We trust each other in these matters，and when we dont do what weve promised， its a deviation from the normal.
Trust
Last night I was driving from Harrisburg to Lewisburg，Pa.，a distance of about eighty miles.It was late.I was late and if anyone asked me how fast I was driving，Id have to plead plead vt.为……辩护， 借口， 托称 the Fifth Amendment amendment n.改善， 改正 to avoid selfincrimination.
我们在这些问题上互相信任，如果我们违反约定，那就是不正常的。
承诺与信任
昨天晚上我开车从哈里斯堡前往宾夕法尼亚州的刘易斯堡，路程大约８０英里。天色已晚，我迟到了，如果有人问我开车速度有多快，我得求助于宪法第五条修正案，不能自证有罪。
Several times I got stuck behind a slowmoving truck on a narrow road with a solid white line on my left，and I was clinching clinch v.敲弯， 扭住 my fists with impatience.
At one point along an open highway，I came to a crossroads with a traffic light.I was alone on the road by now，but as I approached the light，it turned red and I braked to a halt halt n.停止， 暂停， 中断.
I looked left，right and behind me.Nothing.Not a car，no suggestion of headlightsheadlight n.前灯， 桅灯 ，but there I sat，waiting for the light to change，the only human being for at least a mile in any direction.
I started wondering why I refused to run the light.I was not afraid of being arrested，because there was obviously no cop cop n.警官， 巡警， ［纺］管纱 around，and there certainly would have been no danger in going through it.
我几次都被挡在一辆行驶缓慢的卡车后面，因为路面很窄，而且我左边就是可超越的白线，于是我急躁地握紧双拳。
在高速公路的某处，我行驶到了有交通灯的一个十字路口，这时路上只有我一个人了，但当我快到路口时，交通灯变成了红灯，于是我踩了刹车。
我左顾右盼，又向后面看了看，没有动静。没有汽车，也没有车灯的光亮，但我就那样坐在那儿，等着红灯变绿，方圆一英里内就只有我一个人。
我开始思考，为何我不闯红灯呢？我不怕被抓，因为四周非常明显没有警察，闯红灯肯定也不会有什么危险。
Much later that night，after Id met with a group in Lewisburg and had climbed into bed near midnight，the question of why Id stopped for that light came back to me.I think I stopped because its part of a contract we all have with each other.Its not only the law，but its an arrangement we have，and we trust each other to honor it：we dont go through red lights.Like most of us，Im more apt to be restrained from doing something bad by the social convention that disapproves disapprove v.不赞成 of it than by any law against it.
Its amazing that we ever trust each other to do the right thing，isnt it ？And we do，too.Trust is our first inclination inclination n.倾斜， 弯曲， 倾度， 倾向， 爱好 .We have to make a deliberate deliberate adj.深思熟虑的， 故意的， 预有准备的 decision to mistrust someone or to be suspicious or skeptical.Those attitudes dont come naturally to us.
那天晚上，我在刘易斯堡见到了一些朋友，上床时接近午夜了，我又想到了我为什么要停下而不闯过去呢。我想我停下来，是因为它是我们相互之间的一种公约。这不仅是法律，而且也是我们达成的一个协议；我们相互信任，都要遵守：我们不能闯红灯。像大多数人一样，我善于控制自己，不做社会行为准则规定的坏事，这不仅是因为有法律约束。
令人惊奇的是我们从来都彼此信任会做正确的事，不是吗？我们也的确都是这样做了。信任是我们的首要本能。要让我们不信任某个人，猜疑，不相信，那是非常难的，因为这种态度对我们是不自然的。
Its a damn good thing too，because the whole structure of our society depends on mutual trust，not distrust.This whole thing we have going for us would fall apart if we didnt trust each other most of the time.We do what we say well do；we show up when we say well show up；we deliver when we say well deliver；and we pay when we say well pay.
We trust each other in these matters，and when we dont do what weve promised，its a deviation from the normal.It happens often that we dont act in good faith and in a trustworthy manner，but we still consider it unusual， and were angry or disappointed with the person or organization that violates the trust we have in them.
I was so proud of myself for stopping for the red light that night.
这也是件很好的事儿，因为我们整个的社会架构体系是靠相互信任而不是猜疑来维系的。如果我们把大部分时间用在互相猜疑上，那么整个社会秩序就将崩溃。我们说到做到；我们说何时到场，就会何时到场；我们说何时交货，就会何时交货；我们说何时付款，就会何时付款。
我们在这些问题上互相信任，如果我们违反约定，那就是不正常。虽然我们时常发生不守信用的事，但我们仍认为这不正常；对那些我们非常信任却辜负了我们的个人或组织，我们会感到生气或失望。
那天晚上没有闯红灯，我为此而感到自豪。
信任对于一个人来说，是立身之本。信任是一种相互的理解，是对承诺作出的坚守和执行。守信之人，往往都能严格要求自己，态度严谨，对自己说出的话负责，对自己做过的事负责，这样我们才能更好地规范人生的行为，同时，这对我们人生的发展也有着至关重要的作用。
