The repairman told me, “No charge,
Professor Pan! We’re friends.” “I’d rather pay,” I replied. “If it’s free, I
can’t afford it!”
Chinese often refuse payment for
professional services, insisting, “We’re friends now!” But then they show up
later to ask me to tutor them in English, or get them into an American
university, and I wish I’d have just paid the 30 yuan I owed them in the first
place!
According to the Americans “There’s no free
lunch.” meaning, there’s a price for everything, and I’m always looking around
to figure out what this means.
Many of our neighbors have given us fruit
or flowers or costly teas, never asking anything in return. For years, a bicycle
repairman has repeatedly refused to let me pay him. “Wait until you have
something major to fix!” he insists.
I mentioned to a peasant friend that I
wished I had a stone mill to grind (磨) flour for bread. A month later he showed up with a beautiful mill
that he’d had his uncle in the countryside carve from a solid block of granting
(花岗石).
Chinese generosity is a real education for
Americans like me, who would rather avoid social entanglements (纠纷) and just hand over the
money. But cash can’t compensate (补偿) for the greatest gift—friendship.
When an American saw some of my friends
sitting on bamboo stools under the trees, sipping tea, he said, “They must have
nothing better to do.” “Actually,” I said, “they are professors, with plenty of
to do. But probably you’re right in saying that, at this moment, they have
nothing better to do. And neither do I”
And I joined the group. We chatted about
tea and Chinese cooking and how much my boys have grown since we arrived. One
man said, “They were pocket-sized when you came here. Now they’re taller than
you. How time flies!”
How time flies. And Chinese are smart
enough to share what they know, which they cannot keep. They freely give off
their time, never too busy to help a friend. And they are teaching me, slowly, to
both give and receive.
So the next time someone says, “No charge.
We’re friends!” I will thank them heartily. But if they show up later asking me
to tutor them in English, I’ll make sure they tutor my son in Chinese as well,
because there’s still no free lunch.
69.Why did the author insist paying the
repairman when he was offered free repairs?
A. Because he was an upright (正直的) man.
B. Because he didn’t know the repairman.
C. Because he thought it natural to pay for
others’ service.
D. Because he didn’t want to help others in
return.
70. Generally, the author thinks that _____
.
A. Chinese are generous and always ready to
help their friends
B. Chinese are good at exchange of equal
values
C. Chinese are free enough to drink tea and
chat with their friends
D. Chinese are helpful but don’t treasure
time
71. The best title of the article should be
_____ .
A. Still no free lunch
B. A good lesson from the Chinese
C. True help or not
D. Learn to both give and
receive
72. Which of the following is TRUE?
A. Chinese seldom refuse payment for
professional services.
B. When a peasant knew the author needed a
mill, he made one for the author himself
C. The author thinks that Chinese are wise
enough to enjoy their life.
D. Finally, the author changed his mind and
decided to do as the Chinese do.
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