第5章 那些执著的梦想

Even a minor event in the life of a child is an event of that child's world and thus a world event.Children are not things to be molded,but are people to be unfolded.

在孩童的生活中，哪怕一件小事，也是那个孩子世界里的大事，因而也是一件世界性的事件。儿童不是要被塑造的东西，而是要被展开的人。

Making Sandcastles　堆沙堡的小男孩

◎Max Lucado

A little boy is on his knees scooping and packing the sand with plastic shovels into a bright blue bucket.Then he upends the bucket on the surface and lifts it.And,to the delight of the little architect,a castle tower is created.

All afternoon he will work,scooping out the moat and packing the walls.Bottle tops will be sentries.Sticks will be bridges.A sandcastle will be built.

Big city.Busy streets.Rumbling traffic.

A man is in his office.At his desk he puts papers into stacks and assigns tasks.The phone is on his shoulder and he is knocking the keyboard with his fingers.Contracts are signed and much to the delight of the man,a profit is made.

All his life he will work,formulating the plans,forecasting the future.Profits will be sentries.Capital gains will be bridges.An empire will be built.

Two builders of two castles.They have much in common.They shape little pebbles into grand buildings.They are diligent and determined.And for both the tide will rise and the end will come.Yet that is where the similarities stop.For the boy sees the end while the man ignores it.

As the waves near,the wise child jumps to his feet and begins to clap.There is no sorrow.No fear.No regret.He knew this would happen.He is not surprised.

And when the great breaker crashes into his castle and his masterpiece is sucked into the sea,he smiles.He smiles,picks up his tools,takes his father's hand,and goes home.

The grownup,however,is not so wise.As the wave of years collapses on his castle he is terrified.He tries to protect the sandy monument.He blocks the waves from the walls he has made.Salt-water soaked and shivering he snarls at the incoming tide.

"It's my castle,"he protests.

The ocean need not respond.Both know to whom the sand belongs...

I don't know much about sandcastles.But children do.Watch them and learn.Go ahead and build,but build with a child's heart.

When the sun sets and the tides take—applaud.

Salute the process of life and go home.

一个小男孩跪在那里，用塑料铲挖着沙子，并把沙子装进一个鲜艳的蓝桶。然后他把蓝桶倒扣在地上，再把它提起来。让这小建筑师开心的是，一座城堡的塔楼就这样诞生了。

整个下午他都要工作：挖护城河，建城墙，瓶盖就是岗哨，木棍就是桥粱。一座城堡就这样建成了。

某个大城市，繁忙的街道，拥挤的交通。

一位男士在他的办公室里。坐在办公桌前，他把文件堆叠在一起，分配任务。他将电话夹在肩头，手指不停地敲击着键盘。合同签字生效，让这位男士高兴的是，一笔赢利就这样做成了。

他的整个一生都会工作：制定计划，预测未来。红利就是岗哨，资本积累就是桥梁。一个帝国就这样建成了。

这两座城堡的建筑者，他们有很多共同之处。他们会把细小的鹅卵石变成宏伟的建筑。他们很勤奋也很有决心。而对于他们俩而言，涨潮都会发生，一切都会结束。然而，相似之处就此画上了一个句号。男孩看到了结局，而男人却忽略了它。

然而，巨浪来临时，聪明的男孩欢呼跳跃。没有悲伤，没有恐惧，没有遗憾。他知道这一切都会发生，他并不感到惊讶。

当这巨大的破坏者冲毁他的城堡，将他的杰作卷入大海，男孩笑了。男孩微笑着，收拾好他的工具，拉着父亲的手，然后回家。

然而，这位成年人，却不那么聪明。当岁月的巨浪击毁他的城堡时，他害怕了。他试图保护这沙质纪念碑。他试图阻止巨浪袭击他建造的城墙。咸海水湮没了他的城堡。

“这是我的城堡！”他战栗着怒吼。

海洋不需要回应。两者都明白沙子的归宿……

我对沙堡所知甚少，但男孩知道。他看着它们，学习着。走上前去，然后用心建造。

当太阳升起时，潮水在为他鼓掌。

向生命的过程敬礼，然后回家。

美丽语录

Do not,for one repulse,forgot the purpose that you resolved to effort.

不要只因一次挫败，就放弃你原来决心想达到的目的。

The Sorrows of Young Werther　少年维特之烦恼

◎Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

JULY 16.

