Mother & Child 

 

A：It was Christmas 1961. I was teaching in a small town in Ohio where my twenty-seven third graders eagerly anticipated the great day of gifts giving.

 

 

那是1961年的圣诞节。我在俄亥俄州的一个小镇上教小学三年级。班上27个孩子都在积极参加"礼物赠送日"的活动。

 

B：A tree covered with tinsel and gaudy paper chains graced one corner. In another rested a manger scene produced from cardboard and poster paints by chubby, and sometimes grubby, hands. Someone had brought a doll and placed it on the straw in the cardboard box that served as the manger. It didn't matter that you could pull a string and hear the blue-eyed, golden-haired dolly say, "My name is Susie." "But Jesus was a boy baby!" one of the boys proclaimed. Nonetheless, Susie stayed.

 

教室的一角被一棵树装点得熠熠生辉，树上缀满了金银丝帛和华丽的彩纸。教室的另一角是一个涂着海报油彩由纸板制成的马槽，这出自孩子们那胖乎乎、脏兮兮的小手。有人带来了一个娃娃，把它放在纸板槽里的稻草上(假装小耶稣)。只要拉拉它身上的一条细绳，这个蓝眼睛、金发的娃娃就会说道，"我叫苏西"，不过这都没有关系。一个男孩提出："耶稣可是个小男孩呀!"不过苏西还是留了下来。

 

A：Each day the children produced some new wonder -- strings of popcorn, hand-made trinkets, and German bells made from wallpaper samples, which we hung from the ceiling. Through it all she remained aloof, watching from afar, seemingly miles away. I wondered what would happen to this quiet child, once so happy, now so suddenly withdrawn. I hoped the festivities would appeal to her. But nothing did. We made cards and gifts for mothers and dads, for sisters and brothers, for grandparents, and for each other. At home the students made the popular fried marbles and vied with one another to bring in the prettiest ones. " You put them in a hot frying pan, Teacher. And you let them get real hot, and then you watch what happens inside. But you don't fry them too long or they break."So, as my gift to them, I made each of my students a little pouch for carrying their fried marbles. And I knew they had each made something for me: bookmarks carefully cut, colored, and sometimes pasted together; cards and special drawings; liquid embroidery doilies, hand-fringed, of course.

 

每天孩子们都会做点儿新玩意--爆米花串成的细链子、手工做的小装饰品和墙纸样做的德国式风铃，我们把这些风铃挂在了天花板上。但自始至终，她都是孤零零地远远观望，仿佛是隔了一道几里长的障碍。我猜想着这个沉默的孩子发生了什么事，原来那个快乐的孩子怎么突然变得沉默寡言起来。我希望节日的活动能吸引她，可还是无济于事。我们制作了许多卡片和礼物，准备把它们送给爸爸妈妈、兄弟姐妹、祖父母和身边的同学。学生们在家里做了当时很流行“油炸"玻璃弹子，并且相互比着，要把最好看的拿来。"老师，把玻璃弹子放在热油锅里，让它们烧热，然后看看里面的变化。但不要炸得时间过长否则会破裂。"所以，我给每个学生做了一个装"油炸弹子"的小袋作为礼物送给他们。我知道他们每个人也都为我做了礼物：仔细剪裁、着色，或已粘集成串的书签；贺卡和特别绘制的图片；透明的镶边碗碟垫布，当然是手工编制的流苏

 

B：The day of gift-giving finally came. We oohed and aahed over our handiwork as the presents were exchanged. Through it all, she sat quietly watching. I had made a special pouch for her, red and green with white lace. I wanted very much to see her smile. She opened the package so slowly and carefully. I waited but she turned away. I had not penetrated the wall of isolation she had built around herself.

