那些給我智慧和勇氣的寓言故事17:一絲不苟的州長
A Governor visiting a state prison was implored by a convict to pardon him.
州長在視察一所州管監獄時，有個罪犯哀求州長寬恕他。“What are you in for？”asked the Governor.
“你犯了什麼事？”州長問道。“I held a high office,”the convict humbly replied,“and sold subordinate appointments.”
“我曾經是個高級官員，”犯人低聲下氣地回答，“因爲向下級賣官。”
“Then I decline to interfere,”said the Governor, with asperity,“a man who abuses his office by making it serve a private end and purvey a personal advantage is unfit to be free. By the way, Mr. Warden,”he added to the official beside him, as the convict slunk away,“in appointing you to this position, I was given to understand that your friends could make the Shikane county delegation to the next State convention solid for the present administration. Was I rightly informed？”
“那樣的話，我絕不會管你的事情，”州長嚴厲地說，“爲達到個人目的、牟取私利而濫用職權的人不應該得到自由。順便說一下，監獄長，”當那個罪犯偷偷溜走時，他接着對身旁的那位官員說，“我在任命你擔任這個職務時，得知你的朋友能讓西科恩縣參加下屆州會議的代表團支持本屆政府。我得到的消息準確嗎？”“You were, sir.”
“是的，州長先生。”“Very well, then, I will bid you good-bye. Please be so good as to appoint my nephew Chaplain.''
“那麼，很好，我該向你道別了。請別忘記任命我的侄子爲牧師啊。”
