哥哥的心愿
 
　　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 didn't 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, I'd 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 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[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。

　　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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