 

赠送礼物的那天终于到了。在交换礼物时我们为对方亲手做的小礼品不停地欢呼叫好。而整个过程，她只是安静地坐在那儿看着。我为她做的小袋很特别，红绿相间还镶着白边。我非常想看到她笑一笑。她打开包装，动作又慢又小心。我等待着，但是她却转过了身。我还是没能穿过她在自己周围树起的高墙，这堵墙将她与大家隔离了开来。

 

A：After school the children left in little groups, chattering about the great day yet to come when long-hoped-for two-wheelers and bright sleds would appear beside their trees at home. She lingered, watching them bundle up and go out the door. I sat down in a child-sized chair to catch my breath, hardly aware of what was happening, when she came to me with outstretched hands, bearing a small white box, unwrapped and slightly soiled, as though it had been held many times by unwashed, childish hands. She said nothing. "For me?" I asked with a weak smile. She said not a word, but nodded her head. I took the box and gingerly opened it. There inside, glistening green, a fried marble hung from a golden chain. Then I looked into that elderly eight-year-old face and saw the question in her dark brown eyes. In a flash I knew -- she had made it for her mother, a mother she would never see again, a mother who would never hold her or brush her hair or share a funny story, a mother who would never again hear her childish joys or sorrows. A mother who had taken her own life just three weeks before.

 

放学后，学生们三三俩俩地离开了，边走边说着即将到来的圣诞节：家中的圣诞树旁将发现自己心系已久的自行车和崭新发亮的雪橇。她慢慢地走在后面，看着大家拥挤着走出门外。我坐在孩子们的小椅子上稍稍松了口气，对要发生的事没有一点准备。这时她向我走来，双手拿着一个白色的盒子向我伸过来。盒子没有打包装，稍有些脏。好像是被孩子未洗过的小手摸过了好多遍。她没有说话。"给我的吗?"我微微一笑。她没出声，只是点点头。我接过盒子，非常小心地打开它。盒子里面有一条金色的链子，上面坠着一块闪闪发光的“油炸"玻璃弹子。然后我看着她的脸，虽只有8岁，可却是成人的表情。在她深棕色的眼睛里我找到了问题的答案。我在一瞬间明白过来--这是她为妈妈做的项链。

 

B：I held out the chain. She took it in both her hands, reached forward, and secured the simple clasp at the back of my neck. She stepped back then as if to see that all was well. I looked down at the shiny piece of glass and the tarnished golden chain, then back at the giver. I meant it when I whispered," Oh, Maria, it is so beautiful. She would have loved it."Neither of us could stop the tears. She stumbled into my arms and we wept together. And for that brief moment I became her mother, for she had given me the greatest gift of all: herself.

 

我拿起那条链子。她用双手接过它，向前探了探身，在我的脖子后把简易的项链钩系好。然后她向后退了几步，好像在看看是否合适。我低下头看着闪闪发亮的玻璃珠和已失去光泽的金色链子，然后抬起头望着她。我很认真地轻声说道：“哦，玛丽亚，这链子真漂亮。你妈妈一定会喜欢的。"我们已无法抑制住泪水。她踉踉跄跄地扑进我的怀里，我们都哭了。在那短暂的一刻我成了她的妈妈，而她送给了我一份最珍贵的礼物：她的信任和爱。

 

 

                     

                            茶马古道

 

A：For thousands of years, only humans and horses treaded the mountains of Southwest China as they followed an ancient pathway through the Chinese hinterlands and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

 

“茶马古道”是中国西南大地上一条进行对外经济文化交流，传播中国古代文明的国际通道,是西南的“丝绸之路”。

 

B：Along the unpaved and rugged pathway that was formed, commodities like tea, salt and sugar flowed into Tibet. Meanwhile, horses, cows, furs, musk and other local products made their way to the outside world. The road was called the tea-horse ancient road, and it stretched across more than 4,000 kilometers, mainly through Southwest China’s Sichuan and Yunnan provinces and the Tibetan Autonomous Region.

 

几千年来，在中国内地与青藏高原的群山之间，只有人类和他们的马匹循着这条古道穿梭于西南部的群山峻岭之间。

 

　　顺着这条行人走出来的崎岖不平的道路，一些商品像茶叶、盐和糖流入到了西藏。与此同时，马、牛、皮毛、麝香等当地产品也走向了外面的世界。这条道被称为茶马古道，绵延纵横4,000多公里，主要途径中国西南部的四川省和云南省，以及西藏自治区。

 

A：The ancient commercial passage first appeared during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). It also experienced the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties - or a period of more than 1,200 years. The road promoted exchanges in culture and religion, and saw ethnic migration that closely resembled what was experienced on the well-known Silk Road.