How my heart beats when by accident I touch her finger,or my feet meet hers under the table!I draw back as if from a furnace;but a secret force impels me forward again,and my senses become disordered.Her innocent,unconscious heart never knows what agony these little familiarities inflict upon me.Sometimes when we are talking she lays her hand upon mine,and in the eagerness of conversation comes closer to me,and her balmy breath reaches my lips,—when I feel as if lightning had struck me,and that I could sink into the earth.And yet,Wilhelm,with all this heavenly confidence,—if I know myself,and should ever dare—you understand me.No,no!My heart is not so corrupt,it is weak,weak enough but is not that a degree of corruption?

She is to me a sacred being.All passion is still in her presence:I cannot express my sensations when I am near her.I feel as if my soul beat in every nerve of my body.There is a melody which she plays on the piano with angelic skill,—so simple is it,and yet so spiritual!It is her favorite air;and,when she plays the first note,all pain,care,and sorrow disappear from me in a moment.

I believe every word that is said of the magic of ancient music.How her simple song enchants me!Sometimes,when I am ready to commit suicide,she sings that air;and instantly the gloom and madness which hung over me are dispersed,and I breathe freely again.

JULY 18.

Wilhelm,what is the world to our hearts without love?What is a magic-lantern without light?You have but to kindle the flame within,and the brightest figures shine on the white wall;and,if love only show us fleeting shadows,we are yet happy,when,like mere children,we behold them,and are transported with the splendid phantoms.I have not been able to see Charlotte to-day.I was prevented by company from which I could not disengage myself.What was to be done?I sent my servant to her house,that I might at least see somebody to-day who had been near her.Oh,the impatience with which I waited for his return!The joy with which I welcomed him!I should certainly have caught him in my arms,and kissed him,if I had not been ashamed.

It is said that the Bonona stone,when placed in the sun,attracts the rays,and for a time appears luminous in the dark.So was it with me and this servant.The idea that Charlotte's eyes had dwelt on his countenance,his cheek,his very apparel,endeared them all inestimably to me,so that at the moment I would not have parted from him for a thousand crowns.His presence made me so happy!Beware of laughing at me,Wilhelm.Can that be a delusion which makes us happy?

AUGUST 8.

Believe me,dear Wilhelm,I did not allude to you when I spoke so severely of those who advise resignation to inevitable fate.I did not think it possible for you to indulge such a sentiment.But in fact you are right.I only suggest one objection.In this world one is seldom reduced to make a selection between two alternatives.There are as many varieties of conduct and opinion as there are turns of feature between an aquiline nose and a flat one.

You will,therefore,permit me to concede your entire argument,and yet contrive means to escape your dilemma.

Your position is this,I hear you say:"Either you have hopes of obtaining Charlotte,or you have none.Well,in the first case,pursue your course,and press on to the fulfillment of your wishes.In the second,be a man,and shake off a miserable passion,which will enervate and destroy you."My dear friend,this is well and easily said.

But would you require a wretched being,whose life is slowly wasting under a lingering disease,to dispatch himself at once by the stroke of a dagger?Does not the very disorder which consumes his strength deprive him of the courage to affect his deliverance?

You may answer me,if you please,with a similar analogy,"Who would not prefer the amputation of an arm to the periling of life by doubt and procrastination!"But I know not if I am right,and let us leave these comparisons.

Enough!There are moments,Wilhelm,when I could rise up and shake it all off,and when,if I only knew where to go,I could fly from this place.

THE SAME EVENING.

My diary,which I have for some time neglected,came before me today;and I am amazed to see how deliberately I have entangled myself step by step.To have seen my position so clearly,and yet to have acted so like a child!Even still I behold the result plainly,and yet have no thought of acting with greater prudence.

