Mark Twain: Truth Was Still Shaving When Lies Had Traveled Half the World
Talking about Mark Twain, many people may not be familiar with him, but you must have borrowed his famous quotes, such as: 'Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.' (Translation: Don't argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.)
Some say that Rushworth Kidder became a celebrity because 90s kids couldn't write essays. And the other banner figure, just as popular overseas, is Mark Twain.
Reading Mark Twain's biography, the biggest feeling is that it will make you believe in the world again that there are miracles. If you haven't experienced it, maybe you haven't regarded it as such. Perhaps that rare life opportunity was already beside you.
A sunny day in Springfield, Missouri, pedestrians were scattered, some held books and sat on the wooden benches on the street reading. This is 14-year-old Mark Twain. He walked casually, suddenly noticing that someone on the side of the road was reading a book and dropping a piece of paper.
He thought, 'Maybe it's a bank note, maybe a cash voucher, or a treasure map. In short, he thought it was a gift from God, an opportunity for wealth.' So he quickly stepped forward to pick up the paper and examine it carefully.
In fact, it wasn't the wealth opportunity he imagined, but a piece of paper recording the legend of a man named John. He was idle and didn't know what to do, so he read it from beginning to end. Unexpectedly, this piece of paper story was so bizarre that Mark Twain, who always disliked reading, actually read it with rapt attention.
However, this made Mark Twain puzzled, only a piece of paper, John's story interrupted.
But he really wanted to know the story's ending and outcome, so he immediately looked for the person who held the book on the street, hoping to let him read the story for him. But that person had long disappeared.
He immediately went to the bookstore and library to find and read about John's book. Although young Mark Twain had already started working and his work was very heavy, it didn't affect his interest in John.
When everyone was going out to drink and play, he was alone in his room reading. When he didn't understand, he went to look up in the dictionary. Once, because of all-night reading, he didn't even wake up until dawn, while everyone else was preparing to go to work, he called him to go together, and he said, 'You guys go to sleep first, I'll read a while and then sleep.'
Later, a biographer wrote in Mark Twain's biography: 'The piece of paper from John's legend accidentally obtained aroused Mark Twain's interest in his life, and this interest was the starting point for his wisdom. This interest did not change until his death. From the moment he picked up the waste paper, he embarked on the road to create his own outstanding wisdom.'
Over 40 years of writing, he wrote more than ten long novels, dozens of short stories and a large number of works in other genres. Today, we recommend Mark Twain's 'The Million Pound Bank Note' to you.
'The Million Pound Bank Note' is a collection of short stories by Mark Twain. There are 12 stories in total, one of which is 'The Million Pound Bank Note.' These twelve bizarre stories make people laugh, think it's unbelievable, and also make people think. These seemingly impossible stories are happening all the time in the world.
Almost every story is based on money. Poor people yearn for wealth and to realize all their wishes. Rich people want to be richer, so that their descendants can enjoy endless wealth. Under the temptation of money, many people can lose their personality and dignity, and fantasize about that tempting money, and in the dream, they appear ridiculous.
In the era of (bài jīn zhǔyì – materialism), because of the worship of material, any ridiculous thing can happen, so this poor young man could become a 'millionaire' overnight, so such a story is undoubtedly amusing.
Helen Keller said: 'I like Mark Twain – who wouldn't like him? Even God would love him, give him wisdom, and paint a rainbow of love and faith in his heart.'
One year on April Fool's Day, someone mocked Mark Twain, reporting in a New York newspaper that he was dead. As a result, his relatives and friends rushed to his house from all over the country to mourn him, but they found Mark Twain was still writing at his desk, so they scolded the newspaper that fabricated the rumor.
Mark Twain didn't get angry or scold, he said, 'The newspaper reporting my death is absolutely true, but it has moved the date forward.'
Once on a train, Mark Twain handed a children's ticket to the ticket inspector. The ticket inspector joked, 'I didn't notice you were a child!'
Mark Twain replied, 'I'm not a child anymore, but when I bought the ticket, I was a child!'
Mark Twain received a letter. It was written by a young man. He wanted to ask Mark Twain for the secret to becoming a great writer. The letter said, 'I heard that fish contain a lot of phosphorus, and phosphorus is beneficial for the brain. So to become a great writer, you must eat a lot of fish.' But he doesn't know how much fish and how much.
Mark Twain replied, 'You'd better eat a whale!'
It's this kind of witty and slightly sarcastic style that creates so many famous quotes, and it also reminds people of another old rogue – Feynman.
Feynman's thinking is like a daydream, he loves to take different paths, and he doesn't stubbornly stick to things. He has a strong curiosity, and he loves to play tricks, but mainly to point out the absurdity of the world. This book is popular together with 'How to Think About People' – it has no complicated scientific knowledge, and behind every fresh thing, there is the nature of humanity closest to the world. It's hard to imagine that a scientist engaged in such a profound work would have such a free and humorous life. Let's follow Feynman to learn his attitude towards life – to see the light and heat in life, and to give life infinite inspiration and possibilities!