 

在唐朝（618-907）首次出现了古代的商业通道，宋、元、明、清年间也出现了商业通道，时间长达1,200多年。这条古道促进了地区和文化交流，也像著名的“丝绸之路”一样促进了民族之间的融合。

 

B：Along the ancient road lived more than 20 minorities. Concentrations of beautiful and mysterious natural landscapes and traditional cultures developed in various sites, including Dali old city, Lijiang old city, Shangrila, Yarlung Zangbo River Grand Canyon, Potala Palace. The road features temples, rock paintings, post houses, ancient bridges and plank roads. It is also home to many national minorities and their dances and folk customs.

 

这条古道两边，生活着20多个少数民族。不同的地方有着各自美丽而神奇的自然风景和传统文化，比如：大理和丽江古城，香格里拉，雅鲁藏布江大峡谷和布达拉宫。古道的两旁有庙宇、岩石壁画、驿站、古桥和木板路，还有少数民族舞蹈和民族服装。

 

A：Tens of thousands of traveling horses and yaks created a definite pathway with their hooves on the once-indiscernible road. Today, although even such traces of the ancient road are fading away, its cultural and historic values remain.

 

成千上万匹马和牦牛用它们的蹄子走出了一条清晰可见的道路，时至今天，虽然这条古道的踪迹都消失了，但它的文化和历史价值仍然存在。

 

B：The Eternal Road

永恒的道路

 

B：No matter what is happening in the world, three types of things in the tea-horse ancient road will continue to exist: the beautiful and rustic nature scene, inviolable religion and simple Tibetan people.

 

不管这个世界会发生什么变化，但是这条茶马古道的三样东西却会依然存在：美丽原始的自然风景，神圣的宗教，和淳朴的藏族人民。

 

A：This ancient road features the imposing scenery and a soul-stirring quiet. Some- times, things seem static and the surrounding mountains stand silent. There is a kind of beauty in the desolation that may easily lead people to believe they are experienced a prehistoric place when they visit.

 

茶马古道风景迷人，幽静僻远。有时，万物皆静，四面的群山寂静无语，这种荒凉寂静之美很容易把游人带进一个空灵的远古地带。

 

B：The distant mountains reveal strong and exquisite ridges while rain and snow melt together, rushing down from the mountains and rapidly gathering before flowing into innumerable rivers.

 

雨雪在一起融化，远山就呈现出一派刚强与精致的山脊。雪水从山上冲到山下，又迅速汇聚在一起，然后流入千万条河流之内。

 

A：If the mountains could form a skeleton of Tibet, the resulting rivers and streams might form their vessels, which pour vigor and vitality into the plateau.　　

 

如果把群山看作是西藏的骨架的话，那么那些河流与小溪便是西藏的血管，而河流又给平原带来了能量和生机。

 

B：Besides mountain and rivers, there are also many peculiar stones, incomparably marvelous clouds, as well as unusual light illuminating the sky as one travels the road.

 

除此之外，这里还有大量的奇石异云，有时候，游客在路上还会遇到罕见的闪电照亮整个天空的壮景

 

A：Walking the tea-horse ancient road might allow one to see reverent pilgrims heading to holy city Lhasa. They walk slowly along the rugged road, some of them even crawling, butting heads as they move toward their sacred destination. Their arms and legs fester - foreheads dripping blood - but with eyes still full of light, granted comfort from their beliefs.　

 

　　行走在茶马古道上，你或许能够看到一些去往圣城拉萨的虔诚朝圣者，他们在崎岖不平的路上行走，步行缓慢，有的甚至屈膝爬行，磕着头前往圣地。即使他们的双腿与胳膊化脓--额头滴血--但他们的眼神依然闪烁着光芒，是信仰给了他们安慰。

 

B：When you walk the road of Tibet in a cloudless dawn or under the glow of a sunset, the sights can stir the senses and seem an awakening experience.

 

日落时分，天空万里无云，太阳的余辉闪耀，你行走在西藏的一条大路上，此时，风景无限，触动你的灵感，这颇是一次让人为之一惊的体验。

 

A：Caravans on the Way

途中的大篷车

 

A：From ancient times, mabang (caravans) have been the main vehicles used for transportation.

