课文翻译

第一册




Don't Let Anyone Steal Your Dreams


1 I have a friend named Monty Roberts who owns a horse ranch in San Ysidro. He has let me use his house to put on fund-raising events to raise money for youth at risk programs.


2 The last time I was there he introduced me by saying, "I want to tell you why I let Jack use my house." It all goes back to a story about a young man who was the son of an itinerant horse trainer who would go from stable to stable, race track to race track, farm to farm and ranch to ranch, training horses. As a result, the boy's high school career was continually interrupted. When he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be and do when he grew up.


3 That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of someday owning a horse ranch. He wrote about his dream in great detail and he even drew a diagram of a 200- acre ranch, showing the location of all the buildings, the stables and the track. Then he drew a detailed floor plan for a 4,000-square-foot house that would sit on a 200-acre dream ranch.


4 He put a great deal of his heart into the project and the next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later he received his paper back. On the front page was a large red F with a note that read: "See me after class."


5 The boy with the dream went to see the teacher after class and asked, "Why did I receive an F?"


6 The teacher said, " This is an unrealistic dream for a young boy like you. You have no money. You come from an itinerant family. You have no resources. Owning a horse ranch requires a lot of money. You have to buy the land. You have to pay for the original breeding stock and later you'll have to pay large stud fees. There's no way you could ever do it." Then the teacher added, "If you will rewrite this paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade."


7 The boy went home and thought about it long and hard. He asked his father what he should do. His father said, "Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it is a very important decision for you."


8 Finally, after sitting with it for a week, the boy turned in the same paper, making no changes at all. He stated, "You can keep the F and I'll keep my dream."


9 Monty then turned to the assembled group and said, "I tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4,000-square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. I still have that school paper framed over the fireplace." He added, "The best part of the story is that two summers ago that same schoolteacher brought 30 kids to camp out on my ranch for a week. When the teacher was leaving, he said, 'Look, Monty, I can tell you this now. When I was your teacher, I was something of a dream stealer. During those years I stole a lot of kids' dreams. Fortunately you had enough gumption not to give up on yours.'"


10 Don't let anyone steal your dreams.

Follow your heart, no matter what.


不要让别人偷走你的梦想


1 我有个朋友叫蒙蒂·罗伯兹，他在圣伊斯德罗有个牧马场。他把住宅借给我举办募款活动，为问题青少年项目筹备基金。
2 上次我在那里时，他介绍我时这样说：“知道我为什么让杰克借用我的房子吗？”这要从一个男孩的故事说起。男孩的父亲是位巡回驯马师，经常在不同的马厩、赛马场、农场和牧场之间来回奔波。因此，男孩的中学学业经常中断。读毕业班时，有一天老师让写一篇文章，讲述长大之后的理想。
3 那晚他写了七张纸，描述他的梦想，那就是拥有一个属于自己的牧马场。他很详细地描写了他的梦想，甚至画了一张占地200英亩的马场的设计图，上面标有所有建筑物、马厩、跑道等的位置。在这个200英亩的梦想农场中他要建一个4000平方英尺的房子，并且画了一个详细的平面图。
4 他花了好大心血把文章写完，第二天交给了老师。两天后他拿回了文章。见文章的第一页上打了一个又红又大的F，旁边还写了一行字：“下课后来见我。”
5 这个满怀梦想的男孩下课后去见了老师，问道：“您为什么给我不及格？”
6 老师说：“对你这样的一个男孩来说，这个梦想是不现实的。你没有钱。你来自一个巡回驯马师的家庭。你没有背景。拥有一个牧马场需要大量的钱。你要买地。一开始得买繁殖用的马群，以后还得付高额的配种费。你不可能做到这些。”然后老师又加了一句，“如果你愿意重新写一篇目标比较现实的作文，我会重新考虑你的分数。”
7 男孩回到家后，冥思苦想了很长时间。他问他的父亲应该怎么做。父亲说：“听着，儿子，你要自己拿主意。但这对你来说是个非常重要的决定。”
8 男孩想了整整一个礼拜，最后又把原稿一字未改地交给了老师。他告诉老师说：“您可以保留这个‘F’，但我将保留我的梦想。”
9 说到这里，蒙蒂转向众人，说道:“我之所以告诉你们这个故事，是因为你们现在就坐在这个占地200英亩的牧马场中的4000平方英尺的房子里。那篇作文我一直保留到现在，它就镶在壁炉上方。”他接着又说道：“下面是这个故事最为精彩的部分：两年前这位老师带领30个孩子到我的牧场来野营一周。走的时候，这位老师对我说：‘蒙蒂，现在我可以告诉你，当我是你的老师的时候，我可以说是专偷别人梦想的小偷。那些年我偷走了不少孩子的梦想。幸运的是，你有足够的冲劲，没有放弃你的梦想。’”
10 千万别让任何人偷走你的梦想。无论发生什么，你都要坚持自己的梦想。

The Landlord's Mistake by James Baldwin


1 When John Adams was President and Thomas Jefferson was Vice President of the United States, there was not a railroad in all the world. People did not travel very much. There were no broad, smooth highways as there are now. The roads were crooked and muddy and rough. If a man was obliged to go from one city to another, he often rode on horseback. Instead of a trunk for his clothing, he carried a pair of saddlebags. Instead of sitting at his ease in a parlor car, he went jolting along through mud and mire, exposed to wind and weather.


2 One day some men were sitting by the door of a hotel in Baltimore. As they looked down the street they saw a horseman coming. He was riding very slowly, and both he and his horse were bespattered with mud. "There comes old Farmer Mossback," said one of the men, laughing, " He's just in from the backwoods." " He seems to have had a hard time of it," said another, "I wonder where he'll put up for the night." "Oh, any kind of a place will suit him," answered the landlord, "He's one of those country fellows who can sleep in the haymow and eat with the horses." The traveler was soon at the door. He was dressed plainly, and, with his reddish-brown hair and mud-bespattered face, looked like a hard-working countryman just in from the backwoods. "Have you a room here for me?" he asked the landlord.


3 Now the landlord prided himself upon keeping a first-class hotel, and he feared that his guests would not like the rough-looking traveler. So he answered, "No, sir. Every room is full. The only place I could put you would be in the barn." "Well, then," answered the stranger, "I will see what they can do for me at the Planters' Tavern, round the corner," and he rode away.