七月十六日

当我偶然触碰到她的手指，我们的双脚在桌子下相遇时，我的心跳加速了！我就像碰到火似地退缩了。然而，一股神奇的力量促使我继续着，我的思绪凌乱了。她那颗天真无知的心从未意识到，这些毫不起眼的亲密举动对我来说却是一种折磨。聊天时她偶尔会把手搭在我的手上，聊天的渴望让她坐得离我越来越近，她的呼吸仿佛都充满了芳香，扑向我的嘴唇，我感觉就像是被闪电击中，整个身体都要沉到地底下去了。可是，威廉，如果早知道自己有极好的自信心，我就该……你应该能够理解我的。不，不！我的心不像是会这么堕落的呀，它只是有点软弱，只是软弱而已，还不至于到达堕落的程度吧？

对我来说，她就是一个不可冒犯的女神。在她面前，我所有的激情都在那一刻安静：当我靠近她时，我无法表达心中所感。我感觉我的灵魂正在我体内的每根神经上跳动。她用天使般的技艺弹奏着一首动听的钢琴曲，——简单却能触及心灵。那是她最爱的曲子，当第一个音符从她的指尖飞出时，我所有的痛苦、担心、悲伤便在顷刻间消失得无影无踪。

每一个关于古老乐曲具有魔力的说法我都深信不疑。她弹奏的这首简单的乐曲就能让我着迷！每当我想要轻生的时候，她就会唱起那首歌。于是，那些缠着我不放的阴郁和疯狂就会立即消失不见，我又能自由地呼吸了。

七月十八日

威廉啊，没有爱的世界对我们而言会是什么呢？没有光亮的魔灯又会是什么呢？你必须燃起里面的火焰，这样最鲜亮的图像就会映在那面洁白无瑕的墙上了。即使爱留给我们的只是转瞬即逝的幻影，我们还是会感到幸福，我们就像孩子似地拥抱着它，为这个辉煌的幻影激动万分。今天我不能去见夏洛特了，因为我有个约会不得不去。这该怎么办呢？我派了仆人到她家去，这样今天我至少能见到一个曾经近距离接触过她的人。噢！等待仆人的归来让我焦躁不已！我见到他时该有多高兴啊！如果我不那么害羞的话，我想我肯定会用双臂拥抱他，然后亲吻他。

曾经听人们提起过博洛纳石头，当置于太阳底下时它能吸收阳光，过了一会儿就能在黑暗中闪闪发亮了。所以，在我眼中我的仆人就像是博洛纳石头。我觉得夏洛特的眼神曾在他的表情，他的脸颊，他的衣服上停留过，这种感觉让一切变得珍贵起来。此时此刻，即使有人愿意给我一千个皇冠，我也不会把他让出去。他的存在让我感到无比快乐！威廉，你可别笑我啊！难道这就是能够让我们幸福的幻影？

八月八日

亲爱的威廉，请相信我，当我大声呵斥那些让我们屈服于命运的人们时，我并非指你。我从未想过你也持有类似的观点。可事实上你是正确的。我只反对一点。在这个世界上，“非此即彼”的选择是少之又少的。世间的行为和观点多种多样，就像鹰钩鼻和扁平鼻之间的区别一样，数不胜数。

然而，如果我承认你的整套理论都是正确的，却又千方百计想要逃出你“进退两难”的窘境，你不会怪我吧？

你的态度是这样的，我听到你说：“你要么对夏洛特抱有希望，要么就不抱任何希望。那么，第一种情况，你必须坚持你的追求，奋力前进让自己美梦成真。第二种情况，做个真正的男子汉，抛开那些痛苦的、让你变得脆弱甚至会毁掉你的情感。”我亲爱的朋友，你说得很好、很干脆。

但是，假如一个不幸的人正在被日益恶化的疾病慢慢耗去生命时，你能劝他用匕首给自己一刀，从而永远地结束这种痛苦吗？病痛带走的不仅是他的精力，也带走了他自我了断的勇气。

如果高兴的话，你还会用一个类似的比喻回答我，“与其犹豫不决、瞻前顾后，用自己的生命当赌注，还不如舍弃一条胳膊！”我不知道自己是不是对的，那我们就暂时将这些比喻句放在一旁吧！

够了！威廉，有些时候，我也有重新振作并甩掉这些情感包袱的勇气。如果我知道我该去向何方，我就会飞离这儿。

八月八日晚上

我已经好长时间没有写日记了，今天我想写点什么。我惊奇地发现自己竟是故意一步步地陷入目前的境地中。我十分清楚自己的处境，可我的行为却像小孩一样幼稚。我甚至连最终的结局也看得清清楚楚，可我仍旧不愿做一些让结局变好的举动。

美丽语录

Words cannot explain how much I miss you.

关于我有多想念你，一切语言都显得苍白无力。

If I Were a Boy Again　假如我又回到了童年

◎Anonymous

If I were a boy again,I would practice perseverance more often,and never give up a thing because it was hard or inconvenient.If we want light,we must conquer darkness.Perseverance can sometimes equal genius in its results."There are only two creatures,"says a proverb,"who can surmount the pyramids—the eagle and the snail."

