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hout stopping ,we sailed through the red light in a sudden burst of speed .The same performance was repeated at the Alma Bridge .As I paid the driver ,I asked him why he had driven through two red lights . “You ought to be ashamed of yourself ,breaking the law and endangering your life that way,”I protested（抗议）. He looked at me ,astonished . “Ashamed of myself ? .I am a law—abiding （遵纪守法的）citizen and have no desire to get killed either .” He cut me off before I could protest . “No, just listen to me before you complain. What did I do ?Went through a red light. Well ,did you ever stop to consider what a red light is ,what it means?” “Certainly ,” I replied . “I t is a stop signal and means that traffic is falling in the opposite direction.” “Half—right,” said the driver , “but incomplete .It is only an automatic signal .And it does not mean that there is cross traffic .Did you see any cross traffic during our trip ?Of course not .I slowed down the light ,looked carefully to the right and to the left .Not another car on streets at this hour .Well ,then !What would you have me do ?Should I stop like a dumb animal because an automatic ,brainless machine turns red every forty seconds ?No , monsieur （先生）,” he thundered ,hitting the door with a huge fist . “I am a man ,not a machine .I have eyes and a brain and judgement ,given by God . It would be a sin （过失）against nature to surrender（使屈服）them to the dictates of a machine .Ashamed of myself ,you say I would only be ashamed of myself if I let those blinking lamps do my thinking for me .Good night ,monsieur.” | 
