple University, where hundreds of students are trained. Have a look, too, at the Good Samaritan Hospital and at a Sunday School building which houses hundreds of Sunday scholars, so that no child in the area will ever need to be left outside at Sunday school time.

In one of the rooms of this building may be seen the picture of the sweet face of the little girl whose 57 cents, so sacrificially saved, made such remarkabIe history. Alongside of it is a portrait of her kind pastor, Dr.Russell H.Conwell, author of the book Acres of Diamonds, a true story.

逸名

小女孩站在一座小教堂旁邊哭泣，因為“太擁擠”，教堂不讓她進?！拔胰ゲ怀芍魅諏W校了。”她抽搭著，對走過的牧師說道?？粗h褸的衣著、蓬亂的頭發(fā)，牧師猜到了原因，便牽起她的手將她帶進教堂，并在主日學校里給她找到了座位。小女孩非常感動，那夜入睡的時候她還在想著那些沒有地方做禮拜的孩子。

大概兩年后，小女孩在一個破舊的棚戶區(qū)死去了。她的父母請來了好心的牧師——他已經和小女孩成了朋友，請他為小女孩主持葬禮。當她小小的身體被搬起的時候，一個破舊且皺巴巴的錢包掉了出來，那看上去像是從垃圾堆里撿來的。里面有57美分，還有一張字條，上面用童稚的字體歪歪扭扭地寫著：“這是擴建小教堂的錢，好讓更多的孩子能去主日學校。”

她為了這份愛的禮物攢了兩年。當牧師眼含淚水地讀著這張字條的時候，他忽然醒悟，知道自己該做什么了。

他帶著這張字條和那個破舊的紅色錢包去講壇，向大家講述了這個小女孩的故事以及她的無私和虔誠。他強烈要求教堂執(zhí)事發(fā)起募捐來擴建教堂。

不過，故事到這里并沒有完。

一家報紙報道了這個故事。一個房地產商讀了之后，提供了一塊價值好幾千塊的土地。當得知教堂付不起這筆錢時，他開出了57美分的價格。

教堂成員捐出了很多錢。支票從很遠的地方源源不斷地寄來。五年間，小女孩的禮物已經增加到了25萬美元，這在當時（19世紀末）可是一大筆錢。她無私的愛產生了高額的利息。

今天當你身處費城，你真該去看看那個高大的可容納3300人的天普浸會教堂，以及能夠容納幾百個學生的天普大學。再看看那家撒馬利亞醫(yī)院和容納幾百位主日學者的主日學校。再也不會有孩子被阻隔在主日學校門外了。

在這個主日學校的一個房間里，你或許會看見那個有著甜美笑容的小女孩的照片，她那57美分的奉獻已經創(chuàng)造了一段不平凡的歷史。在她照片的旁邊是那個善良的牧師的照片。他就是著名的羅素·H.康威爾博士，《鉆石寶地》的作者。這本書講述了一個真實的故事。

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核心單詞

pastor['pa：st?]n.（基督教的）牧師

touch[t?t?]v.接觸，碰到；感動

tenement['ten?m?nt]n.廉價公寓