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011、Christmas Morning 耶誕節的上午
A light drizzle was falling as my sister Jill and I ran out of the Methodist Church, eager to get home and play with the presents that Santa had left for us and our baby sister, Sharon.
天上下著毛毛細雨，姐姐姬兒和我跑出衛理公會教堂，渴望著快點回到家玩耶誕老人給我們和給小妹莎倫的耶誕禮物。
Across the street from the church was a Pan American gas station where the Greyhound bus stopped.
教堂的對面是一處泛美加油站，灰狗長途巴士會在那裡中途停靠。
It was closed for Christmas, but I noticed a family standing outside the locked door, huddled under the narrow overhang in an attempt to keep dry.
因為是耶誕節的關係，加油站那天停止營業。不過我注意到深鎖著的大門外站著一家人，他們擠在狹窄的屋簷下，試著儘量不要被雨淋溼到。
I wondered briefly why they were there, but then forgot about them as I raced to keep up with Jill.
我閃過一個疑問，他們為什麼站在那裡呢？但在我跑著趕上姬兒時，也就把他們拋諸腦後了。
Once we got home, there was barely time to enjoy our presents.
一回到家後，其實根本沒時間讓我們盡情把玩禮物。
We had to go off to our grandparents' house for our annual Christmas dinner.
因為我們馬上又得去爺爺奶奶家，共進一年一 度的聖誕大餐。
As we drove down the highway through town, I noticed that the family was still there, standing outside the closed gas station.
當我們在開車經過剛才那條大路時，我注意到那一家人仍然在那兒，站在停止營業的加油站大門外。
My father was driving very slowly down the highway.
在路上，爸爸的車開得很慢。
The closer we got to the turnoff for my grandparents' house, the slower the car went.
越接近去爺爺奶奶家的分岔路口，車子就越慢。
Suddenly, my father U-turned in the middle of the road and said, “I can't stand it!”
突然，爸爸在半路上來了個回轉彎，把車子原路駛回，他說：「我實在不忍心！」
“What?” asked my mother.
「什麼？」媽媽問他。
“It's those people back there at the Pan Am, standing in the rain. They've got children. It's Christmas. I can't stand it.”
「那幾個站在我們車子剛才開過的泛美加油站外的人，他們站著淋著雨。他們還帶著小孩呢。今天是耶誕節，我真的不忍心啊。」
When my father pulled into the service station, I saw that there were five of them: the parents and three children, two girls and a small boy.
當爸爸把車開到加油站旁停下，我看見那一家總共有五個人：父母倆和三個孩子，兩個女孩和一個小男孩。
My father rolled down his window. “Merry Christmas,” he said.
爸爸搖下車窗對他們說：「耶誕節快樂！」
“Howdy,” the man replied.
「你好，」那個男人回答道。
He was very tall and had to stoop slightly to peer into the car.
他長得很高，必須微彎下腰來才能往我們車裡瞧。
Jill, Sharon, and I stared at the children, and they stared back at us.
姬兒、莎倫和我盯著那幾個小孩，他們也瞪眼看著我們。
“You're waiting on the bus?” my father asked.
「你們在等巴士嗎？」爸爸問他們。
The man said that they were.
男人回答說是的。
They were going to Birmingham, where he had a brother and prospected of a job.
他們將去伯明翰，他有個哥哥在那邊，而且期望能在那裡謀到一份工作。
“Well, that bus isn't going to come along for several hours, and you' re getting wet standing here. Winborn's just a couple miles up the road. They've got a shed with a cover there, and some benches,” my father said. “Why don't you all get in the car, and I'll run you up there.”
「巴士起碼要好幾個小時後才到這裡，站在這兒等車你們都會淋溼的。往前再幾英里就是溫邦站，那兒有個棚屋，有地方避雨，還有些板凳坐。你們不如都上車，我送你們到那裡吧。」
The man thought about it for a moment, and then he beckoned to his family.
男人想了一下，然後他示意他家人過來。
They climbed into the car.
他們鑽進車裡。
They had no luggage, only the clothes they were wearing.