 

自古以来，大篷车就一直是运输的主要工具

 

A：Year after year, thousands of caravans traveled the rough road while the hoof beats and the sounds of clear bells broke the tranquility of the canyon. The road opened a vital pathway for economics and trade with the outside world.

 

每年都有无数辆大篷车行走在崎岖不平的道路上，蹄子当当地响，清脆的铃声在山谷里回荡，这条古道开辟了一条重要的对外经贸之路。

 

B：In World War II, the tea-horse ancient road became the only transportation line for the southwest of China. Caravans transported large quantities of international assistance from India, which greatly supported China’s Sino-Japanese War.

 

二战时期，茶马古道成为中国西南部唯一一条交通路线。当时，印度大力支持中国的抗日战争，因此大篷车也装载着大量印度给中国的国际援助物资

 

A：After the accomplishment of the Dian- Zang Highway and the Chengdu-Lhasa Highway, automobiles replaced the cara- vans, and the tea-horse ancient road be- came a part of history. But in the outlying mountainous area of Yunnan Province, caravans remain the main source of trans- portation today.

 

行走完滇藏公路和成都到拉萨的公路后，接下来就要乘汽车了。茶马古道已成为历史的一部分了，但是至今，在云南的偏远山区，大篷车仍然是交通运输的重要工具。

 

B：The tea-horse ancient road - from ancient times through its present history - contributes greatly to the national spirit of the Chinese people. It represents continuity as an eternal monument in the history of China.

 

时至今日，茶马古道已为中华民族的整个民族精神做出了巨大贡献，而且它仍将是中国历史上的永恒纪念碑

 

A：Culture Treaded by Feet

文化的足迹

 

A：The tea- horse ancient road is hard and dangerous, yet the natural landscape along it stimulates people’s underlying courage, strength and endurance while helping to provide meaning to life.

 

茶马古道这条古路难走而且充满危险，可是它美丽的自然风景却刺激人们鼓足勇气，使出力量，拼足耐力去认识和领悟生命的意义

 

B：In addition, Tibetan Buddhism has provided widespread doctrine on the tea-horse ancient road, further promoting economic dialogue, cultural exchanges, along with unity and friendship between the nationalities of Naxi, Bai, Tibetan and other ethnic groups.　　

 

此外，茶马古道也促进了藏传佛教的广泛传播，促进了经济和文化的交流，也加强了纳西族、白族、藏族和其他少数民族之间的友谊和团结。

 

A：Some reverent artists have drawn and carved massive images of Buddha, Bodhisattva, eminent monks, God animals, conch, and other heavenly bodies on rocks along the roadside. These have increased a kind of sacred dignity for the ancient roadway.

 

一些受人崇敬的艺术家曾在路边的岩壁上画下和刻下了大量佛像、菩萨像，僧侣和神仙像，以及贝壳与天体的图像。这些遗迹都增加了这条古道的神圣色彩，以及人们对这里的崇敬。

 

B：With thousands of years of history behind it, the tea-horse ancient road - like a big corridor connecting various nationalities has developed the local economy, stimulated the commodity markets in communities, and promoted the development of border trade as well. It has pro- moted agriculture and the raising of animals while at the same time providing a source of enjoyment for local art, religion, culture, and ideologies. It has helped many in the nation obtain unprecedented prosperity and development.　

 

　几千年来，随着历史的发展，茶马古道--就像一个连结着各个少数民族的大走廊，使当地的经济得到了发展，刺激了民族间商品市场的发展，也促进了边境贸易的发展。它促进了农业的发展和饲养动物的产生，同时，还为当地的艺术、宗教、文化和思想意识提供了一个发展空间，它更加促进了民族在多个领域内的史无前例的发展与繁荣。

 

　　茶马古道周边的重要城镇

 

　　普洱：历史悠久的普洱茶的故乡。

 

　　下关（大理）：茶叶的主要加工与收集中心。

 

　　剑川：茶马古道上的一个集市。

 

　　沙溪寺登：茶马古道上唯一幸存的古集市。

 

　　丽江：茶马古道上最有名的集散地。

 

　　德钦：云南边界内的最后一个路站

 

 

 

　　

   

                             眼里有心

B：Cody started life weighing 24 ounces.