If I were a boy again,I would school myself into a habit of attention;I would let nothing come between me and the subject in hand.I would remember that a good skater never tries to skate in two directions at once.

The habit of attention becomes part of our life,if we began early enough.I often hear grown up people say"I could not fix my attention on the sermon or book,although I wished to do so,"and the reason is,the habit was not formed in youth.

If I were to live my life over again,I would pay more attention to the cultivation of the memory.I would strengthen that faculty by every possible means,and on every possible occasion.It takes a little hard work at first to remember things accurately;but memory soon helps itself,and gives very little trouble.It only needs early cultivation to become a power.

If I were a boy again,I would cultivate courage."Nothing is so mild and gentle as courage,nothing so cruel and pitiless as cowardice,"says a wise author.

We too often borrow trouble,and anticipate that may never appear."The fear of ill exceeds the ill we fear."Dangers will arise in any career,but presence of mind will often conquer the worst of them.Be prepared for any fate,and there is no harm to be feared.

If I were a boy again,I would look on the cheerful side.Life is very much like a mirror:if you smile upon it,I smiles back upon you;but if you frown and look doubtful on it,you will get a similar look in return.

Inner sunshine warms not only the heart of the owner,but of all that come in contact with it."Who shuts love out,in turn shall be shut out from love."

If I were a boy again,I would school myself to say no more often.I might write pages on the importance of learning very early in life to gain that point where a young boy can stand erect,and decline doing an unworthy act because it is unworthy.

If I were a boy again,I would demand of myself more courtesy towards my companions and friends,and indeed towards strangers as well.The smallest courtesies along the rough roads of life are like the little birds that sing to us all winter long,and make that season of ice and snow more endurable.

Finally,instead of trying hard to be happy,as if that were the sole purpose of life,I would,if I were a boy again,I would still try harder to make others happy.

假如我又回到了童年，我会时常锻炼我的毅力，再也不会因为事情困难或者麻烦就决定放弃。如果想要获得光明，我们就要战胜黑暗。有时候，毅力在结果上能与天才相媲美。俗话说：“世上只有两种生物能登上金字塔，它们就是——老鹰和蜗牛。”

假如我又回到了童年，我会养成做事专心致志的习惯，事情在手时我不会因为任何东西而分心。我会牢记：一个优秀的滑冰手绝不会试着滑向两个不同的方向。

如果早早地养成专心的习惯，它就能成为我们生命中的一部分。我常听大人们说：“我无法专心听牧师讲道或者看书，即便我希望自己能够专心去做这些事情。”而原因就是，年轻的时候没有养成专心的习惯。

假如我的生命能够重新来过，我就会着重培养我的记忆力。我会想方设法在各种可能的场合增强我的记忆力。想要清楚地记住一些事情，刚开始的时候的确需做出一番小小的努力。但是过不了多久，记忆力本身就会起作用，记东西就成了一件简单的事情了。只要早点开始培养，记忆力也能成为一种才能。

假如我又回到了童年，我会培养勇气。一位聪明的作家曾经说过：“世上没有什么东西比勇气更温文尔雅，没有什么东西比懦弱更冷酷无情。”

我们时常会自寻烦恼，杞人忧天。“对疾病的惧怕要比疾病本身可怕。”危险无处不在，但镇定沉着往往能克服最大的危险。时刻准备着应对任何祸福，那么灾难就没什么可怕的了。

假如我又回到了童年，我会事事乐观。生活就如一面镜子：你对生活笑，生活就会对你笑；但是，如果你眉头紧锁，用怀疑的目光看待它，它也将还以你同样的目光。

心中的欢愉既温暖了自己，也温暖了与之接触过的那些人的心。“谁把爱拒之门外，爱也必将其拒之门外。”

假如我又回到了童年，我要养成经常说“不”的习惯。也许我会写上好几页关于早年培养这一点的重要性，因为一个少年要学会顶天立地，只要觉得一件事不值得做，就拒绝去做。

假如我又回到了童年，我会要求自己更加礼貌地对待我的伙伴和朋友，还有陌生人。坎坷人生路上，最细小的礼貌就像是漫漫冬日里为我们歌唱的小鸟，是歌声让冰天雪地的冷冬变得不再那么难过。

最后，假如我又回到了童年，我不会把为自己谋幸福作为人生的唯一目标，我也会为他人的幸福而努力。

美丽语录

Sometimes you need to look back,otherwise you will never know what you have lost in the way of forever searching.

