時差N小時:介入或旁觀該如何拿捏?

Several years ago, I was standing at a bus stop whensuddenly a couple emerged from a nearby alley,arguing loudly. More or less in unison, we at the busstop all turned and looked them.

幾年前，我站在公交車站，突然有一對情侶從附近的巷子冒出來大聲爭吵。在公交車站的人全都不約而同地轉頭看他們。

Then the man grabbed the woman by the shouldersand, yelling, began to shake her till she was about tofall to the ground.

之后男子抓住女子的肩膀大聲咆哮，并開始搖晃她，直到她幾乎要跌倒在地。

I walked quickly to the couple and called out, "Please, sir, please stop doing that. You're hurtingher."

我迅速走向那對情侶，并大聲說：“先生，請你住手。你傷到她了。”

The man did stop. His mouth agape, he stared me down and let go of the woman. Two thingsthen occurred. The group of strangers at the bus stop turned and looked away as if nothing hadhappened. And, a moment later, the man and woman sauntered arm in arm back into the alley.

那男子停手了。他目瞪口呆，用目光盯著我使我不敢與他對視，然后他放開了那個女人。之后發(fā)生了兩件事情。公交站旁的人群轉過臉去，看向別處，仿佛什么事情也沒發(fā)生一樣。過了一會兒，男子和女子手挽著手悠閑地走回了那條巷子。

It is not easy to discern when to hold back and when to get involved in a potentially stickysituation. When should we say "Enough is enough," and stick our noses into something that isnot ours? I can understand a person being afraid to get involved in someone else's problembecause they fear first, physical danger, secondly, financial damage, and thirdly, generalinconvenience.

面對一個可能很棘手的情況，要辨別何時該忍，何時又該介入并不容易。我們該何時說出“夠了”，然后介入到與自己無關的事情中去?我理解人們之所以害怕介入別人的事原因有三：第一，害怕身體上的危險;第二，擔心財物損失;第三，怕惹麻煩。

I still feel I did the right thing that day. Would I do it again today? I hope so.

我仍然覺得那天自己做了該做的事。要是在今天我還會這樣做嗎?我想是的。