 

Due to extreme prematurity, our son had eye surgery to prevent blindness. As a result of the surgery, he lost peripheral vision in his right eye. And his near sightedness would mean glasses and close monitoring by an ophthalmologist for the rest of his life.

 

Such a small price to pay, in our opinion, compared to the alternative.

 

A：Cody wore glasses with great pride, making it abundantly clear to his little brothers that Mommy and Daddy also wore glasses, and wasn't it a shame that they didn't have any themselves. This usually prompted a round of begging from his siblings that it was only fair they get glasses, too.

 

B：Then kindergarten happened.

 

One day, a couple of kids at recess derailed Cody's bright outlook on having glasses in his possession. One boy said, your glasses look stupid, Cody. Another kid yanked them off his face and bent them.

 

A：Cody was a timid, small child. Seeing tears well up in his eyes, as he recounted the event, wrung our hearts dry.

 

Just recently though, something changed his outlook.

 

B：It was the morning of Valentine's Day. I shut off the alarm and groped around in the dark until I found my glasses. I donned them and without turning on the light, blindly made my way to the bathroom. I flipped the bathroom switch, and there I discovered why it was extra dark in my bedroom.

 

A：My husband, Stephen, had placed two red heart stickers on my glasses. And plastered all over the mismatched antique mirrors above our bathroom basins were the same stickers.

 

B："VALENTINE," my husband had scrawled on one mirror, "I LOVE YOU THIS MUCH!"

 

In one mirror was drawn a stick arm with a hand pointing west. And in the other mirror was the same thing pointing east. I was chuckling under my breath, so as not to wake the rest of the household, while staring at my reflection.

 

A：I penned my response in the mirror, "Thanks to you, sweetie, I've got hearts in my eyes!"

 

While dressing Cody for school, he whispered, "Mom?"

 

"Yes, big boy?" I whispered back.

 

"You got hearts on your glasses."

 

"Yep, I sure do."

 

B："You're funny, Mom," he said, his eyes sparkling. We both climbed into the cab of the pickup truck, where other hearts ambushed us. Stuck to the steering wheel was a heart. Another one was on the rearview mirror, on my truck key, on the stick shift, and on my wallet. All compliments of my heart?happy husband.

 

A：I peeled the hearts from my glasses and handed them to Cody. He stuck them carefully on his own glasses and smiled the whole way to school.

 

I parked in front of his school.

 

B："Get your book bag, sweetie," I said.

 

"Mom, can I wear my hearts to class?"

 

I debated it for a moment. Pulling a "stunt" like this could go either way. But the pleading in his eyes sealed8 it for me. How could I deny him what may turn out to be a fun opportunity?

 

A："I don't see why not, big boy."

 

I placed two hearts on my own glasses, and together we entered his school, hand in hand, parting the crowd in the hallway on our way to his classroom.

 

B："Ha! Look at Cody Oliver! He's got hearts on his glasses!" one observer called out.

 

"Oh, look at Cody! How cute!"shouted another, pointing and giggling.

 

Cody smiled shyly, gripping my hand for dear life.

 

A：When we arrived at the doorway, classmates gathered around my little guy, while I saw him trying to shake off the biggest grin I'd ever seen on his face.

 

"That's neat! Hearts on your glasses!"

 

"Cody, can I try them on?"

 

B：One little girl tugged at my sleeve. "Mrs. Oliver?"

 

"Yes?"

 

"I wish I had glasses."

 

I knew then without a doubt that Cody's outlook was back on track.

 

Just by having hearts in his eyes.