偶尔要回头看看，否则永远都在追寻，而不知道自己失去了什么。

Bill Gates in His Boyhood　比尔·盖茨的童年时代

◎Sarah Kay

As a child—and as an adult as well—Bill was untidy.It has been said that in order to counteract this,Mary drew up weekly clothing plans for him.On Mondays he might go to school in blue,on Tuesdays in green,on Wednesdays in brown,on Thursdays in black,and so on,Weekend meal schedules might also be planned in detail.Everything time,at work or during his leisure time.

Dinner table discussions in the Gate's family home were always lively and educational."It was a rich environment in which to learn,"Bill remembered.

Bill's contemporaries,even at the age,recognized that he was exceptional.Every year,he and his friends would go to summer camp.Bill especially liked swimming and other sports.One of his summer camp friends recalled,"He was never a nerd or a goof or the kind of kid you didn't want your team.We all knew Bill was smarter than us.Even back then,when he was nine or ten years old,he talked like an adult and could express himself in ways that none of us understood."

Bill was also well ahead of his classmates in mathematics and science.He needed to go to a school that challenged him to Lakeside—an all-boys'school for exceptional students.It was Seattle's most exclusive school and was noted for its rigorous academic demands,a place where"even the dumb kids were smart".

Lakeside allowed students to pursue their own interests,to whatever extent they wished.The school prided itself on making conditions and facilities available that would enable all its students to reach their full potential.It was the ideal environment for someone like Bill Gates.

In 1968,the school made a decision that would change thirteen-year-old Bill Cates's life—and that of many of others,too.

Funds were raised,mainly by parents,that enabled the school to gain access to a computer—a Program Data Processor(PDP)—through a teletype machine.Type in a few instructions on the teletype machine and a few seconds later the PDP would type back its response.Bill Gates was immediately hooked—so was his best friend at the time,Kent Evans,and another student,Paul Allen,who was two years older than Bill.

Whenever they had free time,and sometimes when they didn't,they would dash over to the computer room to use the machine.The students became so single-minded that they soon overtook their teachers in knowledge about computing and got into a lot of trouble because of their obsession.They were neglecting their other studies—every piece of word was handed in late.Classes were cut.Computer time was also proving to be very expensive.Within months,the whole budget that had been set aside for the year had been used up.

At fourteen,Bill was already writing short programs for the computer to perform.Early games programs such as Tic-Tac-Toe,or Noughts and Crosses,and Lunar Landing were written in what was to become Bill's second language,BASIC.

One of the reasons Bill was so good at programming is because it is mathematical and logical.During his time at Lakeside,Bill scored a perfect eight hundred on a mathematics test.It was extremely important to him to get this grade—he had to take the test more than once in order to do it.

If Bill Gates was going to be good at something.It was essential to be the best.

Bill's and Paul's fascination with computers and the business world meant that they read a great deal.Paul enjoyed magazines like Popular Electronics.Computer time was expensive and,because both boys were desperate to get more time and because Bill already had an insight into what they could achieve financially,the two of them decided to set themselves up as a company:The Lakeside Programmers Group."Let's call the real world and try to sell something to it!"Bill announced.

小的时候——即便长大了——比尔也是不修边幅的。据说为了改掉这个习惯，玛丽为他制定了一周穿衣计划。周一上学，他会穿蓝色的衣服，周二绿色，周三褐色，周四黑色，等等。周末的用餐表也会制定得十分详尽。每件事情都要井井有条，不论工作或是闲暇的时候。

盖茨家餐桌上的讨论总是既活泼生动又富有教育意义。比尔回忆说：“那是一个内容丰富的学习环境。”

比尔的同龄人，即使在那个年龄，也能看出他的与众不同。每一年，他和他的朋友们都会参加夏令营。比尔特别喜欢游泳和其他一些体育运动。他的一个在夏令营的朋友回忆道：“他绝对不是一个无足轻重或者让你不愿与之为伍的孩子。我们都知道比尔比我们聪明。甚至更早的时候，当他九、十岁的时候，他说话的口气就像个小大人，并且用一些深奥难懂的方式表达自己的想法。”

