0n Christmas Eve 圣誕之夜

A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile from his brother as Christmas present. On Christmas eve, when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin was looking around the shining new car, admiring it.

　　我有個(gè)朋友，保羅，在圣誕節(jié)那天收到了一份來(lái)自他哥哥的禮物，一輛轎車。在圣誕前夜，當(dāng)保羅從他的辦公室走出來(lái)時(shí)，一個(gè)街頭頑童正圍著他的新車打轉(zhuǎn)地看，非常羨慕。

　　"Is this your car, Mister?" he said.

　　“這是您的汽車嗎，先生?”他說(shuō)。

　　Paul nodded, "My brother gave it to me for Christmas."

　　保羅點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭，“我哥哥給我的圣誕禮物。

　　The boy was astounded, "You mean your brother gave it to you, and didn't cost you anything?"

　　小男孩詫異了，“你是說(shuō)你哥哥給你的，不用花你一分錢?”

　　"Boy, I wish..." he hesitated.

　　“兄弟，我希望...”他遲疑了。

　　Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he has a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred Paull all the way down his heels.

　　保羅當(dāng)然清楚他希望什么，他希望他也有個(gè)那樣的哥哥。但這個(gè)小家伙說(shuō)的話，使保羅大吃了一驚。

　　"I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that."

　　“我希望，”小男孩繼續(xù)說(shuō)道，“我可以做一個(gè)那樣的哥哥。”

　　Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then inpulsivly he added, "Would you like to take a ride in my car?"

　　保羅驚奇地看著小男孩，然后激動(dòng)地說(shuō)了句，“你想不想做我的車去兜兜風(fēng)?”

　　"Oh, yes. I'd love that."

　　“哦，想!我喜歡!”

　　After a short ride, the boy turned his eyes aglow, said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?"

　　跑了一小段路后，小男孩眼光水靈閃閃地說(shuō)道，“先生，您可以把車開(kāi)到我家門前嗎?”

　　Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbours that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again.

　　保羅微微一笑。他覺(jué)得他知道這個(gè)小家伙想要干什么，他想要向他的鄰居炫耀他可以坐一輛大汽車回家。但是，保羅又一次想錯(cuò)了。

　　"Would you stop at those with two steps?" the boy asked.

　　“您可以在那有兩個(gè)臺(tái)階的房子前停下嗎?” 小男孩問(wèn)道。

　　He ran up stairs. Then in a little while, Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He set him down on the bottom step. Then a sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.

　　他跑著上樓去了。然后一小會(huì)兒，保羅聽(tīng)到他回來(lái)的腳步聲，但他沒(méi)再用跑的了。保羅看見(jiàn)他正攙扶著他的跛腳的弟弟，他扶著他坐在最底層的臺(tái)階上，然后擁抱著他，指著這部車。

　　"There she is, buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and didn't cost hime a cent. And some day, I'm gonna give you one just like it. Then you can see for yourself all the prettiest things in the windows that I was trying to tell you about."

　　“小弟，那就是我在樓上跟你說(shuō)的那部車。他哥哥給他的圣誕禮物，不用花他一分錢。將來(lái)某天我也要給你一部像那樣的車，那樣你就可以自己去看我以前盡力想讓你知道的那些窗邊的圣誕飾品了。”

　　Paul got off and lifted the lad into the front of his car. The shinning eyed old brother crimbed in beside him. And three of them began a memorable holiday ride.

　　保羅下車把跛腳的小孩抱上了車的前座，他的眼睛水靈靈的哥哥爬上了車，坐到了他旁邊。然后他們?nèi)齻�(gè)開(kāi)始一段令人難忘的旅程。

　　That Christmas eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant, when he said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive..."

　　那個(gè)圣誕前夜，保羅收獲了很多，他真正體會(huì)了耶穌所說(shuō)的那句話，“施舍比接受更有福...”