不要吝啬一个祝福，不要害羞一个拥抱，亲近我们的家人，珍视这平凡而又高贵的亲情，那是此生此世最真最切的永恒。
■家的等式 The Paradox of Our Time
◎George Carlin
The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings,but shorter tempers;wider freeways,but narrower viewpoints;we spend more,but have less;we buy more but enjoy less.
We have bigger houses and smaller families;more conveniences,but less time;we have more degrees,but less sense;more knowledge,but less judgment;more experts,but more problems;more medicine,but less wellness.
We drink too much,spend too recklessly,laugh too little,drive too fast,get too angry too quickly,stay up too late,get up too tired,read too little,watch TV too much,and pray too seldom.
We talk too much,love too seldom,and hate too often.We've learned how to make a living,but not a life;we've added years to life,not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back,but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.We've conquered outer space,but not inner space;we've done larger things,but not better things.
We've cleaned up the air,but polluted the soul;we've split the atom,but not our prejudice.We write more,but learn less;we plan more,but accomplish less.
美丽语录
Where we love is home,home that our feet may leave,but not our hearts.
家是我们所爱的地方，双脚可以离开，心却不能。
我们处于历史上的矛盾时代：我们拥有更高的建筑，却有更暴的脾气；我们拥有更宽阔的高速公路，却有更狭隘的观点；我们花费得更多，却拥有得更少；我们购买得更多，却享受得更少。
我们的房子越来越大，家庭却越来越小；便利越来越多，时间却越来越少；学位越来越多，感觉却越来越少；知识越来越多，观点却越来越少；专家越来越多，问题也越来越多；药物越来越多，健康却越来越少。
我们喝得太多，花钱大手大脚，笑得太少，开车太快，易怒，熬夜，赖床，书读得太少，电视看得太多，并很少向上帝祈祷。
我们常常夸夸其谈，却很少付出爱心，并仇恨得太多。我们掌握了谋生手段，却不懂得生活的真谛；我们延长了生命的期限，而不是生活的期限。
我们登上了月球并成功返回，却不能穿过街道去拜访新邻居。我们开始探索太空，却发现不了自己的内心；我们的事业越做越大，质量却没有提高。
我们清洁了空气，却污染了灵魂；我们分离了原子，却无法去除自己的偏见；我们写得更多，学到的却更少；我们的计划更多，完成的却更少。
We've learned to rush,but not to wait;we have higher incomes,but,lower morals.
We build more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever,but have less communication;we've become long on quantity,but short on quality.
These are the days of two incomes,but more divorce;of fancier houses,but more broken homes.
These are the days of quick trips,disposable diapers,throw away morality,one night stands,overweight bodies,and pills that do everything from cheer,to quiet,to kill.Where are we heading...?
If we die tomorrow,the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days.But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.
And come to think of it,we pour ourselves more into work than to our family an unwise investment indeed.
So what is the morale of the story?
Don't work too hard...and you know what's the full word of family?
FAMILY=(F)ATHER(A)ND(M)OTHER,(I)(L)OVE(Y)OU.
我们学会了追赶时间，却忘记了如何等待；我们的收入越来越高，道德水平却越来越低。
我们制造了更多的计算机来存储更多的信息，制造了最多的副本却减少了交流；我们开始注重数量，但忽视了质量。
这个时代有双收入，但也有更高的离婚率；有更华丽的房屋，却有更多破碎的家庭。
这个时代有快速旅游、免洗尿布、道德的缺失、一夜情、超重的身体，以及可以从快乐中走向静止和自杀的药物。我们将走向何方？
如果我们明天就死去，我们为之工作的公司可能在几天内很轻易地找人代替我们的位置。但当我们离开家人后，他们的余生将会在失落中度过。
考虑一下吧，我们将自己的时间更多地投入到工作中，而放弃与家人在一起的时光，实在不是明智之举。
那么，这则故事的主旨是什么？
不要工作得太辛苦，你知道家的全称吗？
家＝爸爸妈妈，我爱你们。
■回家 Go Back Home
◎Teresa Strasser
"They say you can never go home again."
Well,you can.Only you might find yourself staying at a Trave Lodge,driving a rented Ford Contour and staking out your childhood home like some noir private eye just trying to catch a glimpse of the Johnny—come—lately that are now living in your house.
It's a familiar story.Kids grow up,parents sell the family home and move to some sunnier climate,some condo somewhere,some smaller abode.We grown up kids box up all the junk from our childhoods—dusty ballet shoes,high school text books,rolled up posters of Adam Ant—and wonder where home went.
I'm not a sentimental person,I told myself.I don't need to see old 3922 26th Street before we sell the place.I even skipped the part where I return home to salvage my mementos from the garage.I let my parents box up the stuff which arrived from San Francisco like the little package you get when released from jail.You know,here's your watch,the outfit you wore in here,some cash.Here's the person you once were.
美丽语录
A man's home is his castle.
一个人的家就是他的城堡。
“人们说你再也回不了家了。”
其实你是可以的。这样的话，你会发现自己将住进寒酸的汽车旅馆，开着租来的廉价福特康拓车，在你童年的家门口久久徘徊，就像黑色电影里的私家侦探一样。你总想一眼窥探——最近占据你的“窝”的到底是些什么样的人。
这样的故事让你觉得似曾相识。孩子长大了，父母便要把老家卖掉，搬到气候更宜人、阳光更充足的地方去，住公寓或更小的房子。而我们这些长大的孩子，将所有童年时期的破烂玩意儿打包收拾好——满是灰尘的芭蕾舞鞋、高中时期的课本、卷起的歌手亚当·恩特的海报——可当我们收拾好之后，才惊奇地发现家不见了！
我对自己说，我并不是个多愁善感的人。在我们老家26街3922号卖掉之前，我并没有要去多看一眼的冲动。我甚至没有回老家，亲自打捞车库里的那些纪念品，而是让父母帮我打包后从旧金山寄了过来。收到那包裹的时候，感觉就像出狱一样——这是你的手表，这是你在这里穿过的，这里还有些现金……你可以从这包东西中看到自己的过去。
After a year,San Francisco called me home again.I missed it.High rents had driven all my friends out of the city to the suburbs so I made myself a reservation at a motel and drove there in a rented car.
The next day,I cruised over to my old neighborhood.There was the little corner store my mom used to send me to for milk,the familiar fire station,the Laundromat...
I cried like the sap I never thought I'd be.I sat in the car,staring at my old house,tears welling up.It had a fresh paint job,the gang graffiti erased from the garage door.New curtains hung in the window.
I walked up and touched the doorknob like it was the cheek of a lover just home from war.I noticed the darker paint where our old mezuzah used to be.I sat on our scratchy brick stoop,dangling my legs off the edge,feeling as rootless as I've ever felt.
You can't go home in a lot of ways,I discovered that night,when I met up with an ex-boyfriend.
"Great to see you."he said,giving me a tense hug."The thing is,I only have an hour."
What am I,the Lens Crafters of social engagements?
As it happens,his new girlfriend wasn't too keen on my homecoming.We had a quick drink and he dropped me back off at my motel where I scrounged up my change to buy some Whoppers from the vending machine for dinner.I settled in for the evening to watch"Three to Tango"on HBO.
"You had to watch a movie with a Friends'cast member,"said my brother,nodding empathetically."That's sad."
My brother and I met up at our old house,like homing pigeons.We walked down the street for some coffee and I filled him in on my trip.He convinced me to stay my last night at his new place in San Bruno,just outside the city.I'll gladly pay$98 a night just for the privilege of not inconveniencing anyone,but he actually seemed to want me.
一年后，出于对家乡的想念，我回了趟旧金山。当时因为房租太高，朋友们都搬到市郊住了。我无处可投，便向当地一家汽车旅馆订了间房，租了辆车开过去。
第二天，我便到处走访那些老邻居。街道拐角的那家小店——当年妈妈经常打发我去买牛奶，还有那熟悉的消防局、洗衣店……
我坐在车里，直直地盯着老家看。此时的我，从没有想到过会哭得像个傻瓜一样。此刻的老屋，里里外外都被重新粉刷了一遍，车库门上的涂鸦作品也被抹去，窗上还挂起了新窗帘。
我走到门前，轻轻地碰了碰门把手，就像轻抚从战场归来的爱人的脸一样。门上那块颜色暗淡的漆，正是我们以前贴平安符的地方。我在砖面粗糙的门廊上坐下，双脚悬荡着，一种前所未有的无根感涌上心头。
是啊！很多时候你是回不了家的。那天晚上，当我遇上了前男友时，我终于明白了这一点。
“见到你真是太好了，”他见面就说，然后紧紧地拥抱了我，“问题是，我只有1个小时的时间。”他接着说。
他把我当成什么了？听起来像是1小时快速配眼镜一样！
可想而知，他的新女友并不怎么欢迎我的突然造访。我们随便喝了点东西，然后他就把我送回了旅馆。我凑了点零钱，找个自动贩卖机买了些汉堡包，晚餐就这么打发了。晚上将就着住在旅馆里，看了电影台播放的《三人探戈》。
“你应该看一部由《老友记》那帮演员演的一部片子，”电话那边，哥哥同情地劝我说，“你现在看的那部太悲了。”
我和哥哥在老屋门口见了面，就像两只归家的鸽子。我们沿着街道找了一家咖啡店，我把这几天发生的事情告诉了他。哥哥说最后一天去他的新家住吧，就在市郊的圣布鲁诺城。其实我很乐意一晚付98美金住旅馆，只要能不麻烦别人，但哥哥似乎真的很想让我过去住。
"I love having guests."he insisted.So I went.
