时差N小时:介入或旁观该如何拿捏?

Several years ago, I was standing at a bus stop whensuddenly a couple emerged from a nearby alley,arguing loudly. More or less in unison, we at the busstop all turned and looked them.

几年前，我站在公交车站，突然有一对情侣从附近的巷子冒出来大声争吵。在公交车站的人全都不约而同地转头看他们。

Then the man grabbed the woman by the shouldersand, yelling, began to shake her till she was about tofall to the ground.

之后男子抓住女子的肩膀大声咆哮，并开始摇晃她，直到她几乎要跌倒在地。

I walked quickly to the couple and called out, "Please, sir, please stop doing that. You're hurtingher."

我迅速走向那对情侣，并大声说：“先生，请你住手。你伤到她了。”

The man did stop. His mouth agape, he stared me down and let go of the woman. Two thingsthen occurred. The group of strangers at the bus stop turned and looked away as if nothing hadhappened. And, a moment later, the man and woman sauntered arm in arm back into the alley.

那男子停手了。他目瞪口呆，用目光盯着我使我不敢与他对视，然后他放开了那个女人。之后发生了两件事情。公交站旁的人群转过脸去，看向别处，仿佛什么事情也没发生一样。过了一会儿，男子和女子手挽着手悠闲地走回了那条巷子。

It is not easy to discern when to hold back and when to get involved in a potentially stickysituation. When should we say "Enough is enough," and stick our noses into something that isnot ours? I can understand a person being afraid to get involved in someone else's problembecause they fear first, physical danger, secondly, financial damage, and thirdly, generalinconvenience.

面对一个可能很棘手的情况，要辨别何时该忍，何时又该介入并不容易。我们该何时说出“够了”，然后介入到与自己无关的事情中去?我理解人们之所以害怕介入别人的事原因有三：第一，害怕身体上的危险;第二，担心财物损失;第三，怕惹麻烦。

I still feel I did the right thing that day. Would I do it again today? I hope so.

我仍然觉得那天自己做了该做的事。要是在今天我还会这样做吗?我想是的。