4 About an hour later, a well-dressed gentleman came into the hotel and said, "I wish to see Mr. Jefferson." "Mr. Jefferson!" said the landlord. "Yes, sir. Thomas Jefferson, the Vice President of the United States." "He isn't here." "Oh, but he must be. I met him as he rode into town, and he said that he intended to stop at this hotel. He has been here about an hour." "No, he hasn't. The only man that has been here for lodging today was an old clodhopper who was so spattered with mud that you couldn't see the color of his coat. I sent him round to the Planters'." "Did he have reddish-brown hair, and did he ride a gray horse?" "Yes, and he was quite tall." "That was Mr. Jefferson," said the gentleman. "Mr. Jefferson!" cried the landlord, "Was that the Vice President? Here, Dick! Build a fire in the best room. Put everything in tiptop order, Sally. What a dunce I was to turn Mr. Jefferson away! He shall have all the rooms in the house, and the ladies' parlor, too; I'll go right round to the Planters' and fetch him back."


5 So he went to the other hotel, where he found the Vice President sitting with some friends in the parlor. "Mr. Jefferson," he said, "I have come to ask your par

don. You were so bespattered with mud that I thought you were some old farmer. If you'll come back to my house, you shall have the best room in it — yes, all the rooms if you wish. Won't you come?" "No," answered Mr. Jefferson, "A farmer is as good as any other man; and where there's no room for a farmer, there can be no room for me."






旅馆老板的失算 詹姆斯·鲍德温


1 在约翰·亚当斯和托马斯·杰弗逊当美国总统和副总统的时侯，世界上还没有铁路，人们很少出远门，当时还没有现在这样宽阔平坦的公路，马路都是弯曲泥泞、凹凸不平的。如果非要从一个城市到另一个城市，人们通常是骑马前往。随身携带的衣服也不是放在箱子里，而是装在一副鞍囊里；没有豪华舒适的客运列车可坐，只能是栉风沐雨，一路颠簸着，穿过泥泞和沼泽。
2 一天，巴尔的摩的一家旅馆门前坐着几个男人。他们看到有个人骑着马沿街而来。这个人骑得很慢，人和马都溅上了许多泥浆。“来了一个乡巴佬，”其中一人嘲笑道，“他从穷乡僻壤刚进城来。”“他似乎一路很辛苦。”另一人说道，“不知道他会在哪儿住宿？”“嗨，对他来说，到哪儿住都一样。”旅馆老板答道，“这种人有堆干草可躺，和马一块吃住就不错了。”旅行者很快来到旅馆门前。他衣着很朴素，棕红头发，脸上有污泥，就像一个从偏远地区刚进城的勤劳的乡下人。“这儿有客房吗？”他向旅馆老板问道。
3 旅馆老板一向以自己开的是一流旅馆为傲，所以担心他的房客们会不欢迎这位外表不雅的来客。于是他回答说，“没有了，先生，房间都已住满了。唯一能安排你住宿的地方只有谷仓了。”“哦，这样的话，”陌生人答道，“那我看看路口的园主客栈还有没有房间让我住宿。”然后他便骑马离开了。
4 大约一个小时后，一位衣着考究的绅士走进这家旅馆，说：“我想求见杰弗逊先生。”“杰弗逊先生！”老板惊讶不已道。“是的，先生。托马斯·杰弗逊，美国副总统。”“他不在这儿。”“咦，他肯定是在这儿啊！他进城的时候我还碰到过他，他说他打算住这家旅馆。他到这儿快一个小时了。”“没有的事儿，他没来过。今天只有一个乡巴佬来过，他满身泥巴，连衣服的颜色都看不出来了。我把他打发到园主客栈去了。”“他头发是不是棕红色，骑着一匹灰马？”“是啊，个子高高的。”“那正是杰弗逊先生啊！”绅士说道。“杰弗逊先生！”老板叫道，“那位真是副总统吗？嗨，迪克！赶快在最好的客房生火。萨莉，把一切都整理得无可挑剔。我真是个大傻瓜，竟然把杰弗逊先生拒之门外！本旅馆的所有客房尽他

挑，起居室也供他享用。我马上就去‘园主客栈’把他请回来。”
5 于是他赶到那家园主客栈，发现副总统正和一些朋友坐在客厅里。“杰弗逊先生，”他说道，“我是特地来求您原谅的。您刚才一身泥巴，我还以为您是个老农呢。如果您原意回到鄙人的旅馆，您将享用最好的客房，对了，您愿意的话，所有的房间都供您专用。您肯赏光吗？”“算了吧，”杰弗逊先生答道，“农民和其他人一样，没有农民住的地方，也就不可能有我住的地方。”










The Jumpers


1 Once upon a time a Flea, a Grasshopper and a Leap-frog wanted to find out which of them could jump highest, and they invited the world and his wife to see the show. When the three of them were in the room together you could tell that they were all really good at jumping. "I'll give my daughter to whoever jumps highest!" said the King. It would be a shame for them to jump for nothing.


2 The Flea came forward first. He had elegant manners and nodded to all present, for he had noble blood in him and was accustomed to mixing in human society, and that meant a good deal. Next came the Grasshopper, who was considerably stouter, but looked very fine in the green uniform he wore. Moreover, he said he came of a very old family in the land of Egypt, and was highly thought of over here as well. The fact was, he had been just brought out of the fields, and put in a pasteboard house, three stories high, all made of court-cards, with the colored side inwards, and doors and windows cut out of the body of the Queen of Hearts. "I sing so well," said he, "that sixteen native crickets who have chirped from infancy, but don't live in a house of cards, have been so annoyed by hearing me that they became even thinner than they were before."


3 Both the Flea and the Grasshopper spoke highly of their own talents, and said they thought they were fit to marry a Princess.


4 As for the Leap-frog, he said nothing, but folks believed that meant he was thinking all the harder and when the court dog sniffed him he said he was sure the Leap-frog came from a good family. The old councilor, who had had three orders given him to make him hold his tongue, asserted that the Leap-frog had the gift of prophecy: you could tell from his back whether it was going to be a mild winter or a harsh one, which is more than you can tell from the back of the man who writes the almanac.


5 "Well, I won't say anything!" said the old King. "But I can think what I like!" Now it was time for the jumping to begin. The Flea jumped so high that no one could see him, so they said he hadn't jumped at all, and he was cheating.


6 The Gasshopper jumped only half as high as the Flea, but he jumped right in the King's face, and the King said that was nasty.


7 The Leap-frog stood there silent for some time, thinking the matter over, u

ntil people thought he couldn't jump at all.


8 "1 hope he doesn't feel sick!" said the court dog, sniffing him again. Whoosh! The Leap-frog gave a little leap and landed in the lap of the Princess, who was sitting on a low golden stool close by.


