生命之光廣播電台前任節目部經理 Dale Ralph Ward，1996年與電台總裁Charles Caudill，和我一起去中國旅遊一個多禮拜。我們在上海和北京待了兩三天，玩的很愉快，但是他們最喜歡的城市不是北京、上海，乃是西安。
一說“西安”二字，美國人就會想到全世界有名的兵馬俑和秦始皇。如果美國人有中國之旅的機會，兵馬俑是不可不參觀的文化遺產。我們的小團隊也不例外；兵馬俑是非去不可之地。
我們走來走去，看着兩千兩百年以前的文物。我們每一個人都想着當時的人怎麼能夠製造、雕刻這些兵馬？當時是什麼樣的社會？秦始皇是什麼樣的皇帝？什麼樣的人？
回到美國以後，有人問Charles和Dale，你們去中國旅行，最深刻的印象是哪裡，哪個城市，哪個地方？他們都說“西安和兵馬俑”。
除了兵馬俑以外，我們還記得一個人，是我們出租車的司機。我們離開西安的那天早上，飯店給我們安排一輛出租車，但是司機一看到Dale，就很不高興，不要我們乘坐他的車。
為什麼？您想問我。因為Dale很大！那時候，Dale重量很可能有150公斤，加上Charles和我，還有我們的行李。司機認為他的出租車不能承擔這種重量。差一點，他不讓我們上車。上車以後，他嘴裡一直嘰里咕嚕，讓我們知道他不高興。
從西安市中心到飛機場有一段距離。因為Dale那樣大，我們讓他坐前面。因為他坐前面，很方便跟司機講話。因為Dale不會說漢語，我就為他當翻譯。Dale很客氣地跟司機說了幾句關懷他的話，問他工作好不好做，每天開車開幾個鐘頭，家庭有幾口人，開出租車這個行業夠不夠維持他家的生活，這樣的問題。
Dale還向司機道歉，說，“很對不起，我實在太胖，希望對您的車不會有任何損壞”，和類似的客氣話。結果，司機聽的很舒服、很高興。慢慢地，司機就開始對Dale有好感。
慢慢地，司機不高興的臉變為笑臉，他頭上的烏雲變為陽光。司機發現這位美國人很和善，就抓住好機會與他交往，所以他也向Dale問了一些問題。慢慢地，兩個人很談得來。
到了西安機場以後，司機不但跟Dale握了手道別，也親自把Dale的行李送進機場。二人分離的時候他們已經建立了良好的人際關係！
這是我對西安最好的回憶之一。從中我學習了，一個人的好態度能夠改變對方的誤會。
Dale是一名基督徒。當天Dale所表現的就是基督徒的人生觀。Dale用上帝的愛來愛這位司機。以耶穌基督為榜樣，讓一位本來對他有意見的變成他的朋友。
我想，您和我有時候也會遇到一位對我們不理解、對我們有意見的人。這時候，我們要用很好的態度和詞句幫助他冷靜下來，慢慢地思考事實，就如聖經箴言所說的，“回答柔和，使怒消退”（15:1）。Dale就是這句話的模範。
Memories of Dale Ward /03:
Dale Changed a Taxi Driver in Xi’an
On October 10, 2006, the Executive Producer for World Christian Broadcasting, Dale Ralph Ward, passed from this life. Even though Dale has gone, he left me with many good memories.
In 1996, Dale, Charles Caudill, President of World Christian Broadcasting, and I went on a trip to China together. We were in Beijing and Shanghai for two or three days and enjoyed our time in those places very much. The city that Dale and Charles enjoyed the most, however, was neither Beijing nor Shanghai, but Xi’an.
Whenever one mentions “Xi’an” to an American, he immediately thinks of the terra-cotta soldiers buried there by Emperor Chin Shihuang, and unearthed not too many years ago. If an American has the opportunity to visit China, the itinerary must include time to see the terra-cotta soldiers in Xi’an, an important cultural heritage indeed. Our small group was no exception, and so we arranged tickets for Xi’an where we saw the 2200-year old terra-cotta soldiers. All of us stared as we wondered how could these have been made, what kind of society existed back then, what kind of an emperor was Chin Shihuang, and what kind person he was.
After we returned to the USA, people asked Charles and Dale what their favorite place was in China, and what made the deepest impression on them, they always replied “Xi’an, and the terra-cotta soldiers.”
Besides the terra-cotta soldiers, I especially remember a person in Xi’an, one of our taxi drivers. The morning we left Xi’an, our hotel arranged for a taxi to take us to the airport, but when the driver saw Dale, he became upset and didn’t want us to get into his car. “Why?” you ask. Because Dale was so large! At that time, Dale weighed about 150 kilograms. To that, add Charles, and me, and add our luggage. The driver thought his taxi couldn’t handle all the weight, and he almost didn’t let us get in. After we all piled in, the driver continued to mumble and grumble in order to let us know how unhappy he was.
It was some distance from city central to the airport. Since Dale was so large, we let him sit in the front. Sitting in the front, it was easy for him to talk to the driver, but because Dale couldn’t speak Chinese, I translated. Dale began talking to the driver and expressed interest in him personally. Dale asked some very polite but simple questions, such as, was driving a taxi a good job, how many hours a day did he drive, how many people were in his family, did he make enough money to support his family, and other questions like these. Dale also apologized to the driver and said that he hoped the additional weight did not harm the car.
So, what happened? The driver was surprised, moreover, he appreciated Dale’s concern, and little-by-little his attitude changed. His unhappy face turned into a smile, and the black cloud that hung over his head turned into sunshine. The driver realized that this American was a good man, and so he seized the opportunity to talk to him; he asked Dale some questions too. Soon the two were enjoying a conversation.
When we arrived at the Xi’an airport, the taxi driver not only shook Dale’s hand, but he picked up Dale’s suitcases and personally carried them into the airport! By the time they parted they had become good friends.
This is one of my most pleasant memories of Xi’an, and from it I learned much. I learned how the good attitude of one person can change the misperception of another.
Dale was a Christian, and all that Dale expressed that day was the Christian philosophy of life. Dale loved that driver with the love of God, and followed the example of Jesus Christ and changed someone who was unhappy with him into a friend.
I believe that sometimes you and I also run into people who misunderstand us or take exception to something we do or say. In such a case, we too should adopt a good attitude toward the person, and choose our words carefully in order to help him cool off and think clearly about the facts of the matter. This is just what we are told in the book of Proverbs in the Bible: “A soft answer turns away wrath” (15:1). Dale was an example of this statement.
懷念Dale Ward （三）: 司機的轉變
Memories of Dale Ward /03:
Dale Changed a Taxi Driver in Xi’an
By Edward Short
©World Christian Broadcasting Corporation
Franklin, TN 37067 USA