继昨天关于艺术价值的讨论，想起这个故事。我们凭什么去妄断一幅作品的价值？
在美国有一位富商，他有一个独生子名叫亨利，父子俩有个共同的嗜好，就是喜欢收藏艺术品，尤其是名家的画作，从毕加索到拉斐尔的作品，父子俩都视若珍宝，经常坐在一起一边品着红酒，一边欣赏艺术大师的画作。
越南战争爆发了，亨利奔赴战场，参加了战斗。不幸的是，在一次战斗中，亨利为了救自己的战友，中枪身亡。老父亲得知此事，伤心欲绝，要知道，有什么比年老丧子更悲痛的呢？况且他只有这唯一的儿子。
一个多月过去了，眼看就要过圣诞节了，有一天，门铃响了，老父亲打开门，门口站着一个年轻人，他的手里还拿着一个大包裹。“你找谁呀？”老人问道。 “先生，您不认识我。我是您的儿子亨利的战友，他是为了救我而牺牲的。那一天，他救了很多人，当他把我背到安全的地带时，突然一颗子弹击中了他的心脏，就 这样，他离开了我们————。”年轻人说着说着，泣不成声，老父亲的眼中也满是泪水。随后，年轻人顿了一下，调整了一下自己的情绪，“亨利经常跟我说起 您，他说您特别喜欢艺术，尤其是绘画。”年轻人拿起了他带来的包裹，“我知道这不值什么钱，我也不是有名的画家，只是以前学过一点，但我知道，您的儿子亨 利非常希望您能天天看到这幅画。”
老父亲打开包裹，是一幅人物肖像，画的就是他的儿子亨利。让他惊奇的是，这位完全抓住了他儿子的神态特点，尤其是那双眼睛仿佛在说：“爸爸我回来陪 您了。”老父亲擦了擦眼泪，向年轻人表示感谢，并要花钱买下它。“噢，不，先生如果用金钱来计算，那亨利给我的，我永远也无法还清。很高兴您喜欢这幅画， 您收下它吧，这是我送给您的礼物。”
老父亲送走了年轻人，就把儿子的肖像挂在了房间里最显眼的位置，并给它起了个名字叫《儿子》。从此以后，每次有上门欣赏名家画作的拜访者，老父亲都 会让他们先欣赏儿子的这幅肖像，然后才会拿出来他其他的收藏品。
几个月后，老父也离开了人世。老人留下了遗嘱，要将他所有的收藏进行拍卖。拍卖会那一 天，来了许多有声望的社会名流和大人物，他们都非常兴奋，因为能看到如此多的名家画作，并且有机会将其收入自己的囊中。在拍卖现场正中，挂着《儿子》这幅 画。
拍卖官敲响了手中的槌子，“请大家安静，拍卖会开始了，首先将要拍卖的是这幅名为《儿子》的画，画中是收藏者的儿子亨利。”台下先是一片安静，随后 变得嘈杂起来，一个声音喊道：“我们想要买那些名家画作，拿走这幅画吧，没人想买这个。”但是拍卖官依然询问着：“有人想要竞拍这幅画作吗？谁先出个 价？100美元？200美元？台下又有一个声音生气地喊了起来：“我们来这儿不是看这幅画的，快拿走，我们是来看梵高、伦布兰特的画的，赶快拿出真正的名 画来！”但拍卖官似乎没有听见，继续说道：“《儿子》，《儿子》，谁想要把这幅《儿子》带回家？”
会场后面有一个虚弱的声音喊道：“我出10美元买这幅画。”说话的老人是亨利家的老园丁，10美元是他能拿出的所有的钱。“有人出价10美元，还有 人想出20美元吗？”拍卖官说道。台下嘈杂一片，台下的人有些生气，所有人都是冲着那些且有价值的名家画作来的，没人想要买这幅压根没有名气的画，更不愿 在它身上浪费自己的时间。“10美元一次，两次---------成交！”拍卖官敲下了手中的槌子。“现在可以拿出真正的珍品了吧？”台下有人迫不及待地 喊道。
“很抱歉，拍卖结束了。”拍卖官说道。台下一片嘈杂，“什么？那些名家画作呢？台下的人怒喊道。
拍卖官说：“各位，非常抱歉，我来主持这场拍卖会之前被告知了一个关于画作主人遗嘱的秘密。直到现在，我才能把真相告诉你们，这场拍卖会只有这幅 《儿子》拍卖，谁买下这幅画，谁就将继承这位老人的所有遗产，包括他收藏的画作。他生前说：‘谁带走我的儿子，谁就得到我所有的一切”
英文版：
A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art. When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son. About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, “Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.”
The young man held out his package. “I know this isn’t very much, I’m not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.” The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. “Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It’s a gift.” The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the great works of art he had collected.
The man died a few months later. Shortly thereafter, there was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having the opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. “We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?” There was silence. Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, “We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.” But the auctioneer persisted. “Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?” Another voice shouted angrily. “We didn’t come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!” But still the auctioneer continued. “The son! The son! Who’ll take the son?”
Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. “I’ll give $10 for the painting.” Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. “We have $10, who will bid $20?” “Give it to him for $10. Let’s see the masters.” The crowd was becoming angry. They didn’t want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel. “Going once, going twice, SOLD for $10!” A man sitting on the second row shouted, “Now let’s get on with the collection.”
The auctioneer laid down his gavel. “I’m sorry, the auction is over.” “What about the paintings?” “I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets every thing!”