9 Then the King said, "There is nothing above my daughter; therefore to bound up to her is the highest jump that can be made. But it took a quick wit to find that out, and the Leap-frog is clever and has brains."


10 So he had won the Princess.


11 "But I jumped highest!" said the Flea. " Still, it comes to the same thing! Let her have the Leap-frog for all I care! I jumped the highest but it seems looks are all that count in this world!" So the Flea went abroad on active military service, and they say that he was killed.


12 The Grasshopper went and sat down in the ditch and thought about the way of the world, and he agreed, "Looks are all that count! Looks are all that count!" And so he sang his own sad song, from which we have taken this history; and which may, very possibly, be all untrue, although it does stand here printed in black and white.









跳高比赛


1 从前有一天，跳蚤，蚱蜢和跳蛙想看看他们谁跳得最高，于是便请了各界人士来观看他们的表演。他们一进屋子，人们就能看出他们果真个个都是跳高能手。“谁跳得最高，我就把公主嫁给他！”国王说。要是跳了半天一无所获，那就太可惜了。
2 第一个出场的是跳蚤。他优雅地向观众点头致意。他血统高贵，且经常出入人类社会，光这一点就不得了。接着出场的是蚱蜢，相比之下他矮壮不少，但是他穿着那身绿色制服，显得非常顺眼。况且，他声称其祖上是埃及的一个古老家族，他在本地也备受尊崇。然而实际情况是他刚从田间过来，住在三层楼高的扑克房子里。扑克都是花牌，有彩色图案的那一面朝里，门窗都是用红桃皇后裁成的。“我歌唱得可棒了，”他说道，“有十六只本地蟋蟀，他们不住扑克房，但从小就曲不离口，可自打听了我的歌，就恼羞成疾，身体也日渐消瘦了。”
3 跳蚤和蚱蜢都吹嘘自己如何了得，都说自己才配得上公主。
4 与此同时，跳蛙却一言不发。人们都以为他在苦苦思索，而那只宫廷犬在嗅过他以后，却说他确信这位跳蛙出身世家。那位曾被皇帝赐了三道圣旨保持沉默的老谏官则说，他看得出跳蛙有预言的天赋：看他后背就能知道这个冬天将是暖冬还是严冬。这比看历法师的后背要准确得多。
5 “嗯，我不想说什么！”国王说，“我只想我所想的！”比赛开始了。跳蚤跳得太高了，高的人们都看不到，所以人们说他根本就没跳，是在骗他们。
6 蚱蜢跳得只有跳蚤的一半高，可他不偏不

倚，正好跳到了国王的脸上，国王说这太恶心了。
7 跳蛙默默地站立了好一会儿，沉思着，以至于人们开始怀疑他根本就不会跳高。
8 “但愿他没什么不舒服吧！”宫廷犬说，又开始嗅他。这时，只听到“嗖！”的一声。跳蛙微微一蹦，便落到了公主的膝盖上，此时公主正坐在一只矮小的金凳上。
9 这时国王发话了：“跳高最多只能跳到和公主一般高，因为她是不能被超越的。可是发现这一点需要敏锐的智慧。跳蛙不仅聪明而且有头脑。”
10 于是，跳蛙赢得了公主。
11 “可是跳得最高的是我啊！”跳蚤说。“世事如此，有什么办法！让她嫁给跳蛙吧！我才不稀罕呢！跳得最高的是我，可这个世界就是以貌取人的啊！”不久跳蚤出国服兵役去了，据说后来战死了。
12 蚱蜢回到水沟里坐了下来，开始思考世道常情。他同意跳蚤的看法，“以貌取人啊！以貌取人啊！”于是他又唱起自己的悲歌；从他的歌中我们得知了这个故事。你不必字字都信，尽管这是个出版了的故事。









The Powerful Gift of Love


1 The passengers on the bus watched sympathetically as the attractive young woman with the white cane made her way carefully up the steps. She paid the driver and, using her hands to feel the location of the seats, walked down the aisle and found the seat he'd told her about was empty. Then she settled in, placed her briefcase on her lap and rested her cane against her leg.


2 It had been a year since Susan, 34, became blind. Due to a medical misdiagnosis she had been rendered sightless, and she was suddenly thrown into a world of darkness, anger, frustration and self-pity. And all she had to cling to was her husband, Mark.


3 Mark was an air force officer and he loved Susan with all his heart. When she first lost her sight, he watched her sink into despair and was determined to help his wife gain the strength and confidence she needed to become independent again.


4 Finally, Susan felt ready to return to her job, but how would she get there? She used to take the bus, but was now too frightened to get around the city by herself. Mark volunteered to drive her to work each day, even though they worked at opposite ends of the city.


5 At first, this comforted Susan, and fulfilled Mark's need to protect his sightless wife who was so insecure about performing the slightest task. Soon, however, Mark realized the arrangement wasn't working. Susan is going to have to start taking the bus again, he admitted to himself. But she was still so fragile, so angry — how would she react?


6 Just as he predicted, Susan was horrified at the idea of taking the bus again. "I'm blind!" she responded bitterly. "How am I supposed to know where I am going? I feel like you're abandoning me."


7 Ma

rk's heart broke to hear these words, but he knew what had to be done. He promised Susan that each morning and evening he would ride the bus with her, for as long as it took, until she got the hang of it.


8 And that was exactly what happened. For two solid weeks, Mark, military uniform and all accompanied Susan to and from work each day. He taught her how to rely on her other senses, specifically her hearing, to determine where she was and how to adapt to her new environment. He helped her befriend the bus drivers who could watch out for her, and save her a seat.


9 Finally, Susan decided that she was ready to try the trip on her own. Monday morning arrived, and before she left, she threw her arms around Mark, her temporary bus riding companion, her husband, and her best friend. Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his loyalty, his patience, and his love. She said good-bye, and for the first time, they went their separate ways.


10 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday... Each day on her own went perfectly, and Susan had never felt better. She was doing it! She was going to work all by herself.


11 On Friday morning, Susan took the bus to work as usual. As she was paying the fare to exit the bus, the driver said, "Boy, I sure do envy you."


12 Susan wasn't sure if the driver was speaking to her or not. After all, who on earth would ever envy a blind woman who had struggled just to find the courage to live for the past year? Curious, she asked the driver, "Why do you say that you envy me?"


13 The driver responded, "It must feel good to be taken care of and protected like you are."


14 Susan had no idea what the driver was talking about, and again asked, "What do you mean?"


15 The driver answered, "You know, every morning for the past week, a fine looking gentleman in a military uniform has been standing across the corner watching you as you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street safely and he watches until you enter your office building. Then he blows you a kiss, gives you a little salute and walks away. You are one lucky lady."


