《不凡的连衣裙》

Not a simple dress 不凡的连衣裙 “Do you like my dress?"she asked of a passing stranger." 你喜欢我的连衣裙吗？“她问一位正走过她身边的陌生人。” My mommy made it just for me.She said with a tear in her eyes. 我妈妈专给我做的。”她说道，眼里冒出了泪珠。 Well,I think it's very pretty,so tell me little one,why are you crying? “嗯，我认为你的裙子真漂亮。告诉我，小姑娘，你为什么哭呢？” With a quiver in her voice the little girl answered."After Mommy made me this dress,she had to go away." 小姑娘声音有些颤抖，回答道：“我妈妈给我做完这条裙子后就不得不离开了。” “Well,now,”said the lady,"with a little girl like you waiting for her,I'm sure she'll be right back." “哦，是这样，”陌生的女士说，“有你这样一个小姑娘等着她，我敢肯定她很快就会回来的。” No Ma'am ,you don't understand,said the child through her tears,"my daddy said she's up in heaven now with Grandfather." “不，女士，您不明白，”女孩透过泪水说，“我爸说她现在和我爷爷在天堂里。” Finally the woman realized what the child meant,and why she was crying.Kneeling down she gently cradled the child in her arms and together they cried for the mommy that was gone. 女士终于明白孩子的意思了，也明白她为什么哭泣。她跪下，温柔地把女孩搂在怀里，她们一起为离去的妈妈哭泣。 Then suddenly the little girl did something that the woman thought was a bit strange.She stopped crying,stepped back from the woman and began to sing.She sang so softly that it was almost a whisper. It was the sweetest sound the woman had ever heard,almost like the song of a very small bird. 忽然小姑娘又做了件让女士感到有点奇怪的事。她停住了哭泣，从女士怀抱中抽出身，向后退了一步，然后开始唱歌。她唱得如此轻柔，几乎像章晨低语。这是女士听到过的最甜美的声音，简直就像一只非常小的小鸟在吟唱。 After the child stopped singing she explained to the lady,"My mommy used to sing that song to me before she went away,and she made me promise to sing it whenever I started crying and it would make me stop." 小女孩唱完后解释说：“妈妈离去前经常给我唱这支歌，她让我答应她我一哭就唱这支歌，这样我就不哭了。” See,she exclaimed,"it did,and now my eyes are dry!" “您瞧，”她惊叫道，“真管用，现在我的眼睛里没有眼泪了！” As the woman turned to go,the little girl grabbed her sleeve,"Ma'am,can you stay just a minute?I want to show you something." 女士转身要走时，小女孩抓住她的衣袖：“女士，您能再停留一小会儿吗？我想给您看点东西。” Of course,she answered,"what do you want me to see?" “当然可以，”她回答，“你想要我看什么呢？” Pointing to a spot on her dress,she said,"Right here is where my mommy kissed my dress,and here,"pointing to another spot,"and here is another kiss, and here,and here.Mommy said that she put all those kisses on my dress so that I would have her kisses for every booboo'that made me cry." 小女孩指着裙子上的一处，说：“就在这里，我妈妈亲了我的裙子，还有这里，”她指着另外一处，“这里有另外一个吻，还有这里，这里。妈妈说她把所有这些吻都留在我的连衣裙上，这样我遇到什么事哭了，就会有她的亲吻。” Then the lady realized that she wasn't just looking at a dress,no,she was looking at a mother…who knew that she was going away and would not be there to kiss away the hurts that she knew her daughter would get. 这时，女士意识到在她眼前的不是一件连衣裙，不是的，她在凝视一位母亲……这位母亲知道她将离去，无法随时守候在女儿身边，吻去她知道女儿必然会遇到的种种伤心事。 So she took all the love she had for her beautiful little girl and put them into this dress,which her child now so proudly wore. 所以她将所有对她美丽女儿的爱倾注在这件连衣裙上。现在，女儿如此骄傲地穿在身上。 She no longer saw a little girl in a simple dress. She saw a child wrapped…in her mother's love. 她看到的不再是身穿一件简单的连衣裙的小女孩。她看到的是一个……被妈妈的爱裹着的孩子。 A special letter 2 一封特殊的信 Dear World: 亲爱的世界： My son starts school today. 我的儿子今天就要开始上学读书了。 It's going to be strange and new to him for a while, and I wish you would sort of treat him gently. 一时之间，他会感觉陌生而又新鲜。我希望你能待他温柔一些。 You see, up to now, he's been king of the roost. 你明白，到现在为止，他一直是家中的小皇帝。 He's been boss of the backyard. 一直是后院的王者。 I have always been around to repair his wounds, and to make him calm. 我一直在他身旁，忙着为他治疗伤口，哄他开心。 But now--things are going to be different. 但是现在--一切都将不同了。 This morning, he's going to walk down the front steps, wave his hand and start on his great adventure that will probably include wars and tragedy and sorrow. 今天清晨，他就要走下前门的楼梯，冲我挥手，然后开始他的伟大的历险征程，其间或许有争斗、不幸以及伤痛。 To live his life in the world he has to live in will require faith and love and courage. 既然活在这个世上，他就需要信念、爱心和勇气。 So, World, I wish you would sort of take him by his young hand and teach him the things he will have to know. 所以，世界啊，我希望你能够时不时握住他稚嫩的小手，传授他所应当知晓的事情。 Teach him - but gently, if you can. 教育他吧--而如果可能的话，温柔一些。 Teach him that for every scoundrel there is a hero; that for every crooked politician there is a dedicated leader; that for every enemy there is a friend. 教他知道，每有恶人之地，必有豪杰所在；每有奸诈小人，必有献身义士；每见一敌人，必有一友在侧。 Teach him the wonders of books. 教他感受书本的神奇魅力。 Give him quiet time to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun, and flowers on the green hill. 给他时间静思大自然中亘古绵传之奥秘：空中的飞鸟，日光里的蜜蜂，青山上的簇簇繁花。 Teach him it is far more honorable to fail than to cheat. 教他知道，失败远比欺骗更为光荣。 Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone tells him they are wrong. 教他坚定自我的信念，哪怕人人予以否认。 Teach him to sell his brawn and brains to the highest bidder, but never to put a price on his heart and soul. 教他可以最高价付出自己的精力和智慧，但绝不可出卖良心和灵魂。 Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob...and to stand and fight if he thinks he's right. 教他置暴徒的喧嚣于度外……并在自觉正确之时挺身而战。 Teach him gently, World, but don't coddle him, because only the test of fire makes fine steel. 温柔地教导他吧，世界，但是不要放纵他，因为只有烈火的考验才能炼出真钢。 This is a big order, World, but see what you can do. 这一要求甚高，世界，但是请尽你所能。 He's such a nice little fellow. 他是一个如此可爱的小家伙。