 

科迪出生时仅仅24盎司。

 

　　因为是极度早产，我们的儿子做了眼部手术以防止失明。手术结果是，他失去了右眼的周边视觉。右眼近视就意味着他终身都需要戴眼镜，终身都需要有眼科专家的密切监察。

 

　　相对于失明，我们认为这点代价实在是微不足道。

 

　　科迪极为骄傲地戴上了眼镜，那种骄傲劲让他的弟弟们一眼就能看出：爸爸、妈妈都戴眼镜，而他们却不戴，简直有点不像话。于是弟弟们时常轮番恳求也要戴眼镜，否则不公平嘛。

 

　　转眼该上幼儿园了。

 

　　有一天课间休息时，两个小男孩彻底摧毁了科迪对戴眼镜所抱有的自豪感。一个男孩说，科迪，你的眼镜看上去好蠢。而另一个竟猛地把科迪的眼镜摘下，把它弄弯。

 

　　科迪个头小，生性腼腆。他回家跟我们说起

 

　　这件事时，眼泪直在眼睛里打转转，我们的心里好难受。

 

　　但就在最近，有件事改变了他对眼镜的看法。

 

　　那是情人节的早晨。闹钟一响，我赶紧按住，然后在黑暗中摸索着找到我的眼镜。我戴上眼镜，没有开灯，摸黑走进卫生间。轻轻按下卫生间的电灯开关，我才明白过来为什么卧室是那样出奇地黑暗。

 

　　我先生斯蒂芬，在我的眼镜片上分别贴了两个红色心形贴画。而在我们卫生间盥洗池上方那些大小不一的古董镜子上也都贴满了红心。

 

　　“我的爱，我这么地爱你!”我先生在一面镜子上潦草地写道。

 

　　在一面镜子上画有一只伸直的胳膊，手指向西边。而另一面镜子上也画有一只伸直的胳膊，手指向东边。瞅着镜中的自己，我使劲忍住不笑出声来，怕弄醒丈夫和孩子。

 

　　我也在镜子上写下了我的回复：“谢谢你，亲爱的。我的眼里满是心!”

 

　　在给科迪穿衣服准备去学校时，他低声说：“妈妈?”

 

　　“嗯，我的大男孩?”我低声应和。

 

　　“你眼镜上有红心。”

 

　　“没错，有啊。”

 

　　“你真有意思，妈妈，”他说了句，眼里放着光芒。我们俩钻进小货车的驾驶室里，又有好多心将我们包围。方向盘上贴有红心，后视镜上有一个，钥匙上有一个，换档杆上有一个，我的皮夹上还有一个。我那不知忧愁为何物的老公真是大献殷勤。

 

　　我把那两颗心从我的眼镜上揭下，递给科迪。他小心翼翼地把它们贴到自己的眼镜片上，去学校的一路上他都是笑眯眯的。

 

　　我在校门口停下来。

 

　　“拿上你的书包，宝贝，”我说。

 

　　“妈妈，我能戴着红心上学吗?”

 

　　我心里斗争了一会儿。如此当众“表演”可能一鸣惊人，也可能一败涂地。但是科迪眼里流露出的恳求让我不再犹豫。我怎能剥夺有可能让他开心的一个大好机会呢?

 

　　“我看没有什么不可以的，小伙子。”

 

　　我又把两个红心贴在我自己的镜片上，然后我们一起走进学校，手拉着手，穿过走廊中的人群，朝他的教室走去。

 

　　“哈!快看科迪-奥利弗。他眼镜上有红心!”一个人看见了，嚷了起来。

 

　　“啊，看科迪!多酷呀!”另一个发现者也嚷着，指着我们咯咯地笑。

 

　　科迪腼腆地微笑着，紧紧地抓住我的手。

 

　　当我们来到教室门口时，同学们围住科迪，而我看到他在努力克制他的笑容，那是我在他脸上看见过的最开心的笑容。

 

　　“真有意思!眼镜上有心!”

 

　　“科迪，让我戴一下好吗?”

 

　　一个小姑娘扯了扯我的衣袖。“您是奥利弗太太?”

 

　　“是啊。你有什么事?”

