孝順的兒子A GOOD SON

An old Italian lived alone in New Jersey. He wanted to plant his annual tomato garden, but it was very difficult work, as the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:
有個住在新澤西州義大利後裔的老先生, 想要像往年一樣種蕃茄. 但是地很硬, 挖起來很困難.往年都幫他的兒子如今又入獄了. 老先生寫了封信給兒子敘述他的難處 :

Dear Vincent:
I am feeling pretty sad, because it looks like I won't be able to plant! m! y tomato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over? I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me, like in the old days.
Love, Papa
親愛的兒子 : 我很哀傷, 因為今年沒法種蕃茄了. 我已經太老 , 挖不動菜圃了. 如果你還在家 , 一定會像從前一般地幫我挖.

A few days later he received a letter from his son.
Dear Pop:
Don't dig up that garden. That's where the bodies are buried.
Love,
Vinnie
過了幾天, 他兒子回了封信: 老爸 , 千萬別挖. 屍體就埋在菜園裡.

At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left. That same day the old man received another letter from his son.
第二天清晨四點, FBI 和地方警察全體出動, 把菜園挖翻了一遍都沒找到屍體. 他們向老先生道歉後而離去. 當天老先生又收到一封兒子的來信 :

Dear Pop:
Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That's the best I could do under the circumstances.
Love you, Vinnie
老爸, 現在你可以種蕃茄了吧! 在當下這個狀況, 這是我能給您最大限度的幫助.
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真是一則笑話，卻也讓我們想到，不要一直說自己沒有能力、沒有時間、沒有辦法孝順父母、幫助他人或執行某件工作。

有心之人能想到辦法，沒心之人只會找到到藉口，就像笑話中的兒子，人已被關在監獄中，卻還是能想到利用信件耍了警方，讓警方幫他挖地鬆土。

然而孝順是要靠自己去執行的，若是依靠耍心機讓旁人為自己盡孝道這是不對的行為，笑話只是讓人省悟「有心之人能想到辦法，沒心之人找到藉口」。