除了身上穿著的衣服，他們沒有任何行李。
Once they settled in, my father looked back over his shoulder and asked the children if Santa had found them yet.
等他們坐好了，爸爸轉過頭來問那幾個孩子，是否耶誕老人找到他們沒有。
Three glum faces mutely gave him his answer.
三張憂鬱的臉無聲地回答了他問題。
“Well, I didn't think so,” my father said, winking at my mother, “because when I saw Santa this morning, he told me that he was having trouble finding you all, and he asked me if he could leave your toys at my house. We'll just go get them before I take you to the bus stop.”
「嗯，我想應該沒找到吧，」爸爸邊說邊向媽媽眨眼暗示：「因為今天早上我碰到耶誕老人時，他告訴我說他找不到你們，而且他問我是否可以把給你們的禮物暫時放到我們家裡來。 現在咱們就去拿禮物吧，待會兒我再送你們去車站。」
All at once, the three children's faces lit up, and they began to bounce around in the back seat, laughing and chattering.
三個孩子的臉頓時陰霾盡散，還在後排座位蹦蹦跳跳，笑笑嚷嚷起來。
When we got out of the car at our house, the three children ran through the front door and straight to the toys that were spread out under our Christmas tree.
當我們到達我家時，一下車，那三個孩子穿過大門就直奔擺在耶誕樹下的禮物。
One of the girls spied Jill's doll and immediately hugged it to her breast.
其中一個小女孩看見了姬兒的洋娃娃禮物，就馬上把它抱入懷中。
I remember that the little boy grabbed Sharon's ball.
我記得那小男孩抓走了莎倫的球。
And the other girl picked up something of mine.
而另外一個女孩挑走了一件我的禮物。
All this happened a long time ago, but the memory of it remains clear.
這些都是很久很久以前的事了，然而回憶起來還是那麼清晰。
That was the Christmas when my sisters and I learned the joy of making others happy.
因為在那次的耶誕節，我和我的姊妹們領會到了讓別人快樂而獲得的愉悅。
My mother noticed that the middle child was wearing a short-sleeved dress, so she gave the girl Jill's only sweater to wear.
媽媽看到他們家老二穿著一件短袖的洋裝，便把姬兒僅有的毛衣給了她穿。
My father invited them to join us at our grandparents' for Christmas dinner, but the parents refused.
我爸爸邀請他們一起去爺爺奶奶家吃耶誕大餐，但他們兩夫婦婉拒了。
Even when we all tried to talk them into coming, they were firm in their decision.
無論我們怎麼的遊說，他們還是堅持婉拒了我們的好意。
Back in the car, on the way to Winborn, my father asked the man if he had money for bus fare.
回到車裡，在去溫邦的路上，爸爸問那男人有沒有錢買車票。
His brother had sent tickets, the man said.
他說他哥哥寄了車票來給他了。
My father reached into his pocket and pulled out two dollars, which was all he had left until his next payday.
爸爸伸進口袋裡掏出僅有的兩美元，這兩美元本來是我們要用來熬到下次支薪前的開支的。
He pressed the money into the man's hand.
他卻把這錢塞到了男人的手裡。
The man tried to give it back, but my father insisted, “It'll be late when you get to Birmingham, and these children will be hungry before then. Take it. I've been broke before, and I know what it's like when you can' t feed your family.”
男人試著把錢推回來，但我爸爸硬要他收下：「等你們到伯明翰就已經很晚了，路上孩子 們會餓的。收下吧，我以前也曾一貧如洗，所以我很清楚你讓家人挨餓的滋味是怎樣的不好受。」
We left them there at the bus stop in Winborn.
把他們送到溫邦的車站後，我們就開車離開了。
As we drove away, I watched out the window as long as I could, looking back at the little girl hugging her new doll.
當我們車離開時，我從車窗回望良久，凝望著那小女孩懷抱她的新洋娃娃。
上一篇 010、A Silent Love – Valentine Special Story 無聲的愛情 – 情人節的故事特輯
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