英語沙龍十年合集珍藏版第三輯The Doll and a White Rose

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The Doll and a White Rose

I hurried into the local department s tore to grab some last minute Christmas gifts．I looked at all the people and grumbled¹⁾ to myself．I would be in here forever and I just had so much to do．Christmas was beginning to become such a drag．I kinda²⁾wished that I could just sleep through Christmas．But I hurried the best I could through all the people to the toy department．

Once again I kind of mumbled to myself at the prices of all these toys．And wondered if the grandkids would even play with them．I found myself in the doll aisle³⁾．Out of the corner of my eye I saw a little boy about ５holding a lovely doll．He kept touching her hair and he held her so gently．I could not seem to help myself．I just kept looking over at the little boy and wondered who the doll was for．I watched him turn to a woman and he called his aunt by name and said，“Are you sure I don’t have enough money？”She replied a bit impatiently，“You know that you don’t have enough money for it．”The aunt told the little boy not to go anywhere that she had to go to get some other things and would be back in a few minutes．And then she left the aisle．The boy continued to hold the doll．After a bit I asked the boy who the doll was for．“It is the doll my sister wanted so badly for Christmas．She just knew that Santa would bring it．”I told him that maybe Santa was going to bring it．“No，Santa can’t go where my sister is．．．I have to give the doll to my Mamma to take to her．”I asked him where his sister was．He looked at me with the saddest eyes and said：“She was gone to be with Jesus．My Daddy says that Mamma is going to have to go to be with her．”

My heart nearly stopped beating．Then the boy looked at me again and said，“I told my Daddy to tell Mamma not to go yet．I told him to tell her to wait till I got back from the store．”Then he asked me if I wanted to see his picture．I told him I would love to．He pulled out some pictures he’d had taken at the front of the store．“I want my Mamma to take this with her so she won’t ever forget me．I love my Mamma so very much and I wish she did not have to leave me．But Daddy says she will need to be with my sister．”I saw that the little boy had lowered his head and had grown so very quiet．While he was not looking I reached into my purse and pulled out a handful of bills．I asked the little boy，“Shall we count that money one more time？”He grew excited and said， “Yes，I just know it has to be enough．”So I slipped my money in with his and we beg an to count it．Of course it was plenty for t he doll．He softly said，“Thank you Jesus for giving me enough money．”Then the boy said，“I just asked Jesus to give me enough money to buy this doll so Mamma can take it with her to give to my sister．And he heard my prayer．I wanted to ask him for enough to buy my Mamma a white rose，but I didn’t ask him，but he gave me enough to buy the doll and a rose for my Mamma．She loves white roses so very，very much．”

In a few minutes the aunt came back and I wheeled my cart away．I could not keep from thinking about the little boy as I finished my shopping in a totally different spirit than when I had started．And I kept remembering a story I had seen in the newspaper several days earlier about a drunk driver hitting a car and killing a little girl and the Mother was in serious condition．The family was deciding on whether to remove the life support．Now surely this little boy did not belong with that story．

Two days later I read in the paper where the family had disconnected the life support and the young woman had died．I could not forget the little boy and just kept wondering if the two were somehow connected．Later that day，I could not help myself and I went out and bought some white roses and took them to the funeral⁴⁾ home where the young woman was．And there she was holding a lovely white rose，the beautiful doll，and the picture of the little boy in the store．I left there in tears，my life changed forever．

洋娃娃和一支白玫瑰

我急匆匆走進當?shù)氐陌儇浬虉鱿朐谧詈箨P頭搶購幾件圣誕禮品?？吹缴虉隼锶藵M為患，我不禁抱怨起來。在這兒我得耗費多少時間，可我有那么多事情要做。圣誕節(jié)對我開始成了累贅。我真有點希望蒙頭一睡，把整個節(jié)日睡過去。但此時我還是見縫插針，穿過熙熙攘攘的人群擠到玩具部。

