雙語 ● 是誰給了我耳朵 Who Gave Me the Ears
■ 是誰給了我耳朵 Who Gave Me the Ears
◎ Paul Hawkins
“Can I see my baby?” the happy new mother asked.
“我可以看看我的寶寶嗎？”初為人母的她開心地問道。
When the bundle was nestled in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.
當(dāng)裹在襁褓里的嬰兒被放到她的臂彎里時(shí)，她掀開折疊著的布，看到他的小臉時(shí)，她不禁倒吸了一口氣。醫(yī)生迅速地轉(zhuǎn)過身，透過醫(yī)院的高層窗戶向外看去。嬰兒生下來就沒有耳朵。
Time proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was marred. When he rushed home from school one day and flung himself into his mother’s arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be a succession of heartbreaks.
時(shí)間證明，嬰兒的聽力毫無問題。這只是有損他的相貌。一天，當(dāng)他匆匆從學(xué)校跑回家，撲向母親的懷抱時(shí)，她嘆了口氣，意識(shí)到他的生活注定會(huì)遭受一連串的打擊。
He blurted out the tragedy. “A boy, a big boy ... called me a freak.”
他脫口訴說自己所遭受的不幸：“一個(gè)男孩，一個(gè)大個(gè)子男孩……他叫我怪胎。”
He grew up, handsome for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music.
他長(zhǎng)大了，俊朗的長(zhǎng)相彌補(bǔ)了他的不幸。他頗受同學(xué)歡迎，要不是有缺陷，很可能就當(dāng)了班長(zhǎng)。他對(duì)文學(xué)和音樂很有天賦和潛質(zhì)。
“But you might mingle with other young people.” his mother reproved him, but felt a kindness in her heart.
“但你可能會(huì)和其他年輕人一樣?！蹦赣H責(zé)備地說，卻從心底覺得很欣慰。
The boy’s father had a session with the family physician ... “Could nothing be done?”
男孩的父親與家庭醫(yī)生商量：“難道真的無法補(bǔ)救嗎？”
“I believe I could graft on a pair of outer ears, if they could be procured.” the doctor decided. Whereupon the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man. “我認(rèn)為可以移植一雙外耳——如果能夠找到的話?！贬t(yī)生做了決定，于是他們開始尋求愿意為這個(gè)年輕人做出犧牲的人。
Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, “You’re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’s a secret.” 兩年過去了。一天，父親對(duì)兒子說：“孩子，你要住院了。我和你媽媽找到愿意為你捐獻(xiàn)耳朵的人了。但這要求保密?！?
The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person emerged. His talents blossomed into genius, and school and college became a series of triumphs. 手術(shù)獲得了巨大的成功，一個(gè)新人誕生了。他的潛力轉(zhuǎn)化為巨大的才能，他在中學(xué)和大學(xué)都取得了一連串的成功。
Later he married and entered the diplomatic service. One day, he asked his father, “Who gave me the ears? Who gave me so much? I could never do enough for him or her.” 后來，他結(jié)婚了，進(jìn)入外交行業(yè)工作。一天，他問父親：“是誰給了我耳朵？誰給了我那么多？我做多少都無法報(bào)答他/她。”
“I do not believe you could,” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know ... not yet.” “我也這樣認(rèn)為，”父親說，“但是協(xié)議上說你不能知道……還沒到時(shí)候?！?
The years kept their profound secret, but the day did come. One of the darkest days that ever pass through a son. He stood with his father over his mother’s casket. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish brown hair to reveal the mother had no outer ears.
多年以來，他們一直保守著秘密，但這天終于來了，這也是兒子度過的最黑暗的日子。他和父親站在母親的棺木前。慢慢地，輕柔地，父親伸出一只手，掀開母親那濃密的紅褐色頭發(fā)——母親竟然沒有耳朵！
“Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut,” his father whispered gently, “and nobody ever thought mother less beautiful, did they?”
“你母親說過她很開心從來不用理發(fā)，”父親輕柔地低聲說，“但沒人覺得母親沒以前美麗，是吧？”
