提要
有一句英文諺語：「It is more blessed to give than to receive」（施比受更有福）。行善，應該發自於內心，行善的踏實感受，就是自己的福報；反之，為了私利的「偽善」，除了惶惶不安的心虛感受，徒勞無功還可能招致惡果。
Once upon a time an old woman lived in a village. She was very wealthy but was very calculating and miser. She lived alone in an old hut and never allowed anyone to enter. Though she was getting weaker day by day due to old age, but did not have any servant or other helping hand. She used to do all the household work by herself.
She had only one thing in her mind："If I allow someone to enter my house the person will steal away all my money and I will get poor."
One day a young man from other village came to the old woman’s village and he heard about that woman from the villagers.
The young man thought that how good it would be for him if he succeeded in getting a good share of the old woman’s money by any means.
Next day he went to old woman’s house and knocked the door .
“Who is there？" asked the old woman.
“I am a relative of yours”,the young man replied.
“Why have you come here？" old woman asked again .
“I heard that you are living alone and it is not good for you to live alone in this old age so I decided to stay here to look after you.”
The old woman did not allow him to come in but he started to live in the compound of the house.
Many days passed like that and one day the old woman got really sick and she called the young man in the house as she had no one else to look after her.
The young man served the old woman like her own child, she became so pleased with him that she allowed him to stay with her.
After some time the illness of the woman worsened.
Now she knew that she was going to die soon, she called the young man and said to him, “Son, I want to tell you my last wish, that when my body will be placed on the pyre please burn my pillow with me.”
Two days later, the woman passed away. The young man did exactly what the old woman had asked him to do. He burnt the huge pillow with her.
After completing the funeral and rituals he rushed to the old woman’s hut and started searching madly for the money.
He searched here, he searched there, he searched everywhere, left no stone unturned.
But the young man didn’t find a single penny.
So where was the money？Well, it was in the pillow which was burnt with the old woman.
Ah ! all the efforts of the young man failed.
翻譯
很久以前，村裡住著一位富有的老婦人，她是個心機頗重的守財奴。她獨自一人住在一個破舊的小屋，不允許任何人進入。儘管她年歲已高，身體一天天愈來愈弱，但仍不肯雇用幫手或接受援助，所有的家務還是她自己做。
在她心裡只想一件事：「如果我讓別人進入我的房子，我所有的錢就會被搶走，我會很可憐的……」
有一天，從其他村子來了一個年輕的小夥子，從村民那裡，他打聽到富有老婦人的事。
這個小夥子認為，如果他成功取得老婦人的信任，就可以想辦法分到她的財富。
第二天，他跑到老婦人家敲敲門。
「是誰在那裡叫門啊？」 ，老婦人問道。
「我是你的親戚，」小夥子答道。
「你來這裡，想做什麼？」老婦人又問道。
「我聽說妳獨居，但老年人獨自生活很多事不方便，所以，我決定留在這裡照顧妳。」
話雖如此，但老婦人還是沒有讓他進屋，小夥子於是住在房子外圍的院子。
日復一日，某一天，老婦人病重，她叫年輕人進到裡面，因為她實在有沒有其他人在身邊照顧她。
這小夥子像侍奉親娘一樣的照顧老婦人，她很高興，也允許他與自己住在一起。
過了一段時間，老婦的病情惡化。
知道自己將不久於人世，老婦對小夥子說：「孩子，我想告訴你我的臨終願望，我死後，請把我與我的枕頭一起火化。」
婦人兩天後死了，那小夥子果真按照老婦人的要求做，將她與那巨大無比的枕頭一起火化。
完成了葬禮儀式後，小夥子趕回老婦人的小屋，開始瘋狂地搜索財物。
他這裡找找，他那裡找找，他整個小屋翻遍了尋找，但一分錢也找不到。
因為，錢全都在老婦人被燒毀的枕頭裡。 機關算盡的年輕人，得到一場空。
By All Means
節錄自英國搖滾樂團「石玫瑰（The Stone Roses）」主唱伊恩‧布朗（Ian Brown）的歌詞，「by all means」與「by any means」的意思類似。
Even though you did me wrong well still I wish you well
But by all means necessary you can go
We're over the line, now all out of time
And try as you might
I don't play the games you play 'cause I don't have the time
Twenty five thousand days if you're so luck you're born to die
Please don't cry, 'cause we're all gonna die
And through your salty eyed sight
I'll see you in my wishing well
Sister and others, yes my brothers, higher still we climb
A little older standing goes a long way to divine
Awake and alive, just trying to get by
Just trying to stay high, just trying to get by
Avoiding the lies, just trying to get by
And cherish the time, just trying to get by
Just trying to stay high
Even though you did me wrong well still I wish you well
By all means necessary
By all means necessary
即使你傷了我，仍然祝你順利
你仍可以進行，採取一切必要手段
我已超過範圍，現在也沒有時間了
而你可以盡可能地嘗試……
我不能隨你起舞，因為我沒有時間
人生二萬五千個日子，出生就是邁向死亡
不必哭泣，因為人終將一死
透過你的淚眼
會看到你在我的許願井
姐妹、兄弟、夥伴們，我們提升自己
隨年齡漸長，我們朝神聖的目標前行
保持清醒、努力存活，盡力嘗試
提升自己，盡力嘗試
避免謊言，盡力嘗試
珍惜時間，盡力嘗試
只是想提升自己
即使你傷了我，仍然祝你順利
採取一切必要手段
採取一切必要手段
WOW!
by any means
「by any means」是「想盡辦法、無論如何」。例如：「He insisted that we all should be there on time by any means.」（他斬釘截鐵的說，我們無論如何都必須要準時到達那裡。）
文中的年輕人「......getting a good share of the old woman's money by any means.」別有用心的照顧老太太，可說是「無所不用其極」的要謀取她的財產。
compound
「compound」最常見的翻譯是「複合」。房屋、圍牆、草坪…… 複合組成一個居住場所。
「compound of the house」就是房屋、圍牆之間的一部分，簡單的說就是「院子」。那小夥子住在院子裡陪伴照顧老婦人，處心積慮之餘，還有點「苦肉計」的意味。
left no stone unturned
「turn」在此處是「翻過來」的意思。「leave no stone unturned」就是「每一塊石頭都被翻過來了……」，也就是「翻遍了」。
這個財迷心竅的年輕人，把老婦人屋裡的每一寸都仔細的找過，還是找不到，因為老太太竟然可以把「生不帶來，死不帶去」的財富一起帶走。