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梦想构造生活（2）
Naturally in a life as mentally； physically； emotionally and financially fortunate as mine has been； a great many people have helped me。 A few meant to； most did so by accident。 I still feel I must reciprocate。 This doesn’t mean that I’ve dedicated my life to my fellow man。 I’m not the type。 But I do feel I should help those I’m qualified to help； just as I’ve been helped by others。
What I’m saying now is； I feel； part of that pattern。 I think everyone should； for his own sake； try to reduce to six hundred words the beliefs by which he lives—it’s not easy—and then pare those beliefs with what he enjoys—not in real estate or money or goods； but in love； health； happiness and laughter。
I don’t believe we live our lives and then receive our reward or punishment in some afterlife。 The life and the reward。。。the life and the punishment—these to me are one。 This is my religion； coupled with the firm belief that there is a Supreme Being who planned this world and runs it so that “no man is an island； entire of himself。。。” The dishonesty of any one man subverts all honesty。 The lack of ethics anywhere adulterates the whole world’s ethical content。 In these—honesty and ethics—are； I think； the true spiritual values。
I believe the hope for a thoroughly honest and ethical society should never be laughed at。 The most idealistic dreams have repeatedly forecast the future。 Most of the things we think of today as hard； practical and even indispensable were once merely dreams。
So I like to hope that the world need not be a dog…eat…dog jungle。 I don’t think I’m my brother’s keeper。 But I do think I’m obliged to be his helper。 And that he has the same obligation to me。
In the last analysis； the entire pattern of my life and belief can be found in the words “Do not do unto others that which you would not have others do unto you。” To say “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you” somehow implies bargaining； an offer of favor for favor。 But to restrain from acts which you； yourself； would abhor is an exercise in will power that must raise the level of human relationship。
“What is unpleasant to thyself；” says Hillel； “That do not onto thy neighbor。 This is the whole law。” And he concluded； “All else is exposition。”
通往广场的路不止一条（1）
埃尔莎？斯基帕雷利
我们站在一个教堂塔楼的顶上。我不明白，父亲为何要带我从罗马的家来到附近的这个意大利式的小镇上。
父亲说：“埃尔莎，看下面。”于是我鼓足勇气向下望去。我看到村子中央有一个广场，上面有一条条蜿蜒交错的道路。
“明白了吧，亲爱的。”父亲温和地说道，“通向广场的路不止一条。人生也是如此。如果一条道路无法到达你想去的地方，那就试试其他的路。”
此刻，我终于了解父亲为何带我去那里了。由于学校提供的午饭实在难以下咽，那天早晨我恳求母亲为此想想办法。但母亲拒绝了，因为她觉得学校的午饭不可能像我说的那样糟糕。
我转而求父亲帮忙，他不愿干涉此事，而是把我带到这座高塔上，为我上了一课——坦率、勇于探索的大脑的价值所在。当我们回到家时，我便有了主意。
次日上学时，我悄悄地把自己的午餐汤倒进瓶子里，拿回了家。然后，我请求厨师在晚饭时间端给母亲。计划完美地进行着。母亲才喝了一口汤，就喷了出来，说道：“厨师一定是疯了！”我立即告诉她这是我的主意，于是母亲坚定地说她明天就去学校投诉午餐问题！
之后的这些年来，我常常会想起父亲给我上的那堂课。我明白在生活中自己要走哪条路。我想成为一名时装设计师。而在走向第一个微小的成功时，我就遇到了挫折。我该怎么办？是接受阻碍，承认失败，还是用自己的想象力和才智去找寻通向目标的其他道路？
于是，我带着设计草图来到了巴黎——世界时装之都。然而，似乎所有的著名设计师都对我的草图都毫无兴趣。在后来的一天，我看到一位朋友穿着一件漂亮的毛线衫。它颜色朴素，但针法却十分可爱且不寻常。
“这毛线衫是你织的吗？”我问她。
“不是。”她回答说，“这是住在巴黎的一位妇女织的。”
“多么有趣的针法啊！”我接着说。
朋友解释道：“那位名叫维迪安的太太说，这是她在故乡亚美尼亚所学到的针法。”
