自由飄泊

他 （容閎）遇到了人生的十字路口：按照孟松學校的慣例，有一定的名額資助貧苦學生進入大學，但接受資助的學生須填寫志願書，承諾畢業後擔任傳教士。容閎知 道沒有希望－－「我雖然窮，卻不能沒有自由」，他在他的自傳《西學東漸記》中回憶，「傳道固然好，卻不是造福中國的獨一無二的事業。……志願書一經簽字， 我就到束縛，很可坐失為國家謀福利的機會。」他認定：「人類應盡的天職，不能因為貧窮而改變宗旨。」

摘自〈大清留美幼童記〉

如是我明白為何我不想接受陌生的好意。也許我會這樣演繹容閎的話：「作傳道人固然好，卻不是造福中國的獨一無二的事業。……傳福音一但被規限於某種形式，道就受到束縛，我們亦很可坐失為信仰帶來更新的機會。」

天郎氣清的週末，跟白海豚打過招呼後我站在排屋跟前，以為自己是那隻將要啟航的小艇。既然已認定誰是生命的舵手，我便不該害怕踏上那一段沒多少人會明白的旅程。



The Road Not Taken
by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.