A Brother Like That
A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile
from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve
when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin[1] was
walking around the shiny new car, admiring it.
"Is this your car, Mister?
" he said.
Paul nodded.
"My brother gave it to me for Christmas.
" The boy was astounded[2].
"You mean your brother gave it
to you and it didnt cost you nothing? Boy, I wish . . .
" He hesitated.
Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He
was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the
lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels.
"I wish,
" the boy went on,
"That I could be a brother
like that.
" Paul looked at the boy in astonishment[3], then
impulsively he added,
"Would you like to take a ride in my
car?
" "Oh yes, Id love that.
" After a short ride, the boy turned with his eyes aglow
[4], said,
"Mister, would you mind driving in front of my
house?
" Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad
wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride
home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again.
"Will
you stop where those two steps are?
" the boy asked.
He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard
him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was
carrying his little crippled[5] brother. He sat him down
on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him
[6] and pointed to the car.
"There she is, Buddy[7], just like I told you
upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it
didnt cost him a cent. And some day Im gonna give you
one just like it . . . then you can see for yourself all
the pretty things in the Christmas windows that Ive been
trying to tell you about.
" Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of
his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside
him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride.
That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant when
he said:
"It is more blessed to give[8] . . .
" --Dan Clark
注释:
1.urchin:淘气鬼,顽童,尤其是指男孩子。比如,a street
urchin,街头流浪儿。
2.astounded:astound,使(人)大吃一惊,但它一般多用于被动
语态。He was astounded at the news.那消息让他大吃一惊。
3.in astonishment:和in surprise意思差不多,表示很惊讶。但
吃惊的程度要深一些。
4.aglow:这是一个形容词,它的意思是“炽热的,脸上发热
的”。
5.crippled:cripple即可作名词,也可作动词,意为跛子,或使
跛足。在这里用crippled,是用分词做形容词,跛足的。
6.squeezed up against him:squeeze是挤压的意思,在这里,很
形象地说明小男孩紧紧抱着跛脚的弟弟,怕他摔倒了。
7.buddy:老兄,老弟。这是美国
俚语中常见的说法,一般只用于
打招呼。
8.It is more blessed to give:施比受更有福。给予是一种幸
福,因为你是富有的,这种富有通常跟财富无关,更主要的是精神
上的富有。
内容:
哥哥的心愿
圣诞节时,保罗的哥哥送他一辆新车。圣诞节当天,保罗离开办公室时,一个男孩绕着那辆闪闪发亮的新车,十分赞叹地问:
"先生,这是你的车?
" 保罗点点头:
"这是我哥哥送给我的圣诞节礼物。
"男孩满脸惊讶,支支吾吾地说:
"你是说这是你哥送的礼物,没花你一分钱?天哪,我真希望也能……
" 保罗当然知道男孩他真想希望什么。他希望能有一个象那样的哥哥。但是小男孩接下来说的话却完全出乎了保罗的意料。
"我希望自己能成为送车给弟弟的哥哥。
"男孩继续说。
保罗惊愕地看着那男孩,冲口而出地说:
"你要不要坐我的车去兜风?
" "哦,当然好了,我太想坐了!
" 车开了一小段路后,那孩子转过头来,眼睛闪闪发亮,对我说:
"先生,你能不能把车子开到我家门前?
" 保罗微笑,他知道孩子想干什么。那男孩必定是要向邻居炫耀,让大家知道他坐了一部大轿车回家。但是这次保罗又猜错了。
"你能不能把车子停在那两个台阶前?
"男孩要求道。
男孩跑上了阶梯,过了一会儿保罗听到他回来了,但动作似乎有些缓慢。原来把他跛脚的弟弟带出来了,将他安置在第一个台阶上,紧紧地抱着他,指着那辆新车。
只听那男孩告诉弟弟:
"你看,这就是我刚才在楼上对你说的那辆新车。这是保罗他哥哥送给他的哦!将来我也会送给你一辆像这样的车,到那时候你就能自己去看那些在圣诞节时,挂窗口上的漂亮饰品了,就象我告诉过你的那样。
" 保罗走下车子,把跛脚男孩抱到车子的前座。兴奋得满眼放光的哥哥也爬上车子,坐在弟弟的身旁。就这样他们三人开始一次令人难忘的假日兜风。
那个圣诞夜,保罗才真正体会主耶稣所说的
"施比受更有福
"的道理。
--丹·克拉克
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