Several years ago, a television reporter was talking
to three of the most important people in the U.S.
  One was a rich banker, another owned one of the
largest companies in the world, and the third owned many
buildings in the center of New York.
  The reporter was talking to them about being important.
  “How do we know if someone is really important?” the
reporter asked the banker.
  The banker thought for a few moments and then said, “I
think anyone who is invited to the White House to meet the
President of the United States is really important.”
  The reporter turned to the owner of the very large
company. “Do you agree with that?” she asked.
  The owner of the very large company shook her head. “No,”
she said, “I don’t. I think the President invites a lot of people to the
White House. You’d only be important if while you were visiting

the President and there was a telephone call from the President
of Russia, the President of the United States would say he was
too busy to answer it.”
  The reporter turned to the person who owned many
buildings. “Do you agree with that?”
  “No, I don’t,” he said. “I don’t think that makes the visitor
important. That makes the President important.”
  “Then what would make the visitor important?” the reporter
asked.
  “Oh, I think if the visitor to the White House was talking to
the President and the phone rang, the President would pick it
up, listen and then say, ‘It’s for you.’ That’s really important.”

         人的重要性
  几年前，一名电视记者采访三个比较重要的美国人。
  一位是富有的银行家，另一位是世界上最大的公司之一的总裁，第三位
则在纽约市中心拥有许多大楼。
  记者与他们谈论关于重要性的问题。
  “我们怎么才能知道一个人真正的重要性呢？”记者问银行家。
  银行家想了一会儿说：“我认为任何一个被邀请到白宫与美国总统会面
的人都是真正重要的人。”
  记者转向大公司总裁问：“您同意这个观点吗？”
  总裁摇摇头说：“不，我不这样认为。我认为总统会邀请很多人去白
宫。当你正拜访总统时，俄罗斯总统打来电话，而美国总统却说他现在太忙
而不能接电话，这才能看出你的唯一重要性。”
  记者又转向那位拥有许多大楼的人问：“您同意这个观点吗？”
  “不，我不那样认为，”他说，“那并不见得来访者有多么重要，那会
使总统显得很重要。”
  “那么，怎样才能使来访者显得重要呢？”记者问。
  “嗯，我认为如果来白宫拜访的人正在与总统说话时，电话响了，总统
接起电话，然后说：‘您的电话’，这样的人才是真正重要的人。”