16 Tears of happiness poured down Susan's cheeks, for, although she couldn't physically see him, she had always felt Mark's presence. She was lucky, so lucky, for he had given her a gift more powerful than sight, a gift she didn't need to see to believe—the gift of love that can bring light where there is darkness.



爱的礼物——力量无穷


1 在全车乘客同情的目光下，那位拄着白色盲杖的年轻漂亮的女人，摸索着上了车。她把车钱付给司机，用手摸索着座位的位置，沿着过道往前走了几步，找到了司机说的那个空座位。然后她坐下来，把公文包放在腿上，把拐杖靠在腿边。
2 34岁的苏珊失明已经有一年了。由于一次误诊，她失去了视力，一下子跌进了黑暗的世界，愤怒无奈，自悲

自怜。现在她所有的依靠就是她丈夫，马克。
3 马克是一位空军军官，他深深地爱着苏珊。当初她失去视力时，他眼看她跌入绝望之中，就决心帮助妻子重新拾回力量和信心，重新独立起来。
4 最后，苏珊觉得自己可以重新回去工作了。可她怎么去呢？她以前都是乘公交车去的，可现在她太害怕了，不敢一个人在城里走动。马克主动提出每天开车送她上班，尽管他们工作的地点在城市的两端。
5 起初，这样做使苏珊很安心，马克也履行了保护失明妻子的职责，因为她对乘公交车这么微不足道的事儿都没有安全感。不久，马克就意识到这样做不行。他告诉自己苏珊必须开始自己乘坐公交车。可她还是这么脆弱不堪，自怨自艾——她会有什么反应呢？
6 果然不出所料，一提起独自乘坐公交车苏珊就惊恐不已。“我可是个盲人！”她痛苦地说。“我怎么知道往哪儿走？你想抛弃我吧？”
7 听了这些话，马克心如刀绞。但他知道他该怎么做了。他答应苏珊每天早晚陪她一起坐公交车，直到她自己能乘车为止。
8 他真的这么做了。整整两个星期，马克每天穿着全套军装，陪着苏珊一起上下班。他教她如何依靠她的其他感官，特别是听力，来确定方位和适应新的环境。他帮她和司机熟悉起来，以便司机能够关照她一下，并给她留个座位。
9 最后，苏珊觉得可以自己试试了。星期一早晨，离家之前，她双臂勾着马克，她临时的公车乘伴，她的丈夫，同时也是她最好的朋友。她眼里充满了感激的泪水，感激他的忠诚，他的耐心和他的爱。她说了再见后，两人便首次分手各自上班去了。
10 周一，周二，周三，周四……每天她自己走得都很好，苏珊从未有过这么好的感觉。她做到了！她现在能自己去上班了。
11 星期五早上，苏珊和和往常一样坐公交车去上班。当她付钱给司机准备下车时，司机说：“乖乖！你真让人羡慕啊。”
12 苏珊不知道司机是不是在跟她说话。毕竟，谁能羡慕一个挣扎了一年才刚刚找到生活勇气的瞎女人呢？出于好奇，她问司机：“你为什么说羡慕我？”
13 司机答道：“像你这样整天被人照顾着、呵护着，感觉一定好极了。”
14 苏珊不明白司机在说什么，又问道：“你这是什么意思？”
15 司机说：“你知道吗，这星期每天早上，一位身穿军装、英俊潇洒的绅士，总是站在街角的对面看着你下车。他看着你安全地穿过马路，直到你进办公楼，然后给你一个飞吻，举手向你敬个礼才走。你真幸运。”
16 顿时，苏珊泪如雨下。虽然她的眼睛看不到马克，但她却真真切切

地感受到他和她如影随形。她真幸运，太幸运了，因为他给了她比视力更好的礼物，一件她无须目睹就能确信其存在的礼物——这是爱的礼物，一件能为她照亮黑暗的礼物。




The Tailor in Heaven

by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
1 It came to pass that one beautiful day God wished to take a stroll in the heavenly garden, and took all the apostles and saints with him, leaving no one in heaven but Saint Peter. The Lord had commanded him to allow no one to enter during his absence, so Peter stood by the gate and kept watch. Before long someone knocked. Peter asked who was there, and what he wanted.


2 "I am a poor, honest tailor who is requesting admission," replied a pleasant voice.


3 "Honest indeed," said Peter, "Like the thief on the gallows. You have been sticky-fingered and have robbed people of their cloth. You will not get into heaven. The Lord has forbidden me to let anyone in as long as he is out."


4 "Oh, please be merciful," cried the tailor. "Little scraps that fall off the table by themselves are not stolen, and are not worth mentioning. See here, I am limping and have blisters on my feet from walking here. I cannot possibly go back again. Just let me in, and I will do all the dirty work. I will tend the children, wash their diapers, wipe off and clean the benches on which they have been playing, and patch all their torn clothes."


5 Saint Peter let himself be moved by pity and opened heaven's gate just wide enough for the lame tailor to slip his lean body inside. He had to take a seat in a corner behind the door, and was told to stay there quietly and peacefully, so that the Lord would not notice him when he returned, and become angry.


6 The tailor obeyed, but one time when Saint Peter stepped outside the gate, he got up, and full of curiosity, looked into every corner of heaven, seeing what was there. Finally he came to a place where there were many beautiful and costly chairs. At their center was a seat made entirely of gold and set with glistening precious stones. It stood much higher than the other chairs, and a golden footstool stood in front of it. This was the seat on which the Lord sat when he was at home, and from which he could see everything that was happening on earth.


7 The tailor stood still, and looked at the seat for a long time, for he liked it better than all the rest. Finally he could control his curiosity no longer, and he climbed up and sat down on it. From there he saw everything that was happening on earth.


8 He noticed an ugly old woman who was standing beside a stream doing the laundry. She secretly set two scarves aside. Seeing this made the tailor so angry that he took hold of the golden footstool and threw it at the old thief, through heaven down to earth. Unable to bring the stool back again, he quietly sneaked down from the seat, sat back down in his place behind the door, a

nd pretended that he had done nothing at all.


9 When the Lord and Master returned with his heavenly attendants, he did not notice the tailor behind the door, but when he sat down on his seat, the footstool was missing. He asked Saint Peter what had become of the footstool, but he did not know. Then he asked if he had admitted anyone.


10 "I know of no one who has been here," answered Peter, "except for a lame tailor, who is still sitting behind the door."


11 Then the Lord had the tailor brought before him, and asked him if he had taken the footstool, and where he had put it.


