爱华网前天打开太太原来的备课笔记，一则剪报掉了出来，标题是《清贫中的马克思》作者卫冰霞。这是当初太太为了上《在马克思墓前的讲话》而准备的课外阅读。这让我想到上个礼拜正好和同事正好谈起马克思的一则轶事。就是他在大英图书馆的脚印的故事。
马克思在大英图书馆有一个固定的座位，由于他几十年如一日地在这个座位上钻研学习，结果在座位下的水泥地上都磨出了脚印。中国的人们津津乐道这个故事：“人类的脚负担着身体的重量，于是在站立和行走中会留下脚印。脚印的深浅取决于承接面的硬度，松软的雪地显然比水泥地更容易留下脚印。不过，马克思几十年如一日在大英图书馆学习，终于在水泥地上也留下了脚印，看来，毅力和恒心也能磨出脚印。”
不过许多进入大英图书馆的人，好奇问当年马克思坐在什么地方时，他们要失望了。图书管理员告诉这些抱着热情来的中国人说，许多中国人都问过她这个问题，但是，每天来这里的人这么多，图书馆是绝对不会为某一个特定的读者安排特定的座位的。更何况，他也不可能每天坐在同一个座位上。
在这张微微有些泛黄的剪报上《清贫中的马克思》记录着这么一个传奇：
“在伦敦一家门口挂着三个镀金球的当铺里，一位满脸长着乱蓬蓬大黑胡子面无光泽的外国人，正捧着一堆铸有古老爵徽的银器，上柜典当。......为市场上所罕见.....。掌柜的眼光顿时投向那位颇为寒酸的中年男子，上下打量了一番以后，竟断定眼下的这批贵重物品是他偷来的，要把他扣押起来。直到警察局按他叙述的地址进行了调查，才弄清楚站在面前的这位外国人，就是大名鼎鼎的马克思博士。”
有了马克思的脚印的故事，我对《清贫中的马克思》中描述的场景也“察说”了一番。在网上现有的资料来看，马克思只有在德国的法兰克福典当过他的银器，而不是伦敦。警察局一说估计不太靠谱。
不过马克思的清贫是真实的，在《清贫中的马克思》中作者说：后来，马克思为了不使全家流落街头，不得不从事大量的零星工作，甚至下决心做个“务实”的人。他通过表舅的介绍，试图在英国一家铁路营业所谋个职位。遗憾的是，因为他的字迹太潦草而没被录用。
我没有去《马克思传》中查询类似的故事，但我可以相信的是马克思着迷他从事的事情，以至于常常无暇顾及生机。他从事的应该是他喜欢做的事情。我很羡慕和尊敬他，我猜想如果我有一天到伦敦，我会在他的墓前，和他合影留念。
后记：
在菲律宾旅游的时候我到了旁老岛的蜜蜂农场，我看着成群的蜜蜂，还有忙忙碌碌的蚂蚁。蜜蜂农场说蜜蜂是唯一提供人类食品的昆虫。而我们的童话故事里也一直说蜜蜂是勤劳的小蜜蜂。蚂蚁是勤劳的蚂蚁。可是为什么我们就对猪说是笨猪呢？它们不都是在这个世界上以某种方式顽强的生活或生存着吗？
也许勤劳的小蜜蜂是我们人类心中的投射，也许勤劳的小蜜蜂负担了太多的荣耀和希翼。
相关博文：
烙印
关于勤奋的名人名言
学习雷锋好榜样
封面人物张五常
后记之后记：
国外也有一些以讹传讹的事情，有些名人受到美化。
一则说DonaldTrump美国超级富翁，在路边爆了胎，正好是大冬天，求救无门。绝望之际有个热心人停了车，帮Thrump换了车胎，Trump问他要了个人信息表示以后要感谢。后来那个热心人发现Trump把他的房屋贷款给付清了。
这个故事据说是假的，而在《飞黄腾达》节目里，有人问Thrump是真是假，Thrump点头默许。看他的神情似乎有些不自然。
还有一则据说是假的是关于著名歌星Nat King Cole夫人的故事，英文原文评论如下：
In 1997 a version of the Mrs. Nat King Cole legend tied to thedeath of her
husband was circulating on the Internet. It appears to have beenlifted word
for word from the 1997 book Chicken Soup For the Woman'sSoul:
>
> One night, at 11:30 PM, an older African-Americanwoman was standing on the
> side of an Alabama highway trying to endure alashing rain storm. Her car
> had broken down, and she desperately needed aride.
> Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the nextcar. A young white man
> stopped to help her -- generally unheard of inthose conflict-filled 1960s.
> The man took her to safety, helped her getassistance and put her into a
> taxi cab. She seemed to be in a big hurry!However, she wrote down his
> address, thanked him, and drove away.
> Seven days went by and a knock came on the man'sdoor. To his surprise, a
> giant combination console color TV and stereorecord player were delivered
> to his home. A special note was attached. The noteread:
> >>
>> "Dear Mr. James:
>> Thank you so much for assisting meon the highway the other night. The
>> rain drenched not only my clothesbut my spirits. Then you came along.
>> Because of you, I was able to makeit to my dying husband's bedside just
>> before he passed away. God blessyou for helping me and unselfishly
>> serving others.
>> Sincerely,
>>Mrs.Nat King Cole
>
>
Though it's a lovely story, it too didn't happen. Nat King Coledied of lung
cancer at dawn on 15 February 1965 in Santa Monica, California. Hewas
hospitalized in December 1964 and on 25 January 1965, his left lungwas
removed. At least from the date of his operation until his death,Maria Cole
was with him every day. There was no opportunity for her to havebeen
stranded in the rain beside an Alabama highway in the weeks leadingup to her
husband's death. She was sitting with him when he passed away, andnone of
the newspapers that commented on her vigil made mention of alast-minute dash
to the hospital, an automotive breakdown, or a helpful Samaritanwho got her
there in time.