在数学和自然方面，比尔的表现与全班同学相比更是略胜一筹。他需要上一所像湖畔中学——一所专门招收天才男孩的学校——那样充满挑战的学校。这是西雅图最高级的学校了，它以严厉的课程要求而闻名，是一个“连哑巴都很聪明”的地方。

湖畔中学允许学生按照自己的兴趣自由发挥。学校最引以为傲的是他们所营造的环境和设施能最大限度地激发学生的潜能。对于像比尔·盖茨这样的学生来说，这是最理想的学习环境了。

1968年，校方做出的一个决定足以改变13岁的比尔·盖茨的生活，当然，这个决定也改变了不少其他人的生活。

学校主要依靠父母的集资，通过一种电传打字机接触到了电脑——也就是程序控制数据处理机。在电传打字机上输入几条指令，几秒钟之后，程序控制数据处理机就会立即反馈信息。比尔·盖茨马上就着迷了——当时他的好友坎特·埃文斯，还有另一个比他大两岁的学生保罗·艾伦也着迷了。

不管有没有时间，他们都要飞奔到电脑室去用那台机器。学生们太专注了，很快就忘记了老师教授的那些电脑知识，还闯了不少祸。他们忽略了其他课程——每份作业都迟迟才交，甚至有时还旷课。上机课还很贵。所以几个月后，那些本来为一整年准备的预算就用光了。

比尔14岁的时候就能编一些简短的电脑运行程序。还有早期的游戏程序“一字棋”或“圈叉游戏”和“登月”，都是用后来成为比尔的第二语言——BASIC——来编写的。

比尔如此擅长编程的原因之一就是编程蕴含很强的运算性和逻辑性。在湖畔中学的那段时间里，比尔在一次数学测验中取得了满分800分。这次的满分对他来说意义非凡——为了取得满分，他不得不多次参加这个测验。

如果比尔·盖茨想要做好某件事，他必定会做到最好。

比尔和保罗对电脑和商务的痴迷就意味着他们要博览群书。保罗喜欢像《大众电子》那类的杂志。上机时间很昂贵，而这两个孩子都需要更多的上机时间，再加上比尔预感到他们有可能赚到一大笔钱。于是，这两个孩子决定创办一个公司——湖畔程序设计者集团。从此，比尔宣布：“让我们唤醒这个世界，并向它推销点东西吧！”

美丽语录

If you want something you've never had,then you've got to do something you've never done.

如果你想拥有你从未有过的东西，那么你必须去做你从未做过的事情。

Sweet-Pea Summers　甜豌豆的夏天

◎Susan Arnett-Hutson

Each summer in the late 1960s,my two sisters and I would ride the Greyhound bus from Arizona to Arkansas to stay with our father.

A World WarⅡveteran,Dad had many medical problems,any one of which could cause many people to lose more than their sense of humor,but not him.

I have vivid memories of Dad waking us up in the morning.Before he'd put on his legs for the day(he had lost his legs after his discharge),his wheelchair was his mobility.

Holding his cane,which was his extended arm,he would roll through the house yelling,"Up,up,up!Get up and face the day!It's a beautiful day!Rise and Shine!"If we didn't get up right away,he would repeat his song in rhythm with his cane hitting the end of our beds.This was no performance put on for our benefit;every day was truly a beautiful day to him.

Back in the sixties,there was no handicapped parking or wheelchair-accessible ramps like there are now,so even a trip to the grocery store was a difficult task.Dad wanted no assistance from anyone.He would climb stairs slowly but surely,whistling all the way.As a teenager,I found this embarrassing,but if Dad noticed,he didn't let me help.

Those summers always ended too soon.He would drive us back to Arizona every year,stopping at the checkpoint for fruit and vegetables at the New Mexico-Arizona border.When asked if he had any fruits or vegetables,he would reply,"Just three sweet peas."

Our father has been gone for a long time now,but not the lesson that he taught us:You are only as handicapped as you let yourself be.

