I hurried into the local department store to grab some last minute Christmas gifts. I looked at all the people and grumbled to myself. I would be in here forever and I just had so much to do. Christmas was beginning to become such a drag. I kinda wished that I could just sleep through Christmas.

我匆匆走進(jìn)了當(dāng)?shù)匾患野儇浬痰?想抓緊圣誕節(jié)前的最后幾分鐘搶購(gòu)一些圣誕禮物,看到熙熙攘攘的人群,我郁悶極了.看樣子我要一直待在這兒了,可還有好多事情等著我呢.我甚至想用睡覺(jué)將這永無(wú)休止的圣誕節(jié)打發(fā)掉.

But I hurried the best I could through all the people to the toy department. Once again I kind of mumbled to myself at the prices of all these toys, and wondered if the grandkids would even play with them. I found myself in the doll aisle. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a little boy about 5 holding a lovely doll.

可我不得不穿過(guò)人流,擠到玩具部去.看到玩具上的標(biāo)價(jià),我不禁自言自語(yǔ)：這是給小孩子玩的嗎?我站在玩具專柜前,無(wú)意間瞥見(jiàn)一個(gè)五歲左右的小男孩,手里正擺弄著一個(gè)可愛(ài)的玩具娃娃.

He kept touching her hair and he held her so gently. I could not seem to help myself. I just kept looking over at the little boy and wondered who the doll was for. I watched him turn to a woman and he called his aunt by name and said, 'Are you sure I don't have enough money?'

他小心翼翼地抱著它,不停地?fù)崦念^發(fā).他的樣子深深地吸引了我,我想知道他要把這個(gè)娃娃送給誰(shuí).我看到他轉(zhuǎn)向一位女士,叫她阿姨,說(shuō)：'您確定我的錢不夠嗎?'

She replied a bit impatiently, 'You know that you don't have enough money for it.' The aunt told the little boy not to go anywhere that she had to go and get some other things and would be back in a few minutes. And then she left the aisle. The boy continued to hold the doll.

那女士有點(diǎn)不耐煩地說(shuō)：'你知道你的錢是買不起它的.'這位阿姨讓小男孩站在原地不要到處亂走,她要去買些別的東西,一會(huì)兒就回來(lái),然后便離開(kāi)了.小男孩依然抱著那個(gè)玩具娃娃.

After a bit I asked the boy who the doll was for. He said, 'It is the doll my sister wanted so badly for Christmas. She just knew that Santa would bring it.' I told him that maybe Santa was going to bring it.

停了一下,我走過(guò)去問(wèn)這男孩想把娃娃送給誰(shuí).他說(shuō)：'這是我姐姐最想要的圣誕禮物,她知道圣誕老人一定會(huì)帶給她的.'我告訴他,也許圣誕老人真的會(huì)帶給姐姐這個(gè)禮物.

He said, 'No, Santa can't go where my sister is...I have to give the doll to my Mamma to take to her.' I asked him where his sister was. He looked at me with the saddest eyes and said, 'She was gone to be with Jesus. My Daddy says that Mamma is going to have to go to be with her.'

他說(shuō)：'不會(huì)了,圣誕老人不能到我姐姐那兒去……我要把它給媽媽,讓她帶給姐姐.'我問(wèn)他,姐姐在哪里.他滿眼悲傷地望著我說(shuō)：'她去上帝那兒了,爸爸說(shuō),媽媽要去陪姐姐.'

My heart nearly stopped beating. Then the boy looked at me again and said, 'I told my Daddy to tell Mamma not to go yet. I told him to tell her to wait till I got back from the store.' Then he asked me if I wanted to see his picture. I told him I would love to.

我的心臟幾乎要停止跳動(dòng)了,男孩又望著我說(shuō)：'我讓爸爸告訴媽媽先別走,等我從商店回去后再走.'然后,他問(wèn)我想不想看他的照片.我欣然答應(yīng)了.

He pulled out some pictures he'd taken at the front of the store. He said, 'I want my Mamma to take this with her so she doesn't ever forget me. I love my Mamma very much and I wish she did not have to leave me. But Daddy says she will need to be with my sister.'

他拿出一些在商店門前拍的照片來(lái),說(shuō)：'我要媽媽把這照片帶在身邊,那樣她就不會(huì)忘記我了.我非常喜歡媽媽,不想讓她離開(kāi)我,但爸爸說(shuō)媽媽得去陪姐姐.'