 

　　“我要是戴眼镜就好了。”

 

　　就在那时，我一点也不再怀疑，科迪又重新拾回了他的自信。

 

　　很简单，就是让眼里有心。

 

 

　

             Be Whole in Life 追求人生的完整

 

A：Once a circle missed a wedge. The circle wanted to be whole, so it went around looking for its missing piece. But because it was incomplete and therefore could roll only very slowly, it admired the flowers along the way. It chatted with worms. It enjoyed the sunshine. It found lots of different pieces, but none of them fit. So it left them all by the side of the road and kept on searching. Then one day the circle found a piece that fit perfectly. It was so happy. Now it could be whole, with nothing missing. It incorporated the missing piece into itself and began to roll. Now that it was a perfect circle, it could roll very fast, too fast to notice flowers or talk to the worms. When it realized how different the world seemed when it rolled so quickly, it stopped, left its found piece by the side of the road and rolled slowly away.

 

从前有个圆圈，它丢失了一小段。它想变得完整，于是它到处寻找它所丢失的那部分。由于不完整，它只能滚的非常慢。在路上，它羡慕过花儿，它与虫子聊过天，它享受了阳光的照耀。它遇到过很多不同的小段，可是没有一个适合它。所以它把它们丢在路边，继续寻找。有一天，圆圈找到了可以与它完美结合的一小段，它非常高兴。它现在终于完整了，不缺任何东西了。它把丢失的那段装到自己身上，然后滚了起来。它现在是个完整的圆圈了，它可以滚的很快，，快到忽视了花儿，快到没有时间和虫子们说话。当它意识到由于它滚的太快，世界变得如此的不同时，它便停了下来，把找到的那段卸下丢在路边，慢慢地滚走了。

 

B：The lesson of the story, I suggested, was that in some strange sense we are more whole when we are missing something. The man who has everything is in some ways a poor man. He will never know what it feels like to yearn, to hope, to nourish his soul with the dream of something better. He will never know the experience of having someone who loves him give him something he has always wanted or never had.

 

我想这个故事告诉我们，从某种奇怪的意义上说，当我们缺少什么东西时，我们反而是更完整的。一个拥有一切的人在某些方面也是个穷人，他永远不会知道什么是渴望、什么是期待;永远不知道用渴求更美好的东西来充实他的灵魂。他永远不会知道一个爱他人送给他一样他所梦寐以求的东西时是怎样的一种感觉。

 

A：There is a wholeness about the person who has come to terms with his limitations, who has been brave enough to let go of his unrealistic dreams and not feel like a failure for doing so. There is a wholeness about the man or woman who has learned that he or she is strong enough to go through a tragedy and survive, she can lose someone and still feel like a complete person.

 

人生的完整性，在于接受自己的缺陷，勇敢地丢弃不切实际的幻想，并且不觉得这样做是失败的;人生的完整性，在于知道自己足够强大，可以承受人生的苦难，可以在失去一个人时仍然觉得自己是完整的。

 

B：Life is not a trap set for us by God so that he can condemn us for failing. Life is not a spelling bee, where no matter how many words you’ve gotten right, you’re disqualified if you make one mistake. Life is more like a baseball season, where even the best team loses one third of its games and even the worst team has its days of brilliance. Our goal is to win more games than we lose. When we accept that imperfection is part of being human, and when we can continue rolling through life and appreciate it, we will have achieved a wholeness that others can only aspire to. That, I believe, is what God asks of us --- not “Be perfect”, not “Don’t even make a mistake”, but “Be whole”.

 

人生的完整性，在于接受自己的缺陷，勇敢地丢弃不切实际的幻想，并且不觉得这样做是失败的;人生的完整性，在于知道自己足够强大，可以承受人生的苦难，可以在失去一个人时仍然觉得自己是完整的。比输掉的比赛多。当我们接受了“不完整性”是人生的一部分时，当我们在人生之路上不断前进并且欣赏生命之美时，我们就获得了别人只能渴望的完整的人生。我相信这就是上帝对我们的期望：不求“完美”，也不求“从来不犯错误”，而是追求人生的“完整”。

 

A：If we are brave enough to love, strong enough to forgive, generous enough to rejoice in another’s happiness, and wise enough to know there is enough love to go around for us all, then we can achieve a fulfillment that no other living creature will ever know.

 

如果我们有足够的勇气去爱，足够强大的力量去原谅别人，足够的宽容因别人的快乐而快乐，并有足够的智慧去认识到我们身边充满着爱，我们就会得到其它生命所得不到的一种满足感。