12 "Oh, Lord," answered the tailor joyously, "in my anger I threw it down to earth at an old woman whom I saw stealing two scarves while doing the laundry."


13 "Oh, you scoundrel," said the Lord, "if I were to judge as you judge, how would it have gone with you? I would have long since had no chairs, benches, seats, no, not even a stove-poker, but would have thrown everything down at the sinners. You can no longer stay in heaven, but must go outside the gate again. From there watch where you are going. Here no one metes out punishment, except for me alone, the Lord."


14 Peter had to take the tailor out of heaven again, and because his shoes were worn out and his feet were covered with blisters, he took a stick in his hand and went to Wait-a-While, where the good soldiers sit and make merry.







天堂里的裁缝

——格林兄弟

1 有一天，天气晴朗，上帝想到花园里去散散心。他带着所有的使徒和圣人去了，只留下圣彼得一个人。临行前上帝吩咐说，在他外出期间不得让任何人进入天堂，于是圣彼得就站在天堂门口守着。不一会儿就听到有人敲门，彼得便问是谁，有何来意。
2 “我是个老实本分的穷裁缝，求求你让我进去吧。”一个讨好的声音回答道。
3 “好一个老实本分的人！”彼得说，“就像上了绞架的小偷一样老实！你手脚不干净，常常偷人家的布料。你不能进天堂。天主吩咐他外出期间严禁任何人入内。”
4 “您行行好吧，”裁缝哀求道，“我不就是拣点桌上掉下来的碎料嘛，这不能算偷，根本不值一提。你瞧，我是腿都走瘸了，一路走来，脚上已经打起泡，已经走不回去了。放我进去吧，什么脏活累活我都能干。我可以看孩子，洗尿布，还能擦他们玩脏的板凳，补他们的破衣服。”
5 圣彼得被他的话打动了，把天堂的门开了一条窄窄的缝，让精瘦的瘸腿裁缝溜了进来。他得坐在门后的角落里，安份待着，免得上帝回来后看见了发火。
6 一开始裁缝遵从如仪，可圣彼得一出门，他就站了起来，好奇地东张西望，把天堂的每个角落都看了个遍。最后他来到一个地方，那里摆满了许多漂亮贵重的椅子，中

央是一把纯金铸造的椅子，镶满了闪闪发光的宝石。这把椅子比别的椅子高很多，前面还搁了只镀金的脚凳。这就是上帝在家时坐的那把椅子，坐在上面人间发生的一切就可以一览无余。
7 裁缝呆呆地站在那儿，久久地盯着那把椅子，因为他对别的都不如对这个喜欢。最后他忍不住好奇地爬到椅子上坐了下来。这一下，他可以看到地上发生的一切。
8 他看到一个长相丑陋的老妇人在小溪边洗衣服，偷偷地把两条围巾藏到了一边。裁缝见状，怒不可遏，抄起镀金脚凳朝那老贼砸了下去，从天堂一直砸到人间。他见那凳子已经无法复归原处，便悄悄地从椅子上溜下来，坐回到门后的角落里，装作什么也没干过的样子。
9 天主带着天国的随从回来时，没有看到躲在门后的裁缝。可当他坐到椅子上时，却发现脚凳不见了。于是他便问圣彼得凳子哪儿去了，圣彼得说不知道。上帝又问他有没有放人进来过。
10 “没有啊，”彼得答道，“只有一个跛脚裁缝，这会儿还在门后坐着呢。”
11 于是上帝便下令把裁缝叫来，问他有没有拿脚凳，放到哪里去了。
12 “主啊，”裁缝得意地答道，“我看到一个老妇人洗衣服时偷了两条围巾，我一怒之下就把凳子朝她砸下去了。”
13 “你这个无赖！”上帝说道，“要是我也像你那样断案，你今天会怎么样？这些椅子、凳子甚至连拨火棍也早该扔向地上的罪人了！你不能再呆在天堂了，必须马上出去。路上好自为之吧。这里除了我——天主之外，谁也无权惩罚任何人。”
14 彼得只好把裁缝赶出了天堂。由于裁缝的鞋子全磨破了，脚上全是泡，只好拄着拐杖来到了士兵们休息玩乐的阴阳交界处。




The Bachelor's Dilemma


1 The night before Christmas Harry Holmes, the plump young executive with the bow tie, came home to his bachelor apartment near the university and found the janitor had put a turkey on the kitchen table. It was a fine big bird weighing twenty-two pounds, far too big for his small refrigerator and tied to the leg was a note from the manager of his favorite restaurant congratulating him on winning their turkey raffle. Wondering when he had bought the ticket, he thought, "Well, the devil must look after his own."


2 And he telephoned his brother's wife who had invited him for dinner on Christmas Day. "This year, for a change, I'll provide the turkey," he said, feeling exuberant, "I've got it right here." "Oh, Harry, that's a shame," she said, "We've got a turkey big enough for three days. It's in the fridge." There was no room for his turkey and so she had to disappoint him.


3 Soon he was smiling and indulging himself, anticipating the pleasure he would get giving the turkey to T

om Hill, his underpaid assistant who had just got married. Then he talked on the telephone to Tom, who had to explain his wife had bought a turkey that afternoon, and he was so apologetic and embarrassed. Harry thought, "You'd think I was trying to let him do something for me," and he felt amused.


4 He called three old friends. Two were out of town for the holiday; the other had won a turkey in a bowling alley. Then he remembered that two other friends whom he admired, sports columnists at the local newspapers, were accustomed to gathering at this hour in a café on Blain Street. With the turkey in his arms he took a taxi to the café, grinned jovially at the hatcheck girl who asked him to check the turkey, strode past her to the familiar corner table, laid the turkey before his astonished friends and invited them to toss for it. One telephoned his wife, the other his sister. Both had turkeys and crowded refrigerators. The hostile waiter glared at the turkey lying on the table. Harry's friends began to make jokes. "I'm afraid," one said, teasing Harry and pretending to be in the theatrical business, "we have a turkey on our hands." It was all very jolly, and he laughed too, but the fact was they didn't appreciate that he had thought of them, and he had to pick up his turkey and go home.


5 In his kitchen, standing beside the turkey, he felt irritated; it was as if his brother's wife and Tom and all his friends had joined together to deny him the satisfaction of pleasing them with a gift. And as he looked out the window at the lighted houses of his city of a million souls he suddenly felt discontented with his life which had been going so smoothly until he had to get a turkey cooked. "There's something the matter with the world when you can't give a turkey to anyone who knows you," he thought.


6 Then he tried to sell the turkey to the restaurant but the manager refused to buy back a turkey he had given away. "Why don't you try the butcher?" he asked.