I saw that the little boy had lowered his head and had grown so quiet. While he was not looking I reached into my purse and pulled out a handful of bills. I asked the little boy, 'Shall we count that money one more time?' He grew excited and said, 'Yes, I just know it has to be enough.'

小男孩垂下頭,沉默不語(yǔ).趁他不注意,我把手伸進(jìn)錢包,掏出一些錢.對(duì)他說(shuō)：'我們?cè)贁?shù)一遍,看看錢到底夠不夠,怎么樣?'他興奮地說(shuō)：'好啊!我覺(jué)得錢應(yīng)該夠的.'

So I slipped my money in with his and we began to count it. Of course it was plenty for the doll. He softly said, 'Thank you Jesus for giving me enough money.' Then the boy said, 'I just asked Jesus to give me enough money to buy this doll so Mamma can take it with her to give to my sister.And he heard my prayer.

這時(shí),我把剛剛掏出的錢偷偷混進(jìn)他的錢里,當(dāng)然,這些錢買這個(gè)娃娃是足夠了.他輕聲地說(shuō)：'感謝上帝,給了我足夠的錢.'然后又說(shuō),'我祈求過(guò)上帝,讓他給我足夠的錢買這個(gè)娃娃,那樣?jì)寢尵涂梢园阉鼛Ыo姐姐了.上帝一定聽(tīng)到了我的祈禱.

I wanted to ask him for enough to buy my Mamma a white rose, but I didn't ask him, but he gave me enough to buy the doll and a rose for my Mamma. She loves white roses so much.' In a few minutes the aunt came back and I wheeled my cart away.

我本想再多要點(diǎn)兒錢,給媽媽買朵白玫瑰,但我沒(méi)要,可他還是多給了,這錢足夠買娃娃和玫瑰花了.媽媽特別喜歡白玫瑰.'幾分鐘后,他的阿姨回來(lái),我推著購(gòu)物車走開(kāi)了.

I could not keep from thinking about the little boy as I finished my shopping in a totally different spirit than when I had started. And I kept remembering a story I had seen in the newspaper several days earlier about a drunk driver hitting a car and killing a little girl and the Mother was in serious condition. The family was deciding on whether to remove the life support. Now surely this little boy did not belong with that story.

買完?yáng)|西后,我的心情暢快多了,不由自主地又想起了那個(gè)小男孩.我忽然記起前幾天在報(bào)紙上看到的一條新聞,報(bào)道說(shuō)一個(gè)酒后駕車的司機(jī)撞了一輛小車,致使一小女孩當(dāng)場(chǎng)死亡,而她的媽媽被撞成重傷.那家人一直在考慮是否該繼續(xù)借用氧氣瓶來(lái)維持這位媽媽的生命.當(dāng)然,我寧愿相信這個(gè)小男孩與這則報(bào)道無(wú)任何關(guān)聯(lián).

Two days later I read in the paper where the family had disconnected the life support and the young woman had died. I could not forget the little boy and just kept wondering if the two were somehow connected.

兩天后,我從報(bào)上得知,那家已不再用氧氣瓶,年輕的女子死了.我始終忘不了那個(gè)小男孩,總覺(jué)得他們之間有著某種聯(lián)系.

Later that day, I could not help myself and I went out and bought some white roses and took them to the funeral home where the young woman was. And there she was holding a lovely white rose, the beautiful doll, and the picture of the little boy in the store.

當(dāng)天晚些時(shí)候,我無(wú)法控制自己,買了些白玫瑰,去了這個(gè)不幸的家.我看到那個(gè)女子靜靜地躺在那兒,手里拿著一枝白玫瑰,還有漂亮的玩具娃娃和商店里那個(gè)小男孩的照片.

I left there in tears, their life changed forever. The love that little boy had for his little sister and his mother was overwhelming. And in a split second a drunk driver had ripped the life of that little boy to pieces.

我流著淚離開(kāi)了,他們的生活就這樣永遠(yuǎn)地改變了,小男孩對(duì)媽媽和姐姐的愛(ài)深刻無(wú)比,可瞬間,那個(gè)醉酒的司機(jī)卻把他們的生活碾得支離破碎.