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There are times when you just can' t believe what a stranger tells you．Sometimes you' re wrong．But sometimes－－you may be right．
傍晚时分有时你简直不能相信陌生人的话。有时你错了，但有时--你又可能是对的。
Dusk
Norman Gortsby sat on a bench in the park of a busy city．It was 6:30 on an early March evening．The sun had set，the street lights were on，but it was not yet dark．In the half－light of dusk，many lonely people were walking alone in the park，or sitting on benches in the shadows．
This scene1) fitted Gortsby's mood．Dusk，he thought，was the hour of the defeated．Men and women who had dreamed or fought for something－－and lost．They came out at dusk，when their sad eyes and shabby2) clothes would not be so noticeable．
Norman Gortsby was in the mood to put himself among the defeated．He did not have money problems．He had not failed at his work．
But he had been hurt and betrayed by someone he had trusted．Right now，he felt defeated．And he enjoyed sitting on a bench watching others like him，who had been disappointed by life．
Next to him on the bench sat an old man．His clothes were not shabby，but he looked as if he had no friends or anyone to care about him．He was the kind of person no one would ever notice or pay attention to．As he got up to leave，Gortsby imagined him going back to a lonely room somewhere．
His place on the bench was taken by a young man．He was well－dressed，but he seemed upset．He muttered3) to himself．
“You don' t seem in a very good mood，”said Gortsby．
The young man said，“You wouldn't be in a good mood if you were in the mess4) I'm in．I've done the stupidest thing I've ever done in my life．”
“What was that？”asked Gortsby．
“I came to the city this afternoon，”the young man said．“I was planning to stay at the Berkshire Hotel．But when I got there，I found that it had been torn down5)．They've put a movie theater there．The taxi drive r told me about another hotel somewhere else，so I went there．”
Gortsby nodded，just to be polite．
“After I checked into the hotel，I decided to go out and buy some soap．I'd forgotten to pack any．And I hate using those little bars6) of hotel soap．So I went out and walked around for a while．I bought some soap，and I had something to eat．When I turned to go back to the hotel，I realized that I couldn't remember its name．I couldn't even remember what street it is on．”
“That' s the mess I got myself into．I don' t have any friends here．I spent the money I took with me from the hotel．I used it to buy the soap and a snack．Here I am，with a few pennies in my pocket，and no place to stay tonight．”
The young man paused for a moment．Then he said，“I suppose you think that's an unbelievable story．”
“No，not at all，”said Gortsby．“The same thing happened to me in a foreign country．I was with someone，and neither of us could remember where we were staying．But we did recall the hotel was on a canal7)．And when we found the canal，we were able to find the hotel．”
The young man said，“I wouldn't mind so much in a foreign country．At least you have officials from your own country to help you with problems．But what can I do here，in my own country？If I don't find someone who believes my story and gives me some money，I'll have to spend the night in the park．But I'm glad you don't think the story is unbelievable．”
Gortsby said，“The only weak part of your story is that you don' t have the bar of soap with you．”
The young man jumped and felt quickly in his pockets．“I must have lost it，”he said angrily．
Gortsby said，“To lose both a hotel and a bar of soap in one afternoon is strange．In fact－－”
But the young man did not wait for Gortsby to finish．He walked quickly away into the shadows．
Gortsby thought，“Too bad．Going out to get a bar of soap almost made his story sound true．But he forgot to have the soap with him．
Otherwise，he would have gotten money from more than one person．He should have taken a little extra trouble．”
Gortsby stood up，ready to leave the park．Then he saw a small package next to the bench．It was a bar of soap．It must have fallen out of the young man's pocket when he sat down．
Gortsby hurried after the young man．When he caught up with him，Gortsby said，“The proof8) that you were telling the truth has turned up．”He held out the bar of soap．“It must have fallen from your pocket when you sat down．Excuse me for not believing you．But without the soap，I didn't think you were telling the truth．But now I'm convinced．Please let me lend you some money．”
Silently，the young man took the money Gortsby offered him．“Here is a card with my address on it，”Gortsby continued．“You may pay me back any day this week．And here is the soap．Don't lose it again．It' s been a good friend to you．”
“Lucky thing you found it，”said the young man．“Thanks．”He shook Gortsby's hand and hurried off．
“Poor boy，”said Gortsby．“He looked ready to cry from relief．This must be a lesson for me．I shouldn't judge people too quickly．”
Gortsby walked back the way he had come．When he came to the bench he had been sitting on，he stopped．An old man was looking around and under the bench．Gortsby recognized him．He was the man who had been sitting there before the young man came．
“Have you lost something，sir？”Gortsby asked．
“Yes，sir，a bar of soap．”
□by Saki