我顿时想象着将一幅大胆的图案织在这样的毛线衫上，脑海中紧接着出现了一个更大胆的想法。为何不开一家自己的时装店呢？为何不设计、制作并出售斯基帕雷利时装店的衣服呢？就这么做，从毛线衫开始！
我画了一个大胆的黑白相间的蝴蝶草图，拿给了维迪安太太。她把这个图案织到了毛线衫上。至于成品，我觉得实在太棒了。接下来就是对它的考验了。我穿着这件毛线衫参加了一个时尚界人士都会去的宴会。令我欣喜若狂的是，毛线衫颇受关注。实际上，纽约一家大商店的代理商希望在两周内拿到40件这样的毛线衫。我接受了这个订单，满心愉悦地走出了餐厅。
然而，就在我站在维迪安太太的面前时，这种欣喜很快就烟消云散了。“我织这一件就用了几乎一周的时间，”她说，“两周织40件？根本不可能！”
我顿时受到了打击——离成功不过一步之遥，前方却道路不通。我伤心地走出了维迪安太太的家，但很快又停下了脚步。一定会有其他办法。这种针法是很特殊，不过巴黎一定还会有其他的亚美尼亚妇女会织。
我回到维迪安太太的家，向她说明了我的想法。虽然她觉得实在不太可能，但还是同意帮我的忙。
我和维迪安太太开始了侦探般的行动，追踪着每一位住在巴黎的亚美尼亚人。由一位朋友带我们去认识另一位朋友，就这样，我们最终找到了20位亚美尼亚妇女，她们都会织这种特殊的针法。两周后，毛线衫顺利完工。于是，从新开张的斯基帕雷利时装店发出的第一批货物，运向了美国。
从那天起，斯基帕雷利时装店源源不断地售出了一批批的服装和香水。我发现时尚界不仅令人兴奋而愉悦，也充满了挑战与冒险。那个艰难的时装发布会令我永生难忘，而父亲的忠告又一次给予了我帮助。当时，我正为准备冬季时装展忙碌着。然而，离时装展只剩13天时，缝纫女工都被工会叫去参加罢工了。剩下的只有一位裁缝、一位缝纫车间女负责人以及我自己。同我的模特和店员一样，我沮丧不已。“我们肯定无法完成了。”一个店员说道。txt电子书分享平台
通往广场的路不止一条（2）
我想，对父亲的忠告而言，这正是最严峻的考验。这次还有什么别的办法呢？我满是困惑，焦虑不已。解决的办法只有两个：要么撤销展出，要么展出未完工的服装。顿时，我灵光一现，知道该怎么做了。为何不将那些未完工的服装展出呢？
我们如火如荼地忙碌着。正好赶在13天后，斯基帕雷利时装发布会准时开幕。
这是怎样的一场时装秀啊！有的衣服没有袖子，有的只有一只袖子。多数衣服才刚刚开始缝纫，还只是用厚棉布做成的衣样。但我们将服装的草图与布料别在了这些衣样上面。这样就能够向人们展示出衣服完成后的颜色与质地。
总之，这场时装秀不同凡响。它的与众不同恰恰带来了极大的成功。我们不同寻常的时装秀引起了公众的关注，服装订单也蜂拥而来。
父亲的智言又一次带我走出了困境。通往广场的路永远不止一条。
■ 心灵小语
通往广场的路不止一条。人生也是如此。如果一条道路无法到达你想去的地方，那就试试其他的路。
More Than One Way to the Square
Elsa Schiaparelli
We were standing at the top of a church tower。 My father had brought me to this spot in a small Italian town not far from our home in Rome。 I wondered why。
“Look down； Elsa。” Father said。 I gathered all my courage and looked down。 I saw the square in the center of the village。 And I saw the crisscross of twisting； turning streets leading to the square。
“See； my dear；” Father said gently。 “There is more than one way to the square。 Life is like that。 If you can’t get to the place where you want to go by one road； try another。”
Now I understood why I was there。 Earlier that day I had begged my mother to do something about the awful lunches that were served at school。 But she refused because she could not believe the lunches were as bad as I said。
When I turned to Father for help； he would not interfere。 Instead； he brought me to this high tower to give me a lesson—the value of an open； searching mind。 By the time we reached home； I had a plan。
At school the next day； I secretly poured my luncheon soup into a bottle and brought it home。 Then I talked the cook into serving it to Mother at dinner。 The plan worked perfectly。 She swallowed one spoonful and sputtered。 “The cook must have gone mad！” Quickly I told what I had done； and Mother stated firmly that she would take up the matter of lunches at school the next day！
In the years that followed I often remembered the lesson Father taught me。 I knew where I wanted to go in life。 I wanted to be a fashion designer。 And on the way to my first small success I found the road blocked。 What could I do？ Accept the roadblock and fail。 Or use imagination and wits to find another road to my goal。
I had e to Paris； the center of the world of fashion； with my sketches。 But none of the famous fashion designers seemed interested in buying them。 Then one day I me