It's surprising how late in life you still get that"I can't believe I'm a grown-up feeling",like when your big brother,the guy who used to force you to watch"Gomer Pyle"reruns,owns his own place.It was small and sparse and he had just moved in but it was his.The refrigerator had nothing but mustard,a few cheese slices and fourteen cans of Diet 7-Up.
We picked up some Taco Bell,rented a movie,popped some popcorn and I fell asleep on his couch.
Insomniacs rarely fall asleep on people's couches,I assure you.I don't know why I slept so well after agonizing all weekend over the question of home,if I had one anymore,where it was.I only know that curled up under an old sleeping bag,the sound of some second-rate guy movie playing in the background,my brother in a chair next to me,I felt safe and comfortable and maybe that's part of what home is.
But it's not the whole story.As much as I'd like to buy the cliches about home being where the heart is,or as Robert Frost put it,"The place where when you have to go there,they have to take you in",a part of me thinks the truth is somewhere between the loftiness of all those platitudes and the concreteness of that wooden door on 26th street.
I'll probably be casing that joint from time to time for the rest of my life.I'll sit outside,like a child watching someone take away a favorite toy,and silently scream,"Mine!"
“我喜欢家里有客人来住！”哥哥强调着。于是我便跟着去了。
很奇怪为什么人们总是不愿意承认自己已经成年了。看看哥哥，我还记得他以前一遍一遍地强迫我看那部老掉牙的电影《傻子格麦派》，而现在，他居然有了自己的房子。哥哥刚搬来不久，地方不大，摆设也少，但那是他自己的家。冰箱里的东西很少，只有芥末、几片芝士切片和14罐健怡七喜。
我们在一家墨西哥速食店买了些食物，又去租了部电影，吃了点爆米花。后来，我就在哥哥的沙发椅上睡着了。
我敢保证，常失眠的人是很难在别人家的沙发上睡着的。可是，不知道为什么，这次我却睡得很好，尽管我整个周末都在苦苦思考一个问题——如果我有家的话，那么它究竟在哪里？我只知道，当我蜷缩在旧的睡袋里头，哥哥坐在椅子上看着蹩脚演员主演的电影，就在我的身旁时，我觉得既安全又舒适——或许家的一部分就应该是这样。
但这些并不是全部。正如我可以相信“家就在心中”这样的陈词滥调，或者欣赏诗人罗伯特·莱特所说的：“家就是当你想去，人家就得让你进去的地方。”但同时我也坚信，真正的家，既可以如陈词滥调所形容的那般飘渺，也可以跟26街那扇木门一样坚实。
在以后的日子里，我可能还会不止一次地回到老屋门前徘徊。我会坐在屋子外面，像个小孩看到有人拿走了他心爱的玩具那样，默默地在心底大喊：“那是我的！”
■如水一般的爱 Such Is Love,Plain Like Water
◎Jason
Every once in a while I will dial the familiar number.
It is usually he that picks up the phone.She will come up to him asking who the caller is.Knowing it's me,she will grab the phone,say a few greeting words,and then start talking bad of him,complaints flooding out,all about chores and minor superficial details.
As always,he argues,and through the long-distance call I hear them quarreling seriously.
Quarreling seems to be bound with their life.He seems like a capricious[34]boy,and she a little girl who cannot bear with even a small grievance.It is common that they fight each other half a day over minor issues.Over and over again,they will quarrel—they are born to disagree with each other.
Bored sometimes,I pretend to be very unhappy and yell,"Couldn't you stop arguing and let my ears have a quiet moment?"
She pauses two seconds,and mumbles,"He always bullies me."I almost see her,pitiful as she is.
美丽语录
They knew that they had moved many people with their love,and they had been given the greatest gift of all.They had the gift of love.And it's never known where it will land.
他们知道，他们真挚的爱情打动了许多人，他们也因此收获了最珍贵的礼物——爱情。爱情会在哪里停歇，你永远都不知道。
每隔一段时间，我都要拨打一个熟悉的电话号码。
每次总是他接起电话。然后她问他，这是谁打来的。知道是我的电话时，她抢过电话，说几句简单的问候，然后就开始抱怨他的坏处。接着就开始投诉，例如地板被水淹了之类鸡毛蒜皮的小事。
一如往常，通过长途电话，我能听到他们很严肃地在争吵着。
争吵似乎成了他们生活中不可缺少的一部分。他看起来像个反复无常的孩子，而她像一个不能忍受丁点委屈的小女孩。他们经常为生活中的小问题吵上半天。他们一遍又一遍地争吵——好像生来就意见不和。
有时我觉得无聊了，就假装很不高兴，大喊道：“你们能不能停止争论，让我的耳朵安静一小会？”
Then I turn soft,and try to find faults in him.
"Why did you bully her?"
He listens to me,irritated,"Who bullies her?It is she that bullies me!"
Just as the saying goes,a righteous[35]judge is never able to decide who is right and who is wrong in an argument between a couple.I tried to intervene,only to get them into more serious debate.
Like an actor and an actress,they are indulged in acting.With me watching,they end up in more heated disagreements.So I don't want to bother any more.I just stand by when they quarrel.
In the end,she will find her eyes red,and wipe tears off her cheeks.He gets upset and attempts to soothe her.He looks funny—staring at her like a mad frog with two eyes open wide,he yells with determination,
"From now on I will wash all the dishes."He seems to be swearing.And she weeps and smiling flowers bloom on her face.
One day he got bit by a snake while working in the farmland,one leg swelling furiously.He was then rushed to hospital where he went through a series of torment—he got injected to let the contaminated blood out.
Seeing the blood,she was scared to big tears,crying loud.
"Stop it.That's enough.You are getting on my nerves.I am not gonna die."He shouted,frowning.
She got mad at the word"die"that he had mentioned.
"Why did you say that?"She immediately quarreled hard with him,not to stop for a long while.
Doctors were watching on,amused.
"Isn't quarreling more effective than pain-killing pills?"The doctors teased.
她会停顿2秒钟，然后喃喃自语：“他总是欺负我。”我几乎可以想象到她装可怜的样子。
然后我的语气就会变得轻柔，并想办法找到他的错误。
“你为什么要欺负她？”
他听到我的质问，恼火道：“谁欺负她？这是她在欺负我！”
正如俗话所说，一个正直的法官也无法判决一对夫妇之间的矛盾，无法决定到底谁对谁错。我试图干预他们，但只会使他们陷入更严肃的辩论中。
就像演员，他们沉迷于这样的剧情。我看，结局只会是更加激烈的分歧。所以，我不想打扰他们了。作为旁观者，我只是在争吵的时候看着他们。
最后，她的眼睛开始泛红，擦去脸颊上的泪水。他开始不安，并试图安慰她。他盯着她哭得红肿的眼睛，就像是只生气的青蛙。他妥协了。
“从现在开始，我会洗干净所有的盘子。”他信誓旦旦地说。而她也相信他，抹掉眼泪，微笑，顿时她的脸上绽放出花朵来。
有一天，他在田里劳作时被蛇咬了，一条腿肿得厉害。他立即被送往医院抢救，经过及时的救治——他被注射了一针可以让污血流出来的药剂。
看到血，她吓得大哭起来，落下大滴的眼泪。
“别哭了。够了。让我烦死了，放心好了，我不会死的。”他大叫着，皱着眉头。
她生气了，不准他说“死”这个词。
“你为什么这样说？”她立即同他争辩了很长一段时间。
医生们看他们斗嘴，笑了。
They looked at each other,embarrassed and laughing.That finally stopped their quarreling.
In order to save hospital expenses,he insisted on going home despite her mad disagreements.
Lying in bed,he was having an intravenous[36]drip for a continuous period of 12 days.She was busy dealing with housework and everything else out of home.She was weak and thin,and too much work had made her even more skinny.
Witnessing her change,he hurt in the heart.One night he wanted to drink water.He did not wake her up,pulled himself out of the bed,and fell over because his legs were too weak.
His fall actually woke her up.She rushed to support him to stand up.She scolded him for not having waken her up.He said that he could manage.A serious quarrel was about to burst out again.
I called them from Zhuhai,the beautiful city of relaxation and exciting views.I wanted to depict to them how pretty a city Zhuhai is.He was surprised that I had travelled such a great distance,to where he and she had never been all their life.He then believed that I had accomplished a big success,and that I had significantly broadened my horizons.He went on talk in honor of me,voice trembling with pride;she was beside him,excited all the same.They did not mention anything about the family change and their suffering.
I had not heard about his being bit by a snake until she told me her grievance[37].
