釋懷

Track 7

by Ankita Tandon翻譯：常青

釋懷

Track 7

by Ankita Tandon
翻譯：常青

文字難度·

I used to1）peep through my window. There I could see the busy road， the2）vendors selling a variety of things. My3）caretaker used to tell me the names of things.

I enjoyed watching colorful balloons，4）cotton candies， ice creams， burgers， hotdogs and other5）innumerable things...the things I had always seen through my window but never touched or tasted. I was just allowed to see them. The reason was that I was sufering from a serious disease. I could only have soup，boiled vegetables and6）porridge. To me， life was7）pale.

I wasn't allowed to walk for more than 15 minutes. I always thought the people who could visit the market and eat those colorful things were very lucky. But I was not one of them.

My parents took great care of me. They provided me with all the facilities， including the latest video games， books as well as children's flms. I was fond of writing poems， so my parents8）assigned a teacher who could guide me. But still， that colorful road looked more attractive to me.

I decided to visit the street and I requested my father to take me. Considering my request， my father took me one day.

I was excited to see and touch the things I had always9）longed for. My father made me sit at a shop of candies and stood near me. A boy came to the shop. He was wearing a10）ragged shirt and11）half pants. He used12）crutches to walk as he was suffering from13）polio. After a while， he begged the shopkeeper for a little money. The shopkeeper14）shrieked at him and ordered him to go away. He moved away with a sad face.

I had brought 15 bucks to buy and eat something without the knowledge of my father. I thought the boy also wished to eat candies like me. Everybody would like to because candies were so attractive and they must be very delicious. I called that boy and decided to share my money with him. But let me have a15）confrmation， maybe he wanted cotton candy or ice cream. So I asked why he wanted money. Did he also wish to eat candies like me？

He told me that the fnancial condition of his family was not good. He had a sister， who wasn't keeping well for a long time. But they could not provide medicine. Actually， they couldn't even fulfll the basic needs of the family.

I was16）taken aback and gave him those 15 bucks. This is also life where basic needs are hardly met. I used to think that my life was so difcult and all the other people can enjoy a happy life.

Next morning， I was again standing at the same place of my house， the same window，staring at the same road but thanking God that he gave me enough means to face my problems. I realized that maybe the grass is not always greener on the other side.

1） peep ［pIp］ v. 偷看，窺視

2） vendor ［'vend?］ n. 小販，叫賣商

3） caretaker ［'ke?teIk?］ n. 看管人，守護者

4） cotton candy 棉花糖

5） innumerable ［I'nju?m?r?b?l］ adj. 數不清的，無數的

6） porridge ［'p?rId?］ n. 粥，麥片粥

7） pale ［peIl］ adj. 蒼白的，灰白的

8） assign ［?'saIn］ v. 指定

9） long for 渴望

10） ragged ［'r?gId］ adj. 衣衫襤褸的，破爛的，破舊的

11） half pants 中褲

12） crutch ［kr?t?］ n. 拐杖

14） shriek ［?ri?k］ v. 尖聲叫喊

15） confrmation ［,k?nf?'meI??n］ n. 確認，證實

16） taken aback 驚訝，大吃一驚

以前我總會從我的窗戶偷偷往外看。透過窗戶，我可以看到繁忙的道路，路上有小販在銷售著各種各樣的東西。看護我的人過去常常會給我介紹那些東西。

我喜歡看著那五彩繽紛的氣球、棉花糖、冰淇淋、漢堡、熱狗，以及其他數之不盡的東西……那些我透過窗戶能夠看到，卻從來沒有觸碰過或品嘗過的東西。我只能遠遠地看著它們，因為我患有十分嚴重的疾病。我只能喝湯，吃水煮的蔬菜和麥片粥。對于我來說，生活是蒼白無趣的。

我走路不能超過15分鐘。我一直認為可以去市場吃上那些色彩豐富的食物的人是非常幸運的。但我并不是這樣的幸運兒。

我的父母對我呵護備至。他們為我提供了各種設備，包括最新的電子游戲、書籍和兒童電影。我喜歡寫詩，所以我的父母請了一位老師來指導我。盡管如此，那條五彩繽紛的街道對我而言更有吸引力。

我決定去街上看看并請求我的父親帶我去?？紤]到我的請求，有天父親終于帶上了我。

我可以看到并觸摸到我一直渴望的東西，這讓我非常興奮。爸爸讓我坐在一家糖果店里并站在了離我不遠的地方。一個男孩走了進來，穿著破舊的襯衫和中褲。因為患有小兒麻痹癥，他得依靠拐杖走路。過了一會兒，他向老板討要一點錢。店主朝他尖叫，命令他離開。于是他一臉悲傷地走了。

在我爸爸不知情的情況下，我帶了15美元出來買一些東西吃。我覺得那個男孩也和我一樣想吃到糖果。每個人都會想吃的，因為糖果很吸引人，而且也一定非常好吃。我叫住了那個男孩，決定給他一些我手頭上的錢。但我得先確認下，也許他想要的是棉花糖或冰淇淋。于是我問他為什么需要錢，他也和我一樣想吃糖果嗎？

他告訴我，他家庭的經濟條件并不好。他有一個姐姐已經生病很久了，一直沒好。但他們沒錢買藥。事實上，他們甚至沒有錢支撐整個家庭的基本開銷。

我大吃一驚，給了他那15美元。即使生活的基本需求難以得到保障，還是要繼續生活下去。我從前常常以為，我的生活十分艱難，而其他人卻都是那么幸福。

第二天早上，我依舊站在我家的那個窗戶邊，盯著同一條街道，然而我感謝上帝，感謝他給了我足夠多的途徑來面對我的問題。我意識到，這世界并不總是隔岸風景好、鄰家芳草綠。

Unfolding Life