20世纪60年代末的时候，每个夏天我和我的两个姐妹，都会乘坐从亚里桑那州到阿肯色州的“灰狗”长途汽车，去和爸爸住一段时间。

爸爸是二战的退伍老兵，患上了许多疾病。这些病中的任何一种都会让人失去幽默感，但是爸爸却没有。

我清晰地记得爸爸早上叫我们起床的情景。在他戴上假腿之前（在开炮的时候，他失去了双腿），轮椅就是他的移动工具。

他拿着拐杖，那是他手臂的延伸，在房间里跑来跑去，大叫道：“起床，起床了！起来迎接新的一天！今天天气真好啊，快起来晒太阳吧！”如果我们不马上起床，他就会重复着他的歌，和着拐杖敲打我们床尾的节拍。这不是为我们而进行的表演，对于爸爸来说，每一天都是美好的。

在60年代，没有像现在这样的残疾人停车场或轮椅坡道，所以，即使是去杂货店也是项艰巨的任务。爸爸不想接受任何人的帮助。他会自己慢慢地、稳稳当当地爬上台阶，一路上发出吱吱的响声。那时我还是个小孩子，对这件事觉得有些尴尬。但是即使爸爸注意到我的尴尬，他也不会让我帮忙。

那些夏天总是很快就结束了。爸爸每年都会开车送我们回亚里桑那州。我们会在新墨西哥州和亚里桑那州边界处的水果和蔬菜检查站停下来接受检查。当他被问及是否携带什么水果和蔬菜的时候，他总会回答：“只有三颗甜豌豆。”

爸爸现在已经离开我们多年了，但是他教给我们的道理依然留在我们心中：只有你把自己当成残疾人的时候，你才是残疾人。

美丽语录

Make yourself a better person and know who you are before you try and know someone else and expect them to know you.

在你尝试了解他人和盼望他人了解你之前，先把你变成一个更好的人，一个了解自己的人。

The Wish of Brother　哥哥的心愿

◎Don Clank

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 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,"You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you anything?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,and then impulsively he added,"Would you like to take a ride in my car?"

"Oh yes,I'd love that."

After a short ride,the boy turned with his eyes aglow,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 brother.He sat him down on the bottom step,then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.

"There she is,Buddy,just like I told you upstairs.His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent.And some day I'm gonna give you one just like it...then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've 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..."

我有个朋友叫保罗，他的哥哥送给他一辆车作为圣诞礼物。圣诞节前夕，保罗下班走出办公室，看见一个淘气的小男孩绕着他那崭新的车欣赏着，发出阵阵赞叹声。

“这是您的车吗，先生？”他问道。

保罗点了点头，说：“这是我哥哥送给我的圣诞礼物。”男孩惊呆了，有些语无伦次：“您是说这是您哥哥送的，您没花一分钱？噢，我希望……”

保罗当然知道男孩希望什么，无非希望也有一位这样的哥哥。但是，这个小家伙接下来的话却完全出乎他的意料。

“我希望，”男孩继续说道，“我也能成为那样的哥哥。”

保罗吃惊地看着男孩，脱口而出：“你想坐我的车去兜兜风吗？”

“哦，当然想了，我太高兴了。”

车开了一会儿后，男孩转过头来，用殷切的眼神望着保罗说：“先生，您介意把车开到我家门口吗？”

保罗笑了笑。他以为自己知道小男孩想干什么，一定是想向邻居炫耀他可以坐气派的轿车回家。但这次他又错了。“您把车停在那两个台阶前，好吗？”男孩问。

男孩跑上台阶，不一会儿，保罗听到他回来的声音，但动作似乎较先前慢了好多。原来他把自己跛脚的弟弟带来了，他让弟弟坐在第一个台阶上，然后靠紧他坐下，用手指着那辆新车。

“就是它，弟弟，这就是我刚刚在楼上和你说的那辆新车，是保罗的哥哥送给他的圣诞礼物，他没花一分钱哦。总有一天，我会送你这样一辆车……那样，到了圣诞节，你就可以自己去看商店橱窗里的漂亮饰品了，我告诉过你的。”

保罗下了车，把跛脚男孩抱到前座。哥哥很兴奋，眼中闪着奇异的光芒，他也爬上车，坐在弟弟身边。就这样，三人开始了令人难忘的假日旅行。那个圣诞夜，保罗才真正领悟耶稣讲过的道理：“施比受更有福……”

美丽语录

Sometimes you have to be your own hero.

有时候，你必须做自己的英雄。

The Story of an Orphan　一个孤儿的故事

◎Cofer,R.H

This extraordinary story about extraordinary people begins at the turn of the century.It is a very American story—about ideals,ambition,success,love,and marriage—that has its roots at a time when many believed anything was possible in America.The story starts with an orphan boy of ordinary means who used his determination and talent to realize the American Dream and more.