“吵架不是比止痛药更有效吗？”医生们取笑道。
他们面面相觑，不好意思地笑了起来，终于停止了争吵。
为了节省住院费，他坚持要回家，尽管她极力反对。
他躺在床上连续注射了12天点滴。这些天，都是她在处理家里家外的事情，本来身体单薄的她，愈发显得骨瘦如柴。
看着她每天忙碌，他觉得心里很愧疚。有天夜里，他想要喝水。他没有叫醒她，而是打算自己去喝水。当他下床的时候，因为腿上的伤痛，从床上跌了下来。
她被惊醒了，赶紧起床冲过去扶着他。她责备他：“喝水怎么不叫我来倒！”“我自己可以！”一场激烈的争吵又迸发了。
当我从珠海给他们打电话，向他们描绘这个美丽休闲且适合居住的城市时，他感到非常惊讶。我到了这么好的地方，而他和她从没有来过。他很高兴，觉得我现在非常成功，又显著地拓宽了自己的视野。然后，他用十分自豪的语气夸奖我从小大到的荣耀，她也在他身边同他一起高兴着。他们从不提及任何关于家庭的变化和他们的困难。
"He treated me bad again.He could not get out of bed by himself,but he wanted to be strong,and so he fell.I was trying to pull him up on his feet,and I just told a few words of complaints when he got out of bed,yelling that I was clumsy."
"No,no,no,she was not telling the truth."
He was eager to tell me that she was really silly,that she did not know how to change the intravenous drip bottle.Then they started it over again quarreling.And this time I was listening to them in good patience,holding the telephone receiver.
Water was roaring in the sea out the window,waves climbing up and falling down,just like what I was feeling at the bottom of my heart.
He suddenly realized that they should stop.He said that it was a long-distance call.She immediately stopped arguing.
"Why didn't you remind me earlier?How much money have we wasted her?"
She hangs up before I had a chance to talk.I know they would have a good fight again.
They are my father and mother.He is 66,and she is 64.
如果她不告诉我，我还不知道他被蛇咬伤了。
“你知道吗，他对我可坏了。他不能从床上下来，还非要逞强，就跌倒了。我只是想去扶他，就说了几句，他就开始骂我，对我大喊大叫。”
“不，不，不是，事实不是这样的。”
他急切地想告诉我：“她真的很傻，也不知道拿着点滴瓶。”话音刚落，他们又开始斗嘴了。这一次，我只是拿着听筒，很耐心地听他们争吵。
看着窗外，海水在大海里翻滚，海浪连绵起伏，就像此刻我心底最深处的感受一样。
他突然意识到，他们应该停止。他说，这是长途电话。她立即停止了争吵。
“你为什么不早一点提醒我？多少钱，我们浪费了她多少钱？”
其实，在她挂电话之前，我就很想说——我知道他们又将开始另一次斗争了。
他们是我的父亲和母亲。他66岁，她64岁。
■你所记得的一切 All You Remember
◎Debbie Farmer
All you remember about your child being an infant is the incredible awe you felt about the precious miracle you created.You remember having plenty of time to bestow all your wisdom and knowledge.You thought your child would take all of your advice and make fewer mistakes,and be much smarter than you were.You wished for your child to hurry and grow up.
All you remember about your child being two is never using the restroom alone or getting to watch a movie without talking animals.You recall afternoons talking on the phone while crouching in the bedroom closet,and being convinced your child would be the first Ivy League college student to graduate wearing pullovers at the ceremony.You remember worrying about the bag of M&M's melting in your pocket and ruining your good dress.You wished for your child to be more independent.
All you remember about your child being five is the first day of school and finally having the house to yourself.You remember joining the PTA and being elected president when you left a meeting to use the restroom.You remember being asked"Is Santa real?"and saying"yes"because he had to be for a little bit longer.You remember shaking the sofa cushions for loose change,so the tooth fairy could come and take away your child's first lost tooth.You wished for your child to have all permanent teeth.
美丽语录
From your parents you learn love and laughter and how to put one foot before the other.
是父母教会了你如何去爱，如何去笑，如何走路。
你所记得的，是当你的孩子是个婴儿时，你对自己创造出的堪称完美奇迹的作品，感到不可思议的敬畏。你记得你有大量的时间去传授你所有的智慧和知识。你认为你的孩子将会接受你所有的忠告而少犯错误，将会比孩提时代的你聪明许多。你多么希望你的孩子快快长大。
你所记得的，是孩子2岁时，从不能独自使用卫生间，从不看一部与动物无关的电影。你记得那些蜷缩在卧室的壁橱里与朋友通电话的下午，深信你的孩子将是第一个身着套头衫出席毕业典礼的常春藤名牌大学毕业生。你记得你担心那袋M＆M巧克力糖会在你的衣兜里融化，毁了你体面的衣服。你多么希望你的孩子更独立些。
你所记得的，是孩子5岁时，他开学的第一天，你终于独自拥有整座房子了。你记得参加家长教师联系会，在你离开会议室去洗手间时，你当选为会长。你记得孩子问你“圣诞老人是真的吗？”你回答“是的”，因为他还需要你的肯定回答，尽管不久他就能自己判断了。你记得在沙发垫下面一通翻腾，要找出些零钱，这样牙齿仙女就会带走你孩子掉的第一颗牙。你多么希望孩子的牙都换成了恒牙。
All you remember about your child being seven is the carpool schedule.You learned to apply makeup in two minutes and brush your teeth in the rearview mirror because the only time you had to yourself was when you were stopped at red lights.You considered painting your car yellow and posting a"taxi"sign on the lawn next to the garage door.You remember people staring at you,the few times you were out of the car,because you kept flexing your foot and making acceleration noises.You wished for the day your child would learn how to drive.
All you remember about your child being ten is managing the school fund-raisers.You sold wrapping paper for paint,T-shirts for new furniture,and magazine subscriptions for shade trees in the school playground.You remember storing a hundred cases of candy bars in the garage to sell so the school band could get new uniforms,and how they melted together on an unseasonably warm spring afternoon.You wished your child would grow out of playing an instrument.
All you remember about your child being twelve is sitting in the stands during baseball practice and hoping your child's team would strike out fast because you had more important things to do at home.The coach didn't understand how busy you were.You wished the baseball season would be over soon.
All you remember about your child being fourteen is being asked not to stop the car in front of the school in the morning.You had to drive two blocks further and unlock the doors without coming to a complete stop.You remember not getting to kiss your child goodbye or talking to him in front of his friends.You wished your child would be more mature.
你所记得的，是孩子7岁时，对于合伙用车的时间安排。你学会了在2分钟内化完妆，照着汽车的后视镜刷牙，因为你能给自己找出的时间只有汽车停在红灯前的那一小段。你想过把你的车子漆成黄色，并在车库门旁的草坪上立一个“出租车”的标志牌。你记得有几次在你下车后，人们盯着你，因为你不断地用脚踩油门加速，制造噪音。你多么希望孩子有一天能学会开车。
你所记得的，是孩子10岁时，如何组织学校的募捐者。你们为重新粉刷学校兜售包装纸，为购置新家具兜售T恤衫，为在学校操场上种植遮阳树劝人订阅各种杂志。你还记得你在车库里存放了上百盒糖果等待出售，得到钱后学校的乐队就可以购置新制服，可那些糖果竟在一个暖和过头的春天下午全部融化在一起。你多么希望孩子长大，不再演奏什么乐器了。
你所记得的，是孩子12岁时，在体育场打棒球练习赛时，你坐在看台上，希望孩子所在的队很快三击不中出局，因为家里还有更重要的事等你去做。教练不明白你为什么那么忙。你多么希望棒球赛季能尽快结束。
你所记得的，是孩子14岁时，他不让你早晨把汽车停在校门口。你不得不开过两个街区，车还没停稳就赶紧打开车门。你记得没能在他的朋友面前跟他吻别或说话。你多么希望孩子能更成熟些。
All you remember about your child being sixteen is loud music and undecipherable lyrics screamed to a rhythmic beat.You wished for your child to grow up and leave home with the stereo.
All you remember about your child being eighteen is the day they were born and having all the time in the world.
And,as you walk through your quiet house,you wonder where they went and you wish your child hadn't grown up so fast.
你所记得的，是孩子16岁时，用吵闹的音乐和富有节奏的拍子尖声唱出难以听懂的歌词。你多么希望孩子快点长大成人，带着音响离开家。
你所记得的，是孩子18岁时，他们出生的那一天，拥有世间所有的时光。
当你穿过寂静的房子时，你不知道他们去了哪里——你多么希望，孩子别这么快就长大。
■半床毛毯 The Blanket
◎Floyd Dell
Petey hadn't really believed that Dad would be doing it—sending Granddad away."Away"was what they were calling it.Not until now could he believe it of his father.
But here was the blanket that Dad had bought for Granddad,and in the morning he'd be going away.This was the last evening they'd be having together.Dad was off seeing that girl he was to marry.He would not be back till late,so Petey and Granddad could sit up and talk.