7 A butcher store a few blocks away on Harbor Street was still open, but the bald-headed butcher, pointing to his turkey-filled window, said, "Look what I have left, Mister! I'll sell you one at half price." On the way home the big turkey seemed to take on weight. Harry's arms ached, and he was glad when he dumped it on the kitchen table. Exhausted, he lay down and fell asleep.


8 At the Christmas dinner at his brother's place, they were surprised to hear his turkey was still on his kitchen table, and he wondered why he felt ashamed. When he got home in the evening he stared uneasily at the naked bird. "It'll go bad," he thought and he sniffed it. Picking it up he went out and began to cross Queen's Park. It had begun to snow. Wet dead leaves in the melting snow glistened under the park lights. Shifting the turkey from one arm to the other, he headed for a church along a side street. There he asked the white-haired man who answered the door, "Do you know anyone wh

o would like a Christmas turkey?" He added apologetically, "It's late, I know." "It's never too late, my son," the old man said, "I know a hundred poor families in the neighborhood who'll appreciate a turkey. Won't you give me your name?" "It doesn't matter," Harry said awkwardly. And as soon as he felt the weight of the turkey being lifted off his arms he understood why he had felt ashamed at his brother's place. He hadn't been looking for someone who would appreciate a turkey. He had been looking for someone who would appreciate him.

单身汉的圣诞火鸡


1 圣诞前夜，哈里·霍姆斯，这个胖胖的打着蝶形领结的年轻经理，回到他那大学附近的单身公寓，发现看门人在他的厨房桌子上放了一只火鸡。这只火鸡很肥，足足有二十二磅重，他那小冰箱根本放不下。火鸡腿上系着一张便条，是他最喜欢的饭店的经理写的，祝贺他抽中了火鸡奖。他已经记不得什么时候买过这种抽奖券，不过他寻思：“算了，管它那么多呢！”
2 他随即打电话给弟媳妇，她已邀请他到时一起共进圣诞晚餐。他兴高采烈地告诉她：“今年我们改一下吧，火鸡由我出。我这儿已经准备好了！”“噢，哈里，真不凑巧！”她说，“我们已经买了，足够吃三天的。就在冰箱里呐。”冰箱里已经放不下他的火鸡了，她只好表示歉意。
3 不一会儿他又笑了，一个新主意又给他带来了一阵欣喜。他要把火鸡送给他的助手汤姆?希尔，汤姆收入很低，而且刚刚结婚。于是他打电话给汤姆，可汤姆却尴尬地表示抱歉，说他妻子下午刚买了只火鸡。哈里心想：“好像我是想让他给我帮忙似的。”他觉得挺好笑的。
4 接着，他给三个老朋友打了电话。两个到外地去度假了，另外一个则已经在保龄球场得到了火鸡奖。然后哈里又想到了另外两个他很欣赏的朋友，他们是地方报纸的体育专栏作家，这时他们通常都会聚在布莱恩大街的一个咖啡厅里。哈里抱着火鸡，坐出租车赶到了咖啡厅。衣帽间的女服务生请他把火鸡另外寄存一下，他咧开嘴高兴地朝她笑了笑，大步绕过她，走到了那个熟悉的角落，然后把火鸡放到了桌子上，要他那两个惊诧不已的朋友扔硬币决定这礼物该属于谁。其中一个给妻子打了电话，另一个给妹妹打了电话。结果他们都已经有了火鸡并且冰箱里也塞满了。服务生很不高兴地瞪着放在桌上的火鸡。两个朋友开始开玩笑了。“真糟糕，”其中一个对哈里打趣，假装在谈论戏剧，“这么说我们手头有只火鸡。”这非常搞笑，哈里也笑了。然而事实却是他想到了他们，而他们却并不领情。结果他不得不把火鸡带回家。
5 厨房里，哈里站在火鸡旁，感到恼怒；仿佛

他弟媳妇和汤姆，还有所有的朋友，在联手和他作对，拒绝了他的礼物，也剥夺了他给别人带来快乐的那份满足。他望着窗外的万家灯火，心中突然泛起一股怅惘，他原本活得好好的，这只待烹的火鸡却打乱了一切。他想：“连只火鸡都送不出去，这世界准是出了问题。”
6 然后他试图把火鸡卖给那家饭店，可饭店经理拒绝买回已经送出手的火鸡。“你干嘛不卖给肉铺呢？”他问道。
7 几条马路之外的哈伯大街上还有一家肉铺没打烊，可肉铺的秃头老板指着挂满火鸡的橱窗说：“先生，你瞧瞧我这儿还剩这么多！你要的话我可以半价卖给你。”回家的路上那只大火鸡好像更沉了。哈里的胳膊也疼了起来，当他把火鸡扔到厨房桌子上的时候，他很高兴终于不用再拿着它了。他筋疲力尽，倒头便睡。
8 在弟弟家吃圣诞晚餐时，他们听到他的火鸡还呆在厨房桌子上，感到很惊讶，而他也在寻思自己为什么会觉得愧疚。晚上他回到家里，不安地盯着那只光秃秃的火鸡。“这会放坏的，”他想着闻了闻火鸡。他提起火鸡出了门，穿过女王公园。天上开始飘雪了。融化的雪中打湿的枯叶在灯光下闪烁。他两臂替换着夹着火鸡，朝一条小街上的教堂走去。他叫了门，一个白发苍苍的老人迎了出来。“您知道有谁需要圣诞火鸡吗？”他充满歉意地说，“我知道有点晚了。” “孩子，永远不晚，”老人说，“我认识附近上百家穷人，他们会喜欢一只火鸡的。能告诉我你的名字吗？”“这没关系啊，”哈里尴尬地回答。当他的手上释去了火鸡的重负，哈里一下子明白了为什么自己在弟弟的家里会感到愧疚。他一直在找的不是那些想要火鸡的人，而是那些会感谢自己的人。

1 中国在2001年成功申办2008年奥运会之后，进一步加大了治理不规范英语的力度。



Chinglish Ban in Beijing
1 China has launched a fresh drive to clamp down on bad English after being awarded the 2008 Olympics back in 2001. Previous attempts to wipe out Chinglish—the mistranslated phrases often seen on Chinese street signs and product labels—have met with little success.


2 Emergency exits at Beijing airport read "No entry on peacetime" and the Ethnic Minorities Park is named " Racist Park".