The orphan boy was Willard Dickerman Straight from Oswego,New York.He was seventeen when he entered Cornell University in 1897.There were about two thousand students at Cornell then.They lived in fraternity houses or boarded with families in town.Straight joined Delta Tau Delta,and lived in the chapter house on the corner of Edgemoor and Stewart avenues during his four years at Cornell.

Straight entered the College of Architecture at Cornell,not because he had his heart set on becoming an architect,but because,with his talent and interest in drawing,it seemed a logical choice.His activities on campus reflected the different aspects of his personality,as artistic,imaginative bent with a keen sense on fun and the ambition to get things done.He contributed sketches to the comic periodical the Widow;wrote articles for the Cornell Era,a more sober literary publication;became art editor of the Cornellian;and by his senior year was editor and chief of the Cornell Era.He enlivened the party scene with his guitar and good tenor voice.Straight organized the first Spring Day,a circus like fair with sideshows,to make money for the depleted athletic fund.It was his idea to start a distinctive College of Architecture event,which evolved into the popular Green Dragon Day.During his senior year he was president of the Savage Club.

After Straight graduated from Cornell in 1901,he took a job with the Maritime Customs Service in Nanking.He learned the language quickly and became familiar with Chinese people of all ranks and with the diplomats and businessmen in Peking.By the age of 30,Straight was believed to be one of the most powerful men in the Far East,earning as much as the President of the United States.

At a dinner party in 1906,Straight was introduced to Dorothy Payne Whitney,heiress to the Whitney fortune.When Dorothy and her party visited Peking in 1909,friendship turned to romance.Willard pursued Dorothy relentlessly with letters and flowers.He finally won her in 1911.

19世纪末20世纪初，一个非凡人物的非凡故事开始了。这是一个典型的美国故事——有关理想、抱负、成功、爱情和婚姻——它以很多人相信美国是一个一切皆有可能的国家为背景。这个故事开篇叙述了一个平凡的孤儿，通过自己的决心和才能实现了自己的美国梦，以及其他更多的梦想。

这个孤儿来自纽约的奥斯威戈，他的名字叫威拉德·迪克曼·斯特雷特。1897年，17岁的斯特雷特就考入了康奈尔大学。那时就读于康奈尔大学的学生大概有两千个。学生们有的一起住，有的和家人住在城里。斯特雷特加入了“三一九三”社团，所以大学四年里，他就住在位于埃治摩尔大街和斯图尔特大街交叉拐角处的社团公寓里。

斯特雷特就读于康奈尔大学建筑学院并不是因为他想成为一名建筑师，而是因为他拥有绘画方面的才能和兴趣，所以这对他来说是个合理的选择。他参加了许多校园活动，这更能将他性格的其他方面展现出来：艺术鉴赏和想象方面表现突出；感觉敏锐，尤其对有趣的人和事；拥有实现抱负的“野心”。他向《寡妇》漫画期刊投稿，还为严肃的文学刊物《康奈尔时代》撰稿，并担任《康奈尔人》的美术编辑。大二那年，他成了《康奈尔时代》的编辑和主编。他那动人的吉他演奏和高亢的男高音演唱总能让晚会的现场气氛变得活跃起来。为了替退役运动员募集资金，斯特雷特创办了一个类似节目表演的展览会，取名为“春之日”。“建筑学院日”也是他的主意，这个节日后来发展成为深受人们喜欢的“绿龙日”。大学四年级的时候，他被选为野人俱乐部的主席。

1901年，斯特雷特从康奈尔大学毕业了，之后他便进入了中国南京海关服务公司工作。他很快就学会了讲中文，并认识了各个阶层的中国人、北京的外交官和商人。30岁的时候，斯特雷特被认为是远东地区最具影响力的人物之一，他获得的名望甚至可以与美国总统相媲美。

1906年的一场晚宴上，经人介绍，斯特雷特结识了惠特尼家族的财产继承人罗西尼·佩恩·惠特尼。1909年，当罗西尼及一行人访问北京时，这段友谊升华成了一段罗曼史。威拉德不断给罗西尼写情书、送花。他终于在1911年掳获了罗西尼的芳心。

美丽语录

There are two primary choices in life:to accept conditions as they exist,or accept the responsibility for changing them.

人生两大选择：要么接受现状，要么接受改变现状的责任。