It was a fine September night,with a silver moon riding high.They washed up the supper dishes and then took their chairs out onto the porch."I'll get my fiddle,"said the old man,"and play you some of the old tunes."
But instead of the fiddle he brought out the blanket.It was a big double blanket,red with black stripes.
"Now,isn't that a fine blanket!"said the old man,smoothing it over his knees."And isn't your father a kind man to be giving the old fellow a blanket like that to go away with?It cost something,it did—look at the wool of it!There'll be few blankets there the equal of this one!"
It was like Granddad to be saying that.He was trying to make it easier.He had pretended all along that he wanted to go away to the great brick building—the government place.There he'd be with so many other old fellows,having the best of everything...But Petey hadn't believed Dad would really do it,not until this night when he brought home the blanket.
名人语库
I don't know who my grandfather was.I'm much more concerned to know what his grandson will be.
~Abraham Lincoln
我不知道我爷爷是什么样的人，我更关心的是，他的孙子会成为什么样的人。
——亚伯拉罕·林肯
彼得不相信爸爸真的会这么做——把爷爷送走。“送走”是他们的说法。现在他相信了爸爸的话。
但是，这个毛毯是爸爸前日就买好了送给爷爷的，第二天早晨爷爷就会离开。今晚是他和爷爷在一起的最后一个晚上。爸爸走了，和那个就要与他结婚的女人一起走的，他不到深夜是不会回来的。于是，彼得可以和爷爷坐起来说话。
那是个晴朗的9月夜晚，银色的月光洒落在溪谷上。吃完晚饭后，爷孙俩一起洗碗碟，然后把椅子搬到屋外的走廊上，坐在月光下。“我去拿口琴来，”爷爷说，“给你吹几支老曲子。”
一会儿，爷爷从屋里走出来，拿来的不是口琴，而是那床毛毯。那是条大大的双人毛毯。红色与黑色条纹相间。
“多好的毛毯啊！”老人轻抚着膝头的毛毯，说，“你爸真孝顺，给我这老家伙带这么一条高级毛毯走。你看这毛，一定很贵的。以后冬天的晚上不会冷了。那里不会有这么好的毛毯的！”
爷爷总是这么说。为了避免难堪，他一直假装很想去政府办的养老院，去那个地方与其他老家伙共度晚年，拥有最好的一切……可彼得当时并没想到爸爸真的会这么做，直到这个夜晚看到爸爸带回这床毛毯。
"Oh,yes,it's a fine blanket."said Petey.He got up and went into the house.He wasn't the kind to cry and,besides,he was too old for that.He'd just gone in to fetch Granddad's fiddle.
The blanket slid to the floor as the old man took the fiddle and stood up.He tuned up for a minute,and then said,"This is one you'll like to remember."
Petey sat and looked out over the gully.Dad would marry that girl.Yes,that girl who had kissed Petey and fussed over him,saying she'd try to be a good mother to him,and all...
The tune stopped suddenly.Granddad said,"It's a fine girl your father's going to marry.He'll be feeling young again with a pretty wife like that.And what would an old fellow like me be doing around their house,getting in the way?An old nuisance,what with my talks of aches and pains.It's best that I go away,like I'm doing.One more tune or two,and then we'll be going to sleep.I'll pack up my blanket in the morning."
They didn't hear the two people coming down the path.Dad had one arm around the girl,whose bright face was like a doll's.But they heard her when she laughed,right close by the porch.Dad didn't say anything,but the girl came forward and spoke to Granddad prettily:"I won't be here when you leave in the morning,so I came over to say good-bye."
"It's kind of you."said Granddad,with his eyes cast down.Then,seeing the blanket at his feet,he stooped to pick it up."And will you look at this,"he said."The fine blanket my son has given me to go away with."
"Yes,"she said."It's a fine blanket."She felt the wool and repeated in surprise,"A fine blanket—I'll say it is!"She turned to Dad and said to him coldly,"That blanket really cost something."
“哦，是的，是床好毛毯。”彼得附和着走进小屋。他不是个好哭的孩子，况且，他早已过了好哭鼻子的年龄。他走进屋去，要给爷爷拿口琴。
爷爷凑合着站起来接过口琴时，毛毯滑落到了地板上。他调整了好一会儿，然后说：“你会记住这支曲子的。”
彼得坐在那里，怔怔地望着远方。爸爸就要娶那个姑娘了。是的，那个姑娘亲过他了，还发誓要对他好，说她会努力做个好妈妈……
曲子突然停了下来。爷爷说：“你爸要娶的这个姑娘不错。有这么漂亮的妻子，他会感觉又变年轻了。我这个老头儿何必待在这儿碍事呢？我一会儿这病、一会儿那疼，讨人嫌呢。还是走为好啊，这样才像我做的事。再吹一两支曲子吧，然后我们就上床睡觉。睡到明天早晨，我就带上我的毛毯走人。”
他们没有听到爸爸和那个美人正沿着乡间小道走来的声音。父亲一只手臂搂着那个姑娘，她就像个瓷娃娃一样。直到走近门廊，爷孙俩才听到她的笑声，琴声便戛然而止。爸爸什么也没说，那个女孩走到爷爷面前，恭敬地对爷爷说：“明天早晨不能来送您了，我现在是来跟您告别的。”
“谢谢。”爷爷说。然后，爷爷低头看到脚边的毛毯，弯下腰把它拾起来。“你看，”爷爷局促地说，“这是儿子送我的离别礼物。多好的毛毯！”
“是不错。”她摸了一下毛毯，感觉着这上好的呢绒而惊叹了一番，“好高级呀——我就说它呢！”她转向爸爸，冷冷地说，“一定花了不少钱吧。”
爸爸清了清嗓子，说道：“我想给他一床最好的毛毯……”
“还是双人的呢。”她说道，像是在指责爸爸。
“是啊，”爷爷说，“是床双人毛毯——一床一个老家伙即将带走的毛毯。”
Dad cleared his throat and said,"I wanted him to have the best..."
"It's double,too."she said,as if accusing Dad.
"Yes,"said Granddad,"it's double—a fine blanket for an old fellow to be going away with."
The boy went suddenly into the house.He was looking for something.He could hear that girl scolding Dad.She realized how much of Dad's money—her money,really—had gone for the blanket.Dad became angry in his slow way.And now she was suddenly going away in a huff...
As Petey came out,she turned and called back,"All the same,he doesn't need a double blanket!"And she ran off up the path.
Dad was looking after her as if he wasn't sure what he ought to do.
"Oh,she's right,"Petey said."Here,Dad,"—and he held out a pair of scissors."Cut the blanket in two."
"That's not a bad idea,"said Granddad gently."I don't need so much of a blanket."
"Yes,"the boy said harshly,"a single blanket's enough for an old man when he's sent away.We'll save the other half,Dad.It'll come in handy later."
"Now what do you mean by that?"asked Dad.
"I mean,"said the boy slowly,"that I'll give it to you,Dad—when you're old and I'm sending you—away."
There was a silence.Then Dad went over to Granddad and stood before him,not speaking.But Granddad understood.He put out a hand and laid it on Dad's shoulder.And he heard Granddad whisper,"It's all right,son.I knew you didn't mean it..."And then Petey cried.
But it didn't matter—because they were all crying together.
彼得突然转身跑进了房间。他在找什么东西。他可以听到那女孩还在责备爸爸。她意识到爸爸花了多少钱——实际上是她的钱——花在这个毛毯上。爸爸似乎有点动怒。现在，她怒气冲冲地掉头就走……
彼得出来的时候，她正回头冲爸爸喊道：“甭解释，他根本用不着双人毛毯。”然后她又跑上了小径。
爸爸看着她，仿佛不确定自己应该做些什么。
“哦，她说得对，”彼得说，“这儿，爸爸，给”——他伸出手，递给爸爸一把剪刀，“把毛毯剪成两块。”
“这倒是个好主意，”爷爷温和地说，“我用不着这么大的毛毯。”
“是的，”男孩说，“把老人家送走时，给一床单人毛毯就不错了。我们还能留下一半，以后迟早总有用处的，爸爸。”
“你这是什么意思？”爸爸问道。
“我的意思是，”彼得一字一句地说道，“那我就等你老了，送你走时，给你这一半，也要把你送走。”
一片沉寂的声音。好半天，爸爸走到爷爷面前，呆呆地，没有一句话。但爷爷理解。他伸出一只手来，放在爸爸的肩膀上。爸爸听到爷爷喃喃地说：“没关系，孩子。我知道你不是这么想的……”然后，彼得哭了。
但这没什么……因为他们都哭了，哭成了一团。
■哥哥歌唱的奇迹 The Miracle of a Brother's Song
◎Henry Clarke
Like any good mother,when Karen found out that another baby was on the way,she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son,Michael,prepare for a new sibling.They find out that the new baby is going to be a girl,and day after day,night after night,Michael sings to his sister in Mommy's tummy.
The pregnancy progresses normally for Karen,an active member of the Panther Creek United Methodist Church in Morristown,Tennessee.Then the labor pains come.Every five minutes...every minute.But Complications arise during delivery.Hours of labor.Would a C-section be required?Finally,Michael's little sister is born.But she is in serious condition.With siren[38]howling in the night,the ambulance rushes the infant to the neonatal[39]intensive care unit at St.Mary's Hospital in Knoxville,Tennessee.