看到所有這些玩具的價錢我又不禁嘟囔起來，而且懷疑孫兒們甚至玩都不玩它們。不知不覺我走到了洋娃娃通道。從余光里我看到一個大約５歲的小男孩抱著一個很可愛的洋娃娃。他不住地撫摸她的頭發(fā)，那么溫柔地抱著她。我覺得似乎無法控制自己，不住地看著那小男孩，心想那洋娃娃是給誰的呢。我看見他轉向一位女士叫著他那位阿姨的名字，然后說，“你能肯定我的錢不夠嗎？”她有些不耐煩地回答：“你知道你沒那么多錢買它。”那阿姨告訴小男孩哪兒也別去，她去買點別的東西幾分鐘就回來。說完她離開了通道。那小男孩還抱著洋娃娃不放。過了一會兒我問小男孩那洋娃娃是給誰的。“這洋娃娃是我妹妹特別想得到的圣誕禮物。她只知道圣誕老人會帶給她的。”我告訴她也許圣誕老人真會帶給她呢。“不會的，圣誕老人不能去我妹妹待的地方……我只得把洋娃娃給我媽媽，讓她帶去給妹妹。”我問他妹妹在哪兒。他看著我，眼神是那么悲傷，說：“她已經(jīng)跟上帝在一起了。我爸爸說媽媽也得跟她一起去。”

我的心幾乎停止了跳動。那男孩又看了看我，說：“我告訴我爸爸跟媽媽說先別走。我告訴他跟她說等我從商場回來。”然后他問我想不想看看他的照片。我告訴他我當然愿意。他拿出一些他在商場前面照的相片。“我想讓媽媽帶上我的照片，這樣她就永遠不會忘記我了。我非常愛我的媽媽，我但愿她不要離開我。但爸爸說她得去跟妹妹在一起。”我看著這小男孩低下頭，一言不發(fā)了。趁他沒看我時，我伸手從自己的錢包里拿出一些錢來。我對小男孩說：“咱們再來數(shù)數(shù)錢好嗎？”他興奮起來說道：“好呀，我就知道錢應該夠。”這樣我悄悄把拿出的錢混到他的錢里，然后我們一起數(shù)。當然現(xiàn)在錢是足夠買那個洋娃娃了。他輕聲說：“謝謝你上帝，給了我足夠的錢。”然后他說：“我確實請求上帝給我足夠的錢買這娃娃，好讓媽媽帶給我妹妹。他聽到了我的祈求。我還想請求他給我錢為我媽媽買一支白玫瑰，但我沒說出來，可他給我的錢足夠買娃娃和給我媽媽的玫瑰花。我媽媽非常非常喜歡白玫瑰。”

幾分鐘后男孩的阿姨回來了，我推著購物車走了。我不住地想著那小男孩，買完東西后的心境跟剛進商場時迥然不同。我還不住地想起幾天前在報紙上看到的一則消息：一個喝醉的司機撞上一輛汽車，撞死一個小女孩，而小女孩的母親情況危急。受害者的家屬還沒決定是否不再維持母親的生命。我想這小男孩當然跟那個故事沒關。

兩天之后我在報上讀到那個家庭已經(jīng)拿掉那些維持生命的器械，那年輕的媽媽已經(jīng)去世。我無法忘記那個小男孩，總禁不住想他們之間是否有什么關系。那天晚些時候，我再也無法克制自己，出門買了些白玫瑰，帶到給那位女士舉行遺體告別的殯儀館。我看到她躺在那兒，手拿一支美麗的白玫瑰，懷抱一個漂亮的洋娃娃和小男孩在商場的照片。我含淚離去，我的生活從此改變了。

NOTE 注釋：

1. grumble [5^rQmbl] vi. 抱怨，發(fā)牢騷

2. kinda [`kaIndE] adv. 有一點, 有幾分(=kind of)

3. aisle [ail] n. 走廊, 過道

4. funeral [5fju:nErEl] n. 葬禮, 出殯