3 A road sign on Beijing's Avenue of Eternal Peace warns of a dangerous pavement with the words: "To Take Notice of Safe; The Slippery are Very Crafty". Menus frequently list items such as " Corrugated iron beef", "Government abuse chicken", " Chop the strange fish", "Husband and Wife's Lung slices", and " Tofu Made By A Pock-Marked Woman". This last dish differs slightly from "the Tofu Commonly Home-Made", though both complement "The Temple Explodes The Chicken Cube" and

"Young Chicken Without Sex".


4 The mistranslations arise because many Chinese words express concepts obliquely and can be interpreted in multiple ways, making translation a minefield for non-English speakers. What are the more memorable examples of Chinglish that you have seen?
各色咖啡
coffee
各色鸡尾酒
cocktail
各色小吃
nosh
各种啤酒
beer
各种葡萄酒
bishop
现榨果汁
fruit juice
A sign outside a Shanghai bar.


5 Found commonly on products and signage in China it is an attempt at English marred by poor translation and misspelling. The sign above features a classic mistake—not only the bizarre word substitution (unless they really are selling bishops) but also the more unusual use of language. Where on earth did they find " nosh"?


6 How much courage would be required of the potential user of the autobank if he or she sees the sign below: "Help Oneself Terminating Machine"!
自助终端机
HELP ONESELF TERMINATING MACHINE


7 The sign below frequently pops into your eye as you take a stroll in the park：
让我们做鸟类的朋友！
Let us do the birds friend!


8 It may take you a few minutes before you can puzzle out the meaning of "Do the birds friend"!


9 Also, when someone takes a walk in the park, he or she is likely to come upon a notice erected by a meadow that reads: "I Like Your Smile, But Unlike You Put Your Shoes On My Face."


10 "My God!" the walker would think, jumping back toward the asphalt. "The grass wrote that sign! The grass has a face!"


11 This is the beauty of Chinglish: It makes you laugh and think at the same time.


12 It crackles with puzzling advice, like "Don't Press The Glass To Get Hurt!" and, "If You Are Stolen, Call The Police At Once!"


13 In North America, parents saunter through malls with kids, rarely thinking about the hidden dangers of escalators or staircases. They would after stumbling upon cryptic messages such as: When Old Man's Child Go Up Hand Ladder Temporary Need The Family To Accompany.


14 They would also feel very suspicious when they see such common signs put up at a supermarket as "Should you lose your balance, Slip And Fall Down Carefully", "Don't Forget To Carry Your Thing!"


15 You may decide against an impulse pedicure after learning one of the services offered at the salon was, Trim the Foot. And disabled travelers would have seen no humour in the " Deformed Man Toilet!" placard hanging outside restrooms.


16 As the use of English as language of global communication is on the rise, an increasing number of conversations in English happen between non-native speakers.


17 English is the second most spoken language in the world, and it is estimated that by 2020 native speakers will make up only 15% of those using or learning the language.


18 But don't worry; the Chinese government is on it. The English language press in China routinely calls for

people to send in examples of Chinglish in an attempt to clear up bad English. Beijing city authorities have issued new translation guides and the booklets have been handed out to hotels and shopping malls, on public transport and at tourist attractions. Authorities have replaced more than 6,500 signs in Beijing that were once gloriously lost in translation. Restaurants are now working from a standardized list, renaming menu items such as Husband and Wife's Lung Slices to Pork Lungs in Chili Sauce. Some scholars believe that Chinglish's days are numbered.


中式英语命休北京

1 中国在2001年成功申办2008年奥运会之后，进一步加大了治理不规范英语的力度。在此之前，政府也曾着手取缔中式英语，即那些常见于街头指示牌和产品标签上误译的词句，但是收效甚微。
2 在北京机场，紧急出口（Emergency exits）处写有“No entry on peacetime（和平时期禁止入内）”的字样；而“中华民族园（the Ethnic Minorities Park）”则变成了“Racist Park（种族主义者公园）”。
3 北京长安大街上有一块路牌，提醒行人注意人行道上的危险，上面写着：“To Take Notice of Safe; The Slippery are Very Crafty（要注意保险箱；那些滑的是非常狡猾的）。” 菜单上菜名的误译更是比比皆是，如，“铁板牛肉”被译为“瓦楞铁皮牛肉（Corrugated Iron Beef）”，“宫保鸡丁”被译成“政府虐待鸡（Government abuse chicken）”，而“生鱼片”成了“砍那陌生的鱼（Chop the strange fish）”，“夫妻肺片”被译为“丈夫和妻子的肺片（Husband and Wife’s Lung slices）”，“麻婆豆腐”则被译为“脸上长有麻点的女子做的豆腐（Tofu Made By A Pock-Marked Woman）”。虽然最后这道菜的做法与“家常豆腐（the Tofu Commonly Home-Made）”略有不同，但是二者的翻译与“The Temple Explodes The Chicken Cube（庙宇爆炸鸡丁）”和“Young Chicken Without Sex（没有性的雏鸡）”如出一辙。
4 之所以产生误译是因为许多汉字表意时不直截了当，并有多种释义，这些都是非英语母语使用者在翻译中的“雷区”。记忆中还有哪些中式英语让人过目“难忘”呢？
各色咖啡
coffee
各色鸡尾酒
cocktail
各色小吃
nosh
各种啤酒
beer
各种葡萄酒
bishop
现榨果汁
fruit juice
上海一酒吧外的招牌
5 在中国，产品和标示牌上充斥着误译和误拼的英文，这是对英语语言的糟蹋。上图中所示的英语招牌就是一种典型的错误，不仅词的选用离奇古怪（除非店家真的出售主教），而且语言的使用更是匪夷所思。“nosh”一词究竟从何而来？
6 如果在自助银行上看到“帮助你结束自己的机器”的字样，谁还有勇气再往前踏入一步？
自助终端机
HELP ONESELF TERMINATING MACHI