The days inch by.The little girl gets worse.The pediatric specialist tells the parents,"There is very little hope.Be prepared for the worst."Karen and her husband contact a local cemetery about a burial plot.They have fixed up a special room in their home for the new baby—now they plan a funeral.
名人语库
The sooner you treat your son as a man,the sooner he will be one.
~William John Locke
越早把你的儿子当成男人，他就越早成为男人。
——洛克·W.J.
像其他的好妈妈一样，当卡伦发现自己又怀孕时，她就尽力帮她3岁的儿子迈克尔做好准备，迎接这个新生儿的到来。他们知道这是个女孩，于是，日复一日，夜复一夜，迈克尔趴在妈妈的肚子上，为他的小妹妹唱歌。
卡伦是田纳西州莫里森市卫理公会教堂的活跃分子，她的怀孕期进展正常。接着产前阵痛就来临了。每5分钟一次……每分钟一次。但在分娩过程中出现了并发症，阵痛持续了几个小时。是不是需要剖腹产？最终，迈克尔的小妹妹降生了，但她的情况很糟糕。伴着夜间警报器的鸣叫声，救护车把婴儿送到田纳西州诺克斯维尔市的圣玛丽医院，新生儿重症监护病房。
日子一天天过去了。这个小女儿的情况愈来愈糟。小儿科专家告诉这对父母：“希望非常渺茫。请做好最坏的打算吧。”卡伦和她的丈夫联系了当地一家公墓，安排了葬礼的计划。他们曾在家里布置好一间特别的婴儿房——现在却要计划一个葬礼。
Michael,keeps begging his parents to let him see his sister,"I want to sing to her."he says.Week two in intensive care.It looks as if a funeral will come before the week is over.Michael keeps nagging[40]about singing to his sister,but kids are never allowed in Intensive Care.But Karen makes up her mind.She will take Michael whether they like it or not.
If he doesn't see his sister now,he may never see her alive.She dresses him in an oversized scrub suit and marches him into ICU.He looks like a walking laundry basket,but the head nurse recognizes him as a child and bellows,"Get that kid out of here now!No children are allowed."The mother raises up strong in Karen,and the usually mild-mannered lady glares steel-eyed into the head nurse's face,her lips a firm line."He is not leaving until he sings to his sister!"Karen tows Michael to his sister's bedside.He gazes at the tiny infant losing the battle to live.And he begins to sing.In the pure hearted voice of a 3-year-old,Michael sings:
"You are my sunshine,my only sunshine,you make me happy when skies are gray—"
Instantly the baby girl responds.The pulse rate becomes calm and steady.
Keep on singing,Michael."You never know,dear,how much I love you.Please don't take my sunshine away—"The ragged,strained breathing becomes as smooth as a kitten's purr.
Keep on singing,Michael."The other night,dear,as I lay sleeping,I dreamed I held you in my arms..."Michael's little sister relaxes as rest,healing rest,seems to sweep over her.
迈克尔一直乞求父母，让他进去看看小妹妹。“我想唱歌给她听。”他说。这是重病特护的第二周了。看来好像到不了这周结束，葬礼就要来临了。迈克尔不断地缠着要给小妹妹唱歌听，然而重病特护区不允许儿童入内。不过卡伦下定了决心，不管他们愿不愿意，她都要带迈克尔进去。
如果现在他看不到他的小妹妹，就再也没机会见到她了。卡伦给儿子穿了一身特大型的洗刷服，带他走进加护病房。他看起来就像一个行走的洗衣篮，不过护士长认出来这是一个孩子，便吼道：“马上带那个孩子离开这儿！小孩禁止入内。”卡伦的母性变得坚强起来，这位平日里温柔的女士用坚毅的目光盯着护士长的脸，坚定地说：“他不会离开的，除非给他的妹妹唱首歌。”卡伦拉着迈克尔走到他小妹妹的床前。他凝视着这个不再为生存挣扎的小婴儿，开始唱歌。用3岁孩子单纯的心声，迈克尔唱道：
“你是我的阳光，我唯一的阳光，当天空灰暗时，你能让我快乐——”
女婴立刻有了反应。脉搏的跳动开始变得平稳起来。
迈克尔继续唱着：“亲爱的，你从不知道我有多么爱你。请不要把我的阳光带走——”不规则的、紧张的呼吸开始变得平滑，像小猫的呼噜声那般安稳。
迈克尔继续唱着：“亲爱的，那天晚上当我睡着，我梦到我把你抱在怀中……”他的小妹妹仿佛休息般地放松下来，复原般的休息似乎在她身上扩展开来。
Keep on singing,Michael.Tears conquer[41]the face of the bossy head nurse.Karen glows."You are my sunshine,my only sunshine.Please don't,take my sunshine away."
Funeral plans are scrapped.The next day—the very next day—the little girl is well enough to go home!
Woman's Day magazine called it"the miracle of a brother's song".The medical staff just called it a miracle.Karen called it a miracle of God's love!
迈克尔还在唱着。泪水在护士长的脸上肆意流着。卡伦变得容光焕发。“你是我的阳光，我唯一的阳光。请别把我的阳光带走。”
葬礼计划取消了。第二天——就在第二天——小女孩好了起来，可以回家了！
《妇女日》杂志称之为“哥哥歌唱的奇迹”。医护人员说这就是一个奇迹。卡伦说它是上帝之爱的奇迹。
■装满吻的匣子 A Box Full of Kisses
◎CaveHermit
Once upon a time,a man punished his 5-year-old daughter for using up the family's only roll of expensive gold wrapping paper.Money was tight[42],and he became even more upset when on Christmas Eve,he saw that the child had pasted the gold paper so as to decorate a shoebox to put under the Christmas tree.
Nevertheless,the next morning the little girl,filled with excitement,brought the gift box to her father and said,"This is for you,Daddy!"
As he opened the box,the father was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction.
But when he opened it,he found it was empty and again his anger flared[43]."Don't you know,young lady,"he said harshly,"when you give someone a present there's supposed to be something inside the package!"
The little girl looked up at him with tears rolling from her eyes and said:"Daddy,it's not empty.I blew kisses into it until it was all full."
美丽语录
When the door of happiness closes,another opens,but often times we look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one which has been opened for us.
一扇幸福之门关闭时，另一扇就会打开。我们经常只看见关闭的门，而对开启的门熟视无睹。
从前，一位父亲惩罚了自己5岁的女儿，因为她用光了家里仅有的一卷昂贵的金色包装纸。家里用钱紧张，在圣诞节前夜，父亲变得更加心烦意乱。他看到圣诞树下的一个鞋盒，明白了女儿原来是把金纸贴在这个鞋盒上做装饰。
然而，圣诞日的早上，小女孩满是兴奋地把这个圣诞礼盒拿给了父亲，说道：“爸爸，这个送给你！”
当父亲打开礼盒时，他为自己先前的过激反应而倍感尴尬。
但是，当他打开盒子后，发现里面空空如也，他的怒火再次爆发。“你不知道吗，小姐，”他严厉地说，“当你送礼物给别人时，盒子里面应该是有东西的！”
小女孩抬头看着气头上的父亲，泪水在眼眶中打圈：“爸爸，它不是空的。我的吻，它里面装满了我的吻。”
The father was crushed.He fell on his knees and put his arms around his precious little girl.He begged her to forgive him for his unnecessary anger.
An accident took the life of the child only a short time later.It is told that the father kept that little gold box by his bed for all the years of his life.Whenever he was discouraged or faced difficult problems he would open the box,take out an imaginary kiss,and remember the love of this beautiful child who had put it there.
In a very real sense,each of us as human beings have been given an invisible golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children,family,friends and God.
There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.
父亲顿时被击垮了。他跪下双膝，张开双臂拥抱着自己珍爱的小女孩，祈求她的原谅。
不久之后，一场事故夺走了小女孩的生命。据说，父亲便将那个小金盒子放在床头，一直陪伴着他度过余生。无论何时他感到气馁或遇到困难，他就会打开礼盒，取出一个假想的吻，记起美丽的女儿给予自己的特殊的爱。
从一个非常真实的意义上说，我们每个人都曾被赠予一个无形的金色礼盒，那里装满了来自孩子、家人、朋友和上帝无条件的爱和吻。
人们所能拥有的最珍贵的礼物，也就莫过于此。
■奇迹的价值 The Price of Miracle
◎A.A.Allen
Tess was a precocious 8-year-old girl when she heard her Mom and Dad talking about her little brother,Andrew.All she knew was that he was very sick and they were completely out of money.They were moving to an apartment complex next month because Daddy didn't have the money for the doctor's bills and their house.
"Only a very costly surgery could save him now and it was looking like there was noone to loan us the money."She heard Daddy say to her tearful Mother with whispered desperation,"Only a miracle can save him now."
Tess went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet.She poured all the change out on the floor and counted it carefully.Three times,even.The total had to be exactly perfect.No chance here for mistakes.
Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap,she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.
She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too busy at this moment.Tess twisted her feet to make a noise.Nothing.She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster.
美丽语录
Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they'll love you back!Don't expect love in return;just wait for it to grow in their heart but if it doesn't,be content it grew in yours.
将爱全部付出，并不能确保一定会得到回报。别指望爱有什么回报，耐心地等待它在你所爱的人心里生根发芽、成长壮大。即使不会那样，也要感到满足，相信爱在自己心里成长。
听爸爸妈妈谈起小弟安德鲁的事情时，苔丝已是一个早熟的8岁小女孩。她只知道弟弟病得很厉害，父母却无钱给他医治。下个月他们要搬到一个公寓房，因为爸爸已经无力支付医药费和房款。
“现在唯一可以救他的办法就是做手术，但手术费非常昂贵，没人肯借钱给我们。”她听到爸爸对满含泪水的妈妈低声而绝望地说道，“现在只有奇迹可以救他。”
苔丝回到卧室里，从壁橱里隐蔽的地方拿出一个玻璃罐子，把里面所有的零钱倒在地上，仔细地数了三遍，直到确定无误。
她小心地把硬币放回瓶子，把盖子拧好，然后悄悄地从后门溜出去，穿过六条街区，来到门上有红色印地安语标志的药店。
她耐心地等待着药剂师，可是药剂师非常忙，并没有注意到她。苔丝扭动着她的脚，弄出摩擦的声音——没有反应。她鼓起勇气大声地清嗓子——还是没反应。
No good.Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter.That did it!"And what do you want?"the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice."I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages."he said without waiting for a reply to his question.
"Well,I want to talk to you about my brother,"Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone,"he's really,really sick...and I want to buy a miracle."
"I beg your pardon?"said the pharmacist."His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now.So how much does a miracle cost?"
"We don't sell miracles here,little girl.I'm sorry but I can't help you."the pharmacist said,softening a little.
"Listen,I have the money to pay for it.If it isn't enough,I will get the rest.Just tell me how much it costs."
The pharmacist's brother was a well-dressed man.He stooped down and asked the little girl,"What kind of a miracle does your brother need?""I don't know."Tess replied with her eyes welling up.
"I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation.But my Daddy can't pay for it,so I want to use my money."
"How much do you have?"asked the man from Chicago.
"One dollar and eleven cents,"Tess answered barely audibly,"and it's all the money I have,but I can get some more if I need to."
"Well,what a coincidence,"smiled the man,"a dollar and eleven cents—the exact price of a miracle for little brothers."He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said,"Take me to where you live.I want to see your brother and meet your parents.Let's see if I have the kind of miracle you need."
不行。最后，她从瓶子里拿出个2角5分的硬币摔在玻璃柜台上，“砰”的一声发出清脆的响声。成功了！“那么你需要点什么？”药剂师不耐烦地问，“我要去接我的弟弟，他从芝加哥来，我们很多年没见了。”他没等苔丝说话，就接着说起来。
“我想跟你说下我弟弟的事情，”苔丝用同样生气的语调回答他，“他真的病得很严重……我想为他买个奇迹。”
“你说什么？”药剂师问道。“他叫安德鲁，他病得很厉害，爸爸说现在只有奇迹能救他。所以，请问奇迹多少钱？”
“我们这里不卖奇迹，小女孩，很抱歉，我帮不了你。”药剂师稍微温和地说。
“听着，我付得起钱。如果这些不够的话，我就回去取剩下的。这样，那请告诉我奇迹多少钱？”
这时，药剂师的弟弟来了，他是个穿着讲究的男人。他弯下腰，问这个小女孩：“你弟弟需要什么样的奇迹呢？”“我不知道。”苔丝的眼泪涌了上来。
“我只知道他病得非常厉害，妈妈说他需要做手术。但是爸爸支付不起手术费，所以我想用我自己的钱。”
“你有多少钱？”这个从芝加哥来的男人问。
“1美元11美分，”苔丝用很勉强才能听到的声音回答，“这是我所有的钱，但是，如果不够的话我再想办法。”
“哇，真是太巧了，”男人笑着说，“1美元11美分——正好可以为你弟弟买个奇迹。”他一手拿着小女孩的钱，一手紧紧握住她的手，说：“带我去你住的地方。我想看看你弟弟和你的父母。让我们来看看是不是有你需要的那种奇迹。”
That well-dressed man was Dr.Carlton Armstrong,a surgeon,specializing in neurosurgery.The operation was completed without charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.
"That surgery,"her Mom whispered,"was a real miracle.I wonder how much it would have cost?"Tess smiled.She knew exactly how much a miracle cost...one dollar and eleven cents...plus the faith of a little child.
这个穿着得体的男人就是卡尔顿·阿姆斯壮，著名的神经外科医生。在手术完成且不需支付任何费用后，安德鲁回家后不久就康复了。爸爸和妈妈高兴地谈论着这一连串事情的发生。
“这个手术，”母亲低声自语道，“真是个奇迹。我想知道，奇迹到底需要多少钱呢？”苔丝笑了，她清楚地知道一个奇迹的真正价值——1美元11美分，再加上一个小女孩坚强的信念。
■父亲、儿子与答案 A Father,a Son and an Answer
◎Bob Greene
Passing through the Atlanta airport one morning,I caught one of those trains that take travelers from the main terminal to their boarding gates.Free,sterile[44]and impersonal,the trains run back and forth all day long.Not many people consider them fun,but on this Saturday I heard laughter.
At the front of the first car—looking out the window at the track that lay ahead—were a man and his son.
We had just stopped to let off passengers,and the doors wee closing again."Here we go!Hold on to me tight!"the father said.The boy,about five years old,made sounds of sheer[45]delight.
I know we're supposed to avoid making racial distinctions these days,so I hope no one will mind if I mention that most people on the train were white,dressed for business trips or vacations—and that the father and son were black,dressed in clothes that were just about as inexpensive as you can buy.
"Look out there!"the father said to his son."See that pilot?I bet he's walking to his plane."The son craned his neck to look.
名人语库
If you want your children to keep their feet on the ground,put some responsibility on their shouldres.
~Brnyan
你若希望你的孩子总是脚踏实地，就要让他们负些责任。
——班扬
一天早晨，在去亚特兰大机场时，我看见一辆列车载着旅客从航空集散站抵达登记处。这类免费列车每天单调无味地往返其间，没人觉得有趣。但在这个周六，我听到了笑声。
头节车厢的最前面，坐着一个男人和他的儿子。他们正透过窗户观赏着一直往前延伸的铁道。
我们停下来等候旅客下车。之后，车门再次关闭。“我们走吧。拉紧我！”父亲说。那个男孩大约5岁模样，一路上都喜不自禁。
车上坐的多半是衣冠楚楚，或公差或度假的白人，只有这对黑人父子穿着朴素简单。我知道如今我们不该种族歧视，所以我希望我这样描述没人会介意。
“快看！”父亲对儿子说，“看见那位飞行员了吗？我敢肯定是去开飞机的。”儿子伸长脖子看。
下车后，我突然想起一些事：我还得在航空集散站买点东西。离起飞时间还早，于是我决定再乘车回去。
As I got off,I remembered some thing I'd wanted to buy in the terminal.I was early for my flight,so I decided to go back.
I did—and just as I was about to reboard the train for my gate,I saw that the man and his son had returned too.I realized then that they hadn't been heading for a flight,but had just bee riding the shuttle.
"I want to ride some more!"
"More?"the father said,mock-exasperated but clearly pleased."You're not tired?"
"This is fun!"his son said.
"All right."the father replied,and when a door opened we all got on.
There are parents who can afford to send their children to Europe or Disneyland,and the children turn out rotten[46].There are parents who live in million-dollar houses and give their children cars and swimming pools,yet something goes wrong.Rich and poor,black and white,so much goes wrong so often.
"Where are all these people going,Daddy?"the son asked.
"All over the world."came the reply.The other people in the air port wee leaving for distant destinations or arriving at the ends of their journeys.The father and son,though,were just riding this shuttle together,making it exciting,sharing each other's company.
So many troubles in this country—crime,the murderous soullessness that seems to be taking over the lives of many young people,the lowering of educational standards,the increase in vile obscenities in public,the disappearance of simple civility.So many questions about what to do.Here was a father who cared about spending the day with his son and who had come up with this plan on a Saturday morning.
