Running Through the Rain

Track 9

by Bob Perks

翻譯：箐舞

Running Through the Rain

Track 9

by Bob Perks

翻譯：箐舞

She had been shopping with her Mom in Wal-Mart. She must have been 6 years old， this beautiful brown haired，1）freckle faced image of2）innocence. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that3）gushes over the top of rain4）gutters， so much in a hurry to hit the Earth it has no time to flow down the5）spout.

We all stood there under the6）awning and just inside the door of the Wal-Mart. We waited，some patiently， others7）irritated because nature messed up their hurried day. I am always8）mesmerized by rainfall. I get lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running，9）splashing so carefree as a child come pouring in， as a10）reprieve from the worries of my day. Her voice was so sweet as it broke the11）hypnotic trance we were all caught in.

“Mom， let’s run through the rain！” she said.

“What？” Mom asked.

“Let’s run through the rain！” She repeated.

“No， honey. We’ll wait until it slows down a bit，” Mom replied.

This young child waited about another minute and repeated: “Mom， let’s run through the rain！”

“We’ll get12）soaked if we do，” Mom said.

“No， we won’t， Mom. That’s not what you said this morning，” the young girl said as she13）tugged at her Mom’s arm.

“This morning？ When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet？”

“Don’t you remember？ When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer， you said， ‘If God can get us through this， he can get us through anything！’”

The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn’t hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few minutes.

Mom thought for a moment about what she would say. Now some would laugh it off and14）scold her for being silly. Some might even15）ignore what was said. But this was a moment of16）affirmation in a young child’s life. A time when innocent trust can grow into faith.

“Honey， you are right. Let’s run through the rain！ If God let us get wet， well maybe we just needed washing，” Mom said.

Then they ran off.

We all stood watching， smiling and laughing as they quickly ran past the cars and through the17）puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads， trying to keep off the rain. They got soaked.

But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars.

And yes， I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.

1） freckle ［?frek?l］ n. 雀斑

2） innocence ［??n?s?ns］ n. 天真，單純innocent ［??n?s?nt］ adj. 天真的，單純的

3） gush ［g??］ v. 涌出

4） gutter ［?g?t?］ n. 檐槽，排水溝

5） spout ［spa?t］ n. 落水管

6） awning ［???n??］ n. 遮陽篷，雨篷

7） irritate ［??r?te?t］ v. 激怒，使急躁

8） mesmerize ［?mezm?ra?z］ v. 迷住，催眠

9） splash ［spl??］ v. 濺濕

10） reprieve ［r??pri?v］ n. 暫緩，暫時減輕

11） hypnotic trance （心理學上的）催眠性沉睡

12） soaked ［s??kt］ adj. 浸透的

13） tug ［t?g］ v. 用力拉

14） scold ［sk??ld］ v. 責備

15） ignore ［?g?n??］ v. 不理睬，忽視

16） affirmation ［?f??me???n］ n. 肯定

17） puddle ［?p?d?l］ n. 水坑

她和媽媽剛從沃爾瑪購物出來。她應該有六歲大了，一頭漂亮的棕發，臉上長著小雀斑，一臉天真無邪。外面下著傾盆大雨。暴雨溢滿屋頂的雨水檐槽，來不及順著落水管流下就直接傾注到地上。

我們都站在沃爾瑪大門的遮雨篷下。我們都在等待著。有的人耐心十足，有的人煩躁不已，因為大自然給他們本就忙碌的一天添了亂。雨天總是讓我心醉沉迷。我出神地聽著、看著上天沖刷洗滌這世界的污垢與塵埃。兒時無憂無慮地在雨中奔跑玩水的記憶洶涌而至，暫時緩解了我一天的焦慮。一個甜美的聲音打破了這令人昏昏欲睡的氛圍。

“媽媽，讓我們在雨中奔跑吧！”她說。

“什么？”媽媽問。

“讓我們在雨中奔跑吧！”她重復道。

“不，寶貝。我們等雨小一點再走，”媽媽回答道。

小女孩等了一會兒又說：“媽媽，讓我們在雨中奔跑吧！”

“那樣我們會被淋濕的，”媽媽說。

“不，我們不會的，媽媽。你今天早上不是這么和我說的，”小女孩一邊說一邊拽著媽媽的胳膊。

“今天早上？我什么時候說過我們在雨中奔跑不會被淋濕的？”

“你不記得了嗎？你和爸爸在談論他的癌癥時，你不是說過‘如果上帝讓我們闖過這一關，那我們就沒有什么過不去的！’”

人群陷入了一片死寂。我發誓，除了雨聲，你什么都聽不到。所有人都沉默地站著。接下來的幾分鐘里，沒有一個人進出。

媽媽停了一下，思索著該說些什么。對此有的人會一笑置之，責備這孩子不懂事，有的人甚至可能不去理睬她說的話。但這是一個小孩一生中需要被肯定的時刻，一個純粹的信任能發展成信念的時刻。

“寶貝，你說得對。讓我們在雨中奔跑吧！如果上帝讓我們淋濕了，那也許只是我們的確需要沖洗一下，”媽媽說道。

然后她們就沖進雨中。

我們站在那里，笑著看她們飛快地跑過（停著的）汽車、跑過水坑。她們把購物袋舉過頭頂想試著擋擋雨，但還是被淋濕了。

有好幾個人像孩子般尖叫著、大笑著，也跟著沖了出去，跑向自己的車子。

當然，我也這樣做了。我沖進雨里，被雨淋濕。我需要接受洗禮。