NE
7 公园里散步时，下面这个标牌常常会跳入你的眼帘:
让我们做鸟类的朋友！
Let us do the birds friend!
8 费一番思考之后，你才能琢磨出何谓“Do the birds friend”！
9 在公园散步的行人，多半还会见到这样一块告示牌，立在草地旁，上面写着：“我喜欢你的微笑。但是不希望你把你的鞋子放在我的脸上。”
10 “我的天啊!”行人抽回脚步，连忙跳回到柏油马路上，心中纳闷，“告示牌是小草写的！小草还长着一张脸孔呢！”
11 这便是中式英语的妙处：它带来笑声，同时也激发想象。
12 还有下列令人费解的忠告：“为了受伤不要挤压玻璃！”，以及“如果你被偷走了，请立即报警！”
13 在北美洲，父母带着孩子逛购物中心，很少会想到自动扶梯或楼梯潜伏着危险。然而，在他们巧遇了晦涩的提示语“老人的小孩上扶梯时暂时须有家人陪同”之后, 恐怕就会想一想了。
14 另外，当他们在超市里看到诸如“如果失去平衡，请小心地滑倒”和“别忘了拿你的东西”等司空见惯的标示语时，人们也难免会疑惑丛生。
15 当你一时心血来潮，想做一做足疗，来到美容院看到其中的一项服务是“剪脚”，也许你会立即打消修脚的念头。当残疾游客看到“畸形人厕所”的标示牌悬于厕所门口时，想必也不会觉得有什么幽默。
16 作为一种全球沟通语言的英语使用得越来越多。非英语母语使用者之间用英语交谈的次数越来越多。
17 英语是世界上使用者人数位居第二的语言。据估测，到2020年，英语母语使用者人数将只占使用或学习这门语言人数的15%。
18 不过，无须忧虑，中国政府已经行动起来了。中国的英语出版界经常鼓励人们举报中式英语，以期根除不规范英语。北京市政府已经发布了新的翻译规则手册，同时在饭店和购物中心，公共交通站点和景点发放小册子。有关部门已经撤换了北京市内6500块译文荒诞可笑的指示牌。餐馆正着手对照标准，重新命名菜单上的菜名，如把“丈夫和妻子的肺片”修改为“辣味猪肺片”。一些学者认为根除中式英语指日可待。



Return to Paradise


1 Lisa gazed out over the Caribbean Sea, feeling the faint breeze against her face—eyes shut, the white sand warm between her bare toes. The place was beautiful beyond belief, but it was still unable to ease the grief she felt as she remembered the last time she had been here.


2 She had married James right here on this spot three years ago to the day. Dressed in a simple white shift dress, miniature white roses attempting to tame her long dark curls, Lisa had been happier than she had ever thought possible. James was even less formal but

utterly irresistible in creased summer trousers and a loose white cotton shirt. His dark hair slightly ruffled and his eyes full of adoration as he looked at his bride-to-be. The Justice of the Peace had read their vows as they held hands and laughed at the sheer joy of being young, in love and staying in a five-star resort on the Caribbean island of the Dominican Republic. They had seen the years blissfully stretching ahead of them, together forever. They planned their children, two she said, he said four, so they compromised on three (two girls and a boy of course); where they would live, the traveling they would do together—it was all certain, so they had thought then.


3 But that seemed such a long time ago now. A lot can change in just a few years—a lot of heartache can change a person and drive a wedge through the strongest ties, break even the deepest love. Three years to the day they had returned, though this time not for the beachside marriages the island was famous for but for one of its equally popular quickie divorces.


4 Lisa let out a sigh that was filled with pain and regret. What could she do but move on, find a new life and new dreams? The old one was beyond repair. How could this beautiful place, with its lush green coastline, eternity of azure blue sea and endless sands be a place for the agony she felt now?


5 The man stood watching from the edge of the palm trees. He couldn't take his eyes off the dark-haired woman he saw standing at the water's edge, gazing out to sea as though she was waiting for something, or someone. She was beautiful, with her slim figure dressed in a loose flowing cotton dress, her crazy hair and bright blue eyes not far off the color of the sea itself. It wasn't her looks that attracted him though; he came across many beautiful women in his work as a freelance photographer. It was her loneliness and intensity that lured him. Even at some distance he was aware that she was different from any other woman he could meet.


6 Lisa sensed the man approaching even before she turned around. She had been aware of him standing there staring at her and had felt strangely calm about being observed. She looked at him and felt the instant spark of connection she had only experienced once before. He walked slowly towards her and they held each other's gaze. It felt like meeting a long-lost friend, not a stranger on a strange beach.


7 Later, sitting at one of the many bars on the resort, sipping the local cocktails, they began to talk. First pleasantries, their hotels, the quality of the food and friendliness of the locals. Their conversation was strangely hesitant considering the naturalness and confidence of their earlier meeting. Onlookers, however, would have detected the subtle flirtation as they mirrored each other's actions and spoke directly into each other's eyes. Only later, after the alcohol had had its loosening effect, did the conversation deepen. They talked of why

they were here and finally, against her judgment, Lisa opened up about her heartache of the past year and how events had led her back to the place where she had married the only man she believed she could ever love. She told him of things that had been locked deep inside her, of which she was unable to tell anyone. She told him how she had felt after she had lost her baby. She was six months pregnant and the happiest she had ever been when the pains had started. She was staying with her mother as James was working out of town. He hadn't made it back in time. The doctor had said it was just one of those things that they could try again. But how could she when she couldn't even look James in the eye. She hated him then, for not being there, for not hurting as much as her, but most of all for looking so much like the tiny baby boy that she held for just three hours before they took him away. All through the following months she had withdrawn from her husband, family, and friends. Not wanting to recover from the pain she felt—that would have been a betrayal of her son. At the funeral she had refused to stand next to her husband and the next day she had left him.


8 Looking up, Lisa could see her pain reflected in the man's eyes. For the first time in months she didn't feel alone, she felt the unbearable burden begin to lift from her, only a bit but it was a start. She began to believe that maybe she had a future after all and maybe it could be with this man, with his kind hazel eyes, wet with their shared tears.


9 They had come here to dissolve their marriage but maybe there was hope. Lisa stood up and took James by the hand and led him away from the bar towards the beach where they had made their vows to each other three years ago. Tomorrow she would cancel the divorce; tonight they would work on renewing their promises.


重返伊甸园


1 莉萨注视着加勒比海，感受着迎面吹来的微风——她闭上双眼，感受着裸露的脚趾间温暖的沙粒。这个地方美得令人难以置信，但当她回忆起上一次在这里的情景时，这般美景仍然无法缓解她心中的伤痛。
2 三年前的今天，她就是在这里和詹姆斯结婚的。她身穿简洁的白色宽松直筒连衣裙，小小的白玫瑰头饰勉强压住她那又长又黑的卷发，她从未想到过自己会如此幸福。詹姆斯更加休闲，身穿带有折痕的夏裤和宽松的白色棉质衬衫，但魅力不可挡。他的黑发稍稍有些凌乱，他用充满爱意的目光看着他的准新娘。太平绅士宣读了他们的誓言，他们手牵手，并为自己的年轻、相爱以及身处多米尼加共和国加勒比岛屿的五星级度假胜地而欢笑。他们看到幸福的未来在他们面前展开，相携永远。他们商量着生孩子的事，她说要两个，他说要四个，所以他们折衷一下，决定生三个（当然是两女一男）；他们计划着将