My mother used to ask me what is the most important part of the body.Through the years I would guess at what I thought was the correct answer.
我母亲以前常常问我,身体中什么部位最重要。许多年来,我一直在猜测我所认为正
确的答案。
When I was younger, I thought sound was very important to us as humans, so I said, "My ears, Mommy."
在我很小的时候,我认为声音对人类而言很重要,因此回答:“是耳朵,妈妈。”
She said, "No. Many people are deaf. But you keep thinking about it and I will ask you again soon."
她说:“不对,世界上有许多人是聋子。不过你还要继续想这个问题,以后我再问你。”
Several years passed before she asked me again. Since making my first attempt, I had contemplated the correct answer.
当她再次问我时,已经是好几年以后了。自从第一次没有回答正确之后,我就一直在琢磨答案。
So this time I told her, "Mommy, sight is very important to everybody, so it must be our eyes."
于是,这次我对她说:“妈妈,视觉对每个人都很重要,所以应该是眼睛。”
She looked at me and told me, "You are learning fast, but the answer is not correct because there are many people who are blind."
她看着我,说:“你学的很快,但答案还是不对,因为有很多人是盲人。”
Over the years, Mother asked me a couple more times and always her answer was, "No, but you are getting smarter every year, my child."
以后的几年里,她又问了我几次,但她总是回答:“不对,不过,孩子,你一年比一年聪明了。”
Then last year, my Grandpa died. Everybody was hurt. Everybody was crying.My Mom looked at me when it was our turn to say our final good-bye to Grandpa. She asked me, "Do you know the most important body part yet, my dear?"
去年我祖父去世,大家都悲痛不已。每一个人都在哭泣。轮到我们向祖父做最后的告别时,妈妈看着我,问我:“孩子,你知道身体最重要的部位了吗?”
I was shocked when she asked me this now. I always thought this was a gamebetween her and me. She saw the confusion on my face and told me, "This question is very important. It shows that you have really lived your life." I saw her eyes well up with tears. She said, "My dear, the most important body part is your shoulder."
她在这时候问我这个问题,吓了我一大跳。我一直以为这是我和她之间的小游戏。她看我一脸迷惑,对我说:“这个问题很重要,它是你真正开始生活的标志。”我看她热泪盈眶。她说:“亲爱的,你身体最重要的部位是你的肩膀。”
I asked, "Is it because it holds up your head?"
我问道:“是因为它能支撑头吗?”
She replied, "No, it is because it can hold the head of a friend or loved one when they cry. Everybody needs a shoulder to cry on sometimes in life, my dear. I only hope that you have enough love and friends that you will have a shoulder to cry on when you need it."
她回答道:“不,是因为我们的朋友、我们所爱的人哭泣的时候,它可以让他们把头靠在那儿。亲爱的,每个人在一生中都会有需要一个可以靠着哭泣的肩膀的时候。我只是希望你有足够的爱心和朋友,这样在你需要的时候,你总可以找到一个倚靠着哭泣的肩膀。”
Then and there I knew the most important body part is not a selfish one. It is sympathetic to the pain of others.
从那时起,我知道身体最重要的部位不是利己的部位,而是能感受得到别人的痛苦的部位。