正准备上车的时候，我看到那对父子也来了。我意识到他们不是来乘飞机的，而是特意来坐区间列车的。
“我还想再坐一会儿！”
“再坐一会儿！”父亲嗔怪地模仿着儿子的语调，“你还不累？”
“这太好玩了！”儿子说。
“好吧。”父亲回答说。车门开了，我们都上了车。
很多父母有能力送孩子去欧洲、去迪斯尼乐园，可他们还是堕落了。很多父母住豪华别墅，孩子有车、有游泳池，可他们还是学坏了。富人和穷人，黑人和白人，那么多人都轻易学坏了。
“爸爸，这些人去哪儿？”儿子问。
“世界各地。”父亲回答。机场来来往往的人流，或准备远行，或刚刚归来。这对父子却在乘坐区间列车，享受着父子间的亲情与陪伴，分享着彼此的兴奋。
我们正面临各种各样的问题：犯罪，越来越多的年轻人变得冷漠无情，教育水平下降，公共场合卑劣淫秽上升，起码的礼貌丧失等。我们有那么多的问题要处理。而在这里，这位父亲却很在意花上一天陪伴儿子，并在这样一个星期六的早上，想出这个计划。
其实，答案很简单：父母愿意花时间，愿意关注，愿意尽心尽职。这不用花一分钱，却是世间的无价之宝。
The answer is so simple:parents who care enough to spend time,and to pay attention and to try their best.It doesn't cost a cent,yet it is the most valuable thing in the world.
The train picked up speed,and the father pointed something out,and the boy laughed again,and the answer is so simple.
火车加速了。父亲指着窗外说着什么，儿子又笑了。是的，答案就是这么简单。
■一个男孩的使命 A Boy With a Mission
◎Indra Sharma
In 1945,a 12-year-old boy saw something in a shop window that set his heart racing.But the price—five dollars—was far beyond Reuben Earle's means.Five dollars would buy almost a week's groceries for his family.
Reuben couldn't ask his father for the money.Everything Mark Earle made through fishing in Bay Roberts,Newfoundland,Canada.Reuben's mother,Dora,stretched like elastic to feed and clothe their five children.
Nevertheless,he opened the shop's weathered door and went inside.Standing proud and straight in his flour-sack shirt and washed-out trousers,he told the shopkeeper what he wanted,adding,"But I don't have the money right now.Can you please hold it for me for some time?"
"I'll try,"the shopkeeper smiled,"folks around here don't usually have that kind of money to spend on things.It should keep for a while."
Reuben respectfully touched his worn cap and walked out into the sunlight with the bay rippling in a freshening wind.There was purpose in his loping stride.He would raise the five dollars and not tell anybody.
Hearing the sound of hammering from a side street,Reuben had an idea.
美丽语录
You're never too heavy for your mother to bear.But try,as you get older,to swap roles once in a while.
母亲从不觉得孩子是负累。不过，在你长大以后，不妨偶尔试着交换一下角色。
1945年，一个12岁的男孩在一家商店橱窗里看到一样令他心动的东西。但是——5美元——远远超出了鲁本·厄尔的支付能力。5美元几乎够买全家一周的食品呢。
鲁本不能向父亲要钱。马克·厄尔的每一分钱都是靠在加拿大纽芬兰的罗伯茨湾捕鱼挣来的。鲁本的母亲多拉，为了不让5个孩子挨饿受冻，差不多是一个钱当两个钱用。
尽管如此，鲁本还是推开商店那扇久经风雨的门走了进去。他穿着面粉袋改做的衬衫和洗得褪色的裤子，站得笔直，丝毫不觉得困窘。他告诉店主他想要的东西，又加上一句：“可我现在还没钱买它，您能为我预留一段时间吗？”
“我尽量吧，”店主微笑着说，“这儿的人买起东西来，一般不会花那么大一笔钱的，它应该还能保留一段时间。”
鲁本很有礼貌地碰了碰自己的旧帽沿儿，走出店外。阳光下清新的微风吹得罗伯茨湾的海水泛起阵阵涟漪。鲁本迈着大步，下定决心：他要凑齐那5美元，而且不告诉任何人。
He ran towards the sound and stopped at a construction site.People built their own homes in Bay Roberts,using nails purchased in Hessian sacks from a local factory.Sometimes the sacks were discarded in the flurry of building,and Reuben knew he could sell them back to the factory for five cents a piece.
That day he found two sacks,which he took to the rambling wooden factory and sold to the man in charge of packing nails.
The boy's hand tightly clutched the five-cent pieces as he ran the two kilometers home.
Near his house stood the ancient barn that housed the family's goats and chickens.Reuben found a rusty soda tin and dropped his coins inside.Then he climbed into the loft of the barn and hid the tin beneath a pile of sweet smelling hay.
It was dinnertime when Reuben got home.His father sat at the big kitchen table,working on fishing net.Dora was at the kitchen stove,ready to serve dinner as Reuben took his place at the table.
He looked at his mother and smiled.Sunlight from the window gilded her shoulder-length blonde hair.Slim and beautiful,she was the center of the home,the glue that held it together.
Her chores were never-ending.Sewing clothes for her family on the old Singer treadle machine,cooking meals and baking bread,planting and tending a vegetable garden,milking the goats and scrubbing soiled clothes on a washboard.But she was happy.Her family and their well-being were her highest priority.
Every day after chores and school,Reuben scoured the town,collecting the hessian nail bags.On the day the two-room school closed for the summer,no student was more delighted than Reuben.Now he would have more time for his mission.
听到街边传来的铁锤声，鲁本有了主意。
他循声跑过去，来到一处建筑工地。罗伯茨湾的人喜欢自己建房，用的钉子是从本地一家工厂买的，都用麻袋来装。有时忙碌不停，麻袋就会被随手丢弃，而鲁本知道，他可以5分钱一条把麻袋再卖给工厂。
那天，他找了两条麻袋，拿到杂乱的木材厂，卖给负责为钉子装袋的人。
手里紧紧攥着两个5分硬币，2公里的路程，他一路跑着回到家。
他家旁边有个颇有年头的谷仓，里面圈着家里的山羊和鸡。鲁本在那里找到一个生锈的装苏打的铁罐，把两枚硬币放了进去。然后，他爬上谷仓的阁楼，把铁罐藏在一堆散发着甜香味的干草下面。
晚饭时分，鲁本跨进家门。父亲正坐在厨房的大餐桌旁摆弄渔网。多拉在灶台边忙碌着，准备开饭。鲁本就在桌边的位置上坐下来。
他看着妈妈，笑了。窗户透进的夕阳将她棕褐的披肩发染成了金色。苗条、美丽的母亲是这个家的中心，她像胶水一样使这个家紧紧黏合在一起。
母亲的家务活没完没了。用老式的“胜家”缝纫机为一家人缝缝补补；做饭、烤面包；照料菜园；挤羊奶；还要在洗衣板上洗脏衣服。但母亲是快乐的。全家人的幸福和健康在她心中占有最重要的地位。
每天放学，做完家务后，鲁本就在镇上搜寻装钉子的麻袋。从只有两间教室的学校开始放暑假的那天起，没人比鲁本更高兴了。现在他有更多的时间去完成他的使命。
All summer long,despite chores at home weeding and watering the garden,cutting wood and fetching water—Reuben kept to his secret task.
Then all too soon the garden was harvested,the vegetables canned and stored,and the school reopened.Soon the leaves fell and the winds blew cold and gusty from the bay.Reuben wandered the streets,diligently searching for his hessian treasures.
Often he was cold,tired and hungry,but the thought of the object in the shop window sustained him.Sometimes his mother would ask:"Reuben,where were you?We were waiting for you to have dinner."
"Playing,Mum.Sorry."
Dora would look at his face and shake her head.Boys.
Finally spring burst into glorious green and Reuben's spirits erupted.The time had come!He ran into the barn,climbed to the hayloft and uncovered the tin can.He poured the coins out and began to count.
Then he counted again.He needed 20 cents more.Could there be any sacks left any where in town?He had to find four and sell them before the day ended.
Reuben ran down Water Street.
The shadows were lengthening when Reuben arrived at the factory.The sack buyer was about to lock up.
"Mister!Please don't close up yet."
The man turned and saw Reuben,dirty and sweat stained.
"Come back tomorrow,boy."
"Please,Mister.I have to sell the sacks now—please."The man heard a tremor in Reuben's voice and could tell he was close to tears.
"Why do you need this money so badly?"
"It's a secret."
整整一个夏天，鲁本除了干家务——给菜园锄草、浇水、砍柴和打水外，始终进行着他的秘密任务。
转眼菜园里该采收了，蔬菜被装罐腌制后储藏，学校也开学了。再不久，树叶也开始飘零，海湾吹起阵阵冷风。鲁本在街头徘徊，努力寻找着被他视为宝物的麻袋。
他经常饥寒交迫，疲惫不堪，但一想到商店橱窗里的那样东西，他就又有劲儿坚持下去了。有时妈妈会问：“鲁本，你上哪儿去了？我们都在等你吃晚饭呢！”
“玩去啦，妈妈。对不起。”
这时候，多拉总会瞧着他的脸，无奈地摇摇头，心想：男孩就是男孩。
春天终于来了，带来片片绿意，鲁本的精神也随之振奋。是时候了！他跑到谷仓，爬上草垛，揭开铁罐，倒出所有硬币清点起来。
他又数一遍，还差20美分。镇上哪儿还会有丢弃的麻袋？他必须在今天结束之前再找4条卖掉。
鲁本沿着沃特街走着。
鲁本赶到工厂，厂房的影子已被夕阳拉得很长。收购麻袋的人正要锁门。
“先生！请先不要关门。”
那人转过身来，看到了脏兮兮、汗涔涔的鲁本。
“明天再来吧，孩子。”
“求您了，先生。我必须现在把麻袋卖掉——求您啦。”那人感觉到鲁本的声音在颤抖，知道他快要哭了。
“你为什么这么急着要这点儿钱？”
The man took the sacks,reached into his pocket and put four coins in Reuben's hand.Reuben murmured a thank you and ran home.
