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安德鲁·卡内基:安德鲁·卡内基自传·补录 437

安德鲁·卡内基《安德鲁·卡内基自传》· Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie · 领导

"You have kindly specified that a sum from that fund be set aside for the future support of myself and wife during our lives, and we are very grateful, but, Mr. Carnegie, the sum is far beyond our needs and will seem to my race a fortune. Some might feel that I was no longer a poor man giving my services without thought of saving money. Would you have any objection to changing that clause, striking out the sum, and substituting 'only suitable provision'? I'll trust the trustees. Mrs. Washington and myself need very little."

出处: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17976
定位:Additional excerpt 437 · 核对日期:2026-10-19 · 核验:短摘录

白话

一位受助者写信给卡内基,感谢他设立基金并为自己和妻子留出生活费,但觉得金额远超需要,怕别人因此不把他当“不求回报的穷人”。他请求把具体数额改成“适当的生活保障”,并说信任受托人,自己和妻子需要很少。核心是:接受帮助时,尊严和公众观感很重要;主动提出降低待遇,既保全名声,也体现对捐赠者的信任。做法上,可以坦诚沟通,把“够用”而非“最多”作为接受帮助的尺度。

上下文

卡内基晚年设立多项慈善基金,常为受助者提供生活保障。这封信是受助者布克·华盛顿式人物对卡内基的回应,体现当时对清誉的看重。

今日一问

如果你接受一份帮助,会不会主动把条件调到“够用就好”,以保住自己的独立感?

公版传记;原文逐字取自 Project Gutenberg,仅摘录段落并附全书链接。

本文本为公版;底本与原文链接见上。 版权

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