Reggie Damone just wanted to write down a phone number. So he picked up what he thought was litter on a sidewalk. But what he found was an envelope with a US$185,000 (NT$6 million) check in it.
Damone, 47, works at a McDonald's fast food restaurant. Because his pay is low he gets food stamps from the government. Even though he doesn't have much money he said he did not think about trying to cash the check. Instead, Damone took a bus from his home in Jewett City, Connecticut, US, to a bank. There he returned the check to the niece of the landlord to whom the check was written.
She thanked Damone with a US$50 (NT$1,600) bill.
Damone said that although he knew US$185,000 could pay his rent and other bills for a long time, he was never tempted to try to cash the check.
He says he remembered his mother's words: If you take something, you lose three times that amount - and if you do something good, something good comes back to you.
(STAFF WRITER WITH AP)
雷基．戴蒙只是想記下一個電話號碼，因此想從人行道上找一張紙，結果他找到的竟然是一個裝有一張十八萬五千美元（新台幣六百萬元）支票的信封。
四十七歲的戴蒙在一間速食店麥當勞工作，由於他的薪資太低，他領政府發的餐券度日。即使他很貧困，他說他沒有想過要將那張支票兌現；相反地，住在美國康乃迪克州傑威特市的戴蒙從他家搭公車到一間銀行；這張支票的受款人是一位旅館老闆，戴蒙將支票還給他的姪女。
她以五十美元（新台幣一千六百元）作為給戴蒙的謝禮。
戴蒙表示，雖然他知道十八萬五千美元可以支付他的房租和其他帳單好一陣子，但他從沒動念兌現那張支票。
他說他記得他媽媽的一句話：要是你拿了某物，你會失去三倍的金額－如果你做了一件好事，好事會回報到你身上。
（美聯社�翻譯：袁星塵）
1. food stamp n.
餐券 (can1 quan4)
例: Many people get food stamps after a natural disaster has destroyed their home.
(許多被天災摧毀家園的人領取政府發的餐券度日。)
2. cash v.i./v.t.
兌現 (dui4 xian4)
例: I cashed in the voucher at the supermarket.
(我在超市將禮券兌現。)
3. rent n.
房租 (fang2 zu1)
例: My rent is pretty low for the area.
(我的房租在這區算蠻低的。)
4. tempt v.i./v.t.
打動 (da3 dong4)，誘惑 (you4 huo4)
例: I was tempted to buy a lottery ticket with my last NT$50.
(我受到誘惑用我僅剩的五十元買了一張樂透彩。)
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