Then,clutching the tin can,he headed for the shop.
"I have the money."he solemnly told the owner.
The man went to the window and retrieved Reuben's treasure.
He wiped the dust off and gently wrapped it in brown paper.Then he placed the parcel in Reuben's hands.
Racing home,Reuben burst through the front door.His mother was scrubbing the kitchen stove."Here,Mum!Here!"Reuben exclaimed as he ran to her side.He placed a small box in her work roughened hand.
She unwrapped it carefully,to save the paper.A blue-velvet jewel box appeared.Dora lifted the lid,tears beginning to blur her vision.
In gold lettering on a small,almond-shaped brooch was the word Mother.
It was Mother's Day,1946.
Dora had never received such a gift;she had no finery except her wedding ring.Speechless,she smiled radiantly and gathered her son into her arms.
“这是一个秘密。”
那人接过麻袋，伸进口袋，掏出4个硬币放在鲁本手里。鲁本轻轻说了声“谢谢”，就往家跑。
接着，他紧紧地搂着铁罐，直奔那家商店。
“我有钱啦！”他一本正经地告诉店主。
店主走向橱窗，取出鲁本梦寐以求的东西。
他掸去灰尘，用棕色的牛皮纸把它小心包好，然后把这个小包放到鲁本手上。
鲁本一路狂奔到家，冲进前门。妈妈正在厨房擦洗灶台。“瞧，妈妈！看这里！”鲁本一边跑着，一边高声喊道。他把一个小盒子放在她因劳作而变得粗糙的手上。
为了不损坏包装纸，她小心翼翼地拆开，一个蓝色天鹅绒的首饰盒映入眼帘。多拉打开盒盖，泪水顿时模糊了她的双眼。
一个小巧的心形胸针上刻着两个金字：母亲。
那是1946年的母亲节。
多拉从未收到过这样的礼物；除了结婚戒指以外，她没有别的饰物。多拉哽咽无语，脸上洋溢着动人的喜悦，一把将儿子揽入怀中。
■当一个人仰望天空 Affection
◎Gail Harmer
When a person is looking at the sky and imaging his own future,the first thought should be his future home.This is like people desperately saving money to buy a house now,in fact,people want more than just a simple"nests",but rather a warm home.This house is a load-bearing,it is not the external show of its meaning,and the important thing is that one of the strong affection rather than greasy.
When suddenly from the cool breeze,there is always someone quietly shutting the doors and windows;quilts dropped,there is always someone to help gently starnpe.Worry,we will console someone patient;pleasure jubilation when will the blessings of knowing someone.When a glory fell upon us,the first one must be glad are family members;when invasion of out lonely hearts,the first one to conswlt us also must be our family.
These seem small non-small,underestimate the importance of non-light none originated from a constant mind,it is affection.Love this priceless,and the most real pro.That affection is like a touch of green tea,refreshing eye-catching,fresh.Cold,the drink can be a warm-up;heat when the goods can be a cool-heart.Affection of the blood concentration and elegant are born with no result has no roots,no grudges,be they from.We are relatives,close relatives does not require any rendering,without any reason,even without any deliberate cover up and maintain,it seems that this is a money situation unchanged.Suand indeed,near the temperature,touch and feel more tired,so tired of fan without a sense of redundancy.It is often of a most unusual flower,did not struggle with the peony show,and rose never doo-yan,but also inadvertent on the plum of the arrogance,have no intention in the heroic epiphyllum.It side pure land,clear voice uttered a sound of dull,people do not faint,not significant vulgar.
名人语库
The family is one of nature's masterpieses.
~George Santayana
家庭是大自然创造的杰作之一。
——桑塔亚那
当一个人仰望天空，畅想自己的未来时，他的第一个念头最应该是自己未来的家。这就像现在人们拼命攒钱买房一样，事实上，人们想要的不仅是一个单纯的“巢穴”，更是一个温暖的家。这套房子是家的承载，它的外在显现不出它的深意，重要的是，其中那浓而不腻的亲情。
凉风忽起的时候，总会有人把门窗悄悄地关上；棉被翻掉的时候，总会有人轻轻地帮你盖上。烦恼忧心的时候，会有人耐心地劝慰；欢呼雀跃的时候，会有人会心地祝福。当荣耀降临我们身上的时候，第一个为之欢喜的必是我们的家人；当孤独落寞侵袭我们的心灵的时候，第一个抚慰我们的也必是我们的家人。
这些似小非小、似轻实重的点点滴滴，都源于一个不变的信念，那就是亲情。情本无价，而亲最真实。亲情就好比那一杯淡淡的清茶，提神醒目，沁人心脾。清冷之时，饮一口可以暖身；燥热之时，品一口可以爽心。亲情的血浓与淡雅是与生俱来的，无因无根，无怨无由。我们对于亲人，亲人对于我们的亲近不需要任何渲染，不需要任何理由，更不需要任何刻意的掩饰与维持，这似乎就是金钱也改变不了的亲情。素而实，近而温，触多而不觉厌倦，话繁而不感冗烦。那是一朵最为平常多见的花，不曾与牡丹争秀，不曾和玫瑰斗艳，又无心与梅花比清高，更无意于昙花的壮烈。它独守一方净土，发出一声声清清的平淡之音，不令人灰心，不显得庸俗。
Remember there is such a touching story of a disabled old man to take three orphans,for children's school,he even go to sell blood to manufacture its own car accident.This source is not from the affection from the blood.Forward and those who put their own biological parents or children of people who disregard the difference is really.Money and status of conscience tend to degenerate,and if we do not even have to give up affection,then we really have nothing.Since the hand of affection has always been warm,and she always put us to hold fast to provide us with peace of mind safe place,and we abandon it once and those who do not clean into place,it will never feel the warmth and satisfied.Where there is only indifference and because,while it remains the same affection for you wait for the return.Each family would have no reason to forgive you of the past,even if they hurt you once.
This affection is the tolerance and support for the key link of the article,all the sin and suffering always willing to relatives under the tam.Also remember that a novel has an old Chinese medicine,he can cure all diseases,and there is a disease that only he can cure.Ancestors may have training:dead evil,do not save the greedy.He has broken the rules are broken for his son,when he knows his own son,of corruption,he a people kneel at the graves before the suicide.This is a caring father,but also a filial descendants,he did not insist the loss of conscience.Affection,conscience,he would hold an ordinary disclosed in a noble,sad sigh are filled with,let us have to give birth to such a father means respect.
记得这样一个感人的故事，一个残疾老人收留了三个孤儿，为了孩子们的学费，他甚至去卖血，去制造自己的车祸。这源自亲情而非血缘。和那些把亲生父母或子女弃之不顾的人相比，真有天壤之别。金钱和地位往往会使人良心退化，而如果连亲情都放弃的话，我们就真的什么都没有了。因为亲情的手始终是暖的，它总是把我们抱紧，为我们提供安身安心之地，而我们一旦放弃它，投向那些不干净的地方，就再也不会感到温暖与满足。那里有的只是冷漠与暗算，而亲情却一如既往地等待你的回归。每一个亲人会毫无理由地原谅你的过去，即使你曾经伤害他们。
亲情本就是以宽容和支持为条纲的篇章，所有的罪过和痛苦总让人愿意为亲人担下。还记得一篇小说中有一位年迈的中医，他能治百病，并且有一种病只有他能治好。祖上有训：不治恶，不救贪。可他打破了这个规矩，是为他的儿子。当知道自己的儿子贪污腐败之时，他跪倒在祖坟前自杀了。这是一个仁爱的父亲，更是一个孝顺的后人，他没有失去对良心的坚持。亲情和良心，他都守住了。平凡之中透露着一种高贵，悲惋叹息之中洋溢着豪壮，让我们不得不对这样一位父亲心生敬佩。
这也许是文人杜撰的，却又让人们感到它确实是感人的。亲情更多时候表现在生活的细微之处，而遭遇重大变故时，留下的也只有亲情。我们往往会忽视这份珍贵的东西，因为它的永恒，还是因为它的普通常见？我们每个人都拥有这份宝贝，却从不把它当作宝贝，到失去之时已是无法挽回。
This may be fabricated out of the literati are,but let people feel that it is indeed touching.More affection in life are subtle,but significant changes in his time,leaving only affection but.We tend to neglect this precious thing,because it eternity,or because it's common?Each of us has a baby with this,but never put it as a baby to lose the time,they are irreparable.
Not to mean a greeting,not to shy a hug,get close to our families,cherish this extraordinary and noble affection,and that is the most timeless really the most appropriate.
不要吝啬一个祝福，不要害羞一个拥抱，亲近我们的家人，珍视这平凡而又高贵的亲情，那是今生今世最真最切的永恒。
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