事业 · 创业者自述
爱德华·博克：爱德华·博克自传·补录 25
爱德华·博克《爱德华·博克自传》· The Americanization of Edward Bok · 领导
It was not easy for the parents to see their boys thus forced to do work which only a short while before had been done by a retinue of servants. And the capstone of humiliation seemed to be when Edward and his brother, after having for several mornings found no kindling wood or coal to build the fire, decided to go out of evenings with a basket and pick up what wood they could find in neighboring lots, and the bits of coal spilled from the coal-bin of the grocery-store, or left on the curbs before houses where coal had been delivered. The mother remonstrated with the boys, although in her heart she knew that the necessity was upon them. But Edward had been started upon his Americanization career, and answered: "This is America, where one can do anything if it is honest. So long as we don't steal the wood or coal, why shouldn't we get it?" And, turning away, the saddened mother said nothing.
出处：
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3538
定位：Additional excerpt 25 · 核对日期：2026-10-19 · 核验：短摘录
白话
父母看到儿子们被迫做不久前还有一群仆人干的活，心里不好受。最让他们难堪的是，爱德华和兄弟连续几个早上找不到引火的木柴或煤，便决定晚上提着篮子去附近空地捡柴，捡杂货店煤箱漏出的碎煤，或捡人家门口路边送煤时洒落的煤渣。母亲嘴上劝阻，心里知道是不得已。爱德华却已踏上美国化之路，回答：这是美国，只要诚实，什么都能干。只要不偷不抢，为什么不能捡？母亲听了，难过地转身不语。
上下文
爱德华·博克是荷兰移民，幼年家道中落，全家靠孩子做工维持生计。这段回忆出自他的自传，讲的是十九世纪美国移民家庭的处境。
今日一问
当家庭陷入困境时，你能否像爱德华那样，放下体面，用诚实劳动解决眼前问题？
公版传记；原文逐字取自 Project Gutenberg，仅摘录段落并附全书链接。
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