又中又英｜A searching question

I have a searching question for readers. A searching question is a question intended to find out the truth about something. My searching question is this: Would you help a stranger who needs to make an urgent call but finds out his mobile phone is not working? It happened to me last week. My friend and I had arranged to eat fish ball noodles in Shau Kei Wan, but I couldn\'t find him at the MTR exit. I had just bought a new phone but mistakenly took my old one without a SIM card. Unable to call my friend, I asked a passerby to help. He refused.

Several others ignored me. I asked a shopkeeper who told me to ask the building security guard next door. The security guard told me to leave. Everyone refused to help even though I explained I just needed a few seconds to tell my friend where I was. I said they could make the call themselves using speakerphone without handing me the phone. After trying many times, a young passerby who may have recognized me from my old TV shows, kindly called my friend. I told my friend where I was and profusely thanked the young passerby. To profusely thank someone means to thank that person a lot.

I understand most people fear using their mobile phones to call unknown numbers because those numbers could belong to crooks (criminals) or scam artists. Scam artists are people who use dishonest schemes to trick others into giving them money through emails, social media, or phone calls. But I don’t think I look like a scam artist! Would you have helped a stranger?

我有一道 searching question给各位读者——a searching question是一道寻根究底、探究真相的问题。我那条探究真相的问题（searching question）是：一个陌生人要打个紧急电话，却发现自己的手机失灵了，你会帮助他吗？上星期这件事就发生在我身上了。我约了朋友去筲箕湾吃鱼蛋面，在港铁站出口却找不到他。我刚买了新手机，却误带了没有电话卡的那部旧手机。我无法打电话给我的朋友，只好向一位途人求助。他拒绝了。

另外几个人同样无视我。我问一个店主，对方叫我问隔壁的大厦保安，保安却叫我离开。人人都拒绝帮忙，即使我已解释我只需要几秒钟，跟朋友说我在哪里。我也说他们可以代为打这个电话，开扩音而毋须将手机交给我。试了好几次之后，一个年轻的途人也许是从昔日的电视节目上认得我，友善地打了电话给我的朋友。我跟朋友道明我身处何方，然后便再三感谢（profusely thanked）这位年轻的途人。To profusely thank someone 是指重重的感谢某人。

我明白大多数人都会害怕用自己的手机去打电话给陌生的号码，因为那些电话号码说不定是属于罪犯（crooks）或是 scam artists。Scam artists是用不诚实的计谋，透过电邮、社交媒体或电话去诈骗。可是我不认为我看起来像骗徒（scam artist）啊！你可会这样帮助一个陌生人吗？

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Michael Chugani褚简宁
中译：七刻