雙語美文：善意會在最意想不到的地方出現
My morning started out normally.
我一如往常的開啓新的早晨
I snoozed twice,
打了兩次小盹
took care of my three cats,
照顧我的三隻貓咪
hurried to complete chores
匆匆忙忙做完家務
while gulping down my coffee,
囫圇的喝下我的咖啡
and then raced out the door
然後匆忙出門
for my mid-morning appointment.
準備參加中午的會議
By the time I finished my appointment,
當我開完會的時候
I was starving.
已經飢腸轆轆
I stopped at Moe’s Southwest Grill
我在一家烤肉店門前駐足
to order a burrito
買了一隻烤肉捲餅
to take home and eat while working.
想帶回家去，一邊工作一邊吃
Since it was a little before noon,
這時已經將近正午時分
there was a line.
烤肉店裏排起了長隊
A woman,
我看到一個婦人
who I soon learned was Marcella,
很快我便得知她名叫Marcella
was paying at the register.
正在收銀臺前付款
She asked the woman behind her in line
她忽然轉頭對站在她後面的女人問
if she would like a drink
想要喝飲料嗎
and then asked me.
然後又問我
We both said no,
我們都說不用
and must have looked confused,
那時我們一定都一臉疑惑
because she said,
因爲那個女人隨即說
‘I got you.’
我來吧
She proceeded to paid for both of our meals
然後她爲我們兩人的午餐付了錢
– even though we were strangers.
雖然我們素未謀面
I asked Marcella why she did this,
我問Marcella爲什麼要這樣做
and she shared that
她告訴我
someone once did something similar for her.
曾經有人也爲她做過同樣的事
The person asked that she pay it forward someday
那個人說，如果她想要回報，可以某天和他一眼爲別人付賬
and she was making good on her promise.
此時她正在履行自己的承諾
Before I left,
在我離開之前
she gave me a warm hug
她給了我一個溫暖的擁抱
and asked only that
僅僅叮囑我
I do an act of kindness for a stranger when I could.
當我能夠的時候，爲陌生人做一件善良的事情
I arrived home,
我回到家裏
but instead of working through lunch,
卻沒有邊吃邊工作
I sat and reflected on her kindness.
我坐在那裏，回憶着她的善舉
It reminded me of two things:
這件事對我有兩點提示
1. Focus on the good
多關注好的事物
Every time
每一次
I smile at a stranger
我對一個陌生人報之以微笑
who looks away like I’m not there,
對方卻看向他處，似乎我根本不在那裏
I hold a door open for someone
每一次，我爲陌生人拉開了門
who doesn’t say thank you,
對方卻沒有半句道謝
or someone says something unkind to me,
或者有人對我說出不存善意的話
it chips away at my optimistic outlook.
我臉上樂觀的神情就會被消磨一點
This was a reminder
這件事卻在提醒我
to focus on positive interactions
多關注人與人之間積極的互動
instead of the negative ones.
而不是消極的互動
2. If you’re able to perform a simple act of kindness, do it.
如果你有能力做出一個小小的善舉，那就去做吧
Marcella didn’t need to pay for my lunch.
Marcella本沒有義務要請我吃午餐
But she did,
但她卻這樣做了
and it brightened my day.
這讓我的一整天都明亮起來了
Not because I got to keep my $15,
並不是因爲我節省了15美元
but because she was kind –
而是因爲她如此善良
with no expectations of receiving anything in return.
卻沒有期望得到任何回報
She is a beautiful woman
她是一個面色姣好的女人
in the blue coat
穿着藍色的外套
with the warm smile.
臉上掛着溫暖的微笑
Her three co-workers,
她的三個同事
described her as an amazing person
都說她是一個特別好的人
and said they were a second family to one another.
說他們對彼此都親如一家
They said she brightens up each day,
他們說，她總能照亮每一天
and I have no doubt that’s true.
我毫不懷疑，這一定是真的
As I promised her,
我對她許下了承諾
I plan on paying her kindness forward.
我預備用爲別人買單的方式報答她的善意
Maybe, just maybe,
或許，僅僅是或許
I’ll make a small difference in someone else’s life,
我會在另一個人的人生中留下小小的印記
and the ripple effect will continue.
善意會繼續如同漣漪一般傳播出去
Because that’s what being human is all about
因爲，生而爲人，意義正在於此
– being kind
與人爲善
– even to a stranger.
即使是對陌生人
Reminders that
這件事也提醒我
kindness and love exist can show up in the most unexpected places,
善良和愛可以在最意想不到的地方出現
even a Moe’s Southwest Grill.
即使是在一家小小的烤肉店裏
