Help for the helper
助人者被人助
At age eighteen,I left my home in Brooklyn,New York,and went off to study history at Leeds University in Yorkshire,England.It was an exciting but stressful time in my life,for while trying to adjust to the novelty of unfamiliar surroundings,I was still learning to cope with the all-too-familiar pain of my father's recent death—an event with which I had not yet come to terms1.
十八歲那年,我告別紐約市布魯克林區(qū)的家,來到英格蘭約克郡的利茲大學(xué)攻讀歷史.那是我生命中一段既興奮又抑郁的時(shí)光,因?yàn)槲乙幻嬉m應(yīng)并不熟悉的周圍環(huán)境,一面還要努力克服我父親不久前去世的瀝瀝痛楚----父親的去世令我無所接受1.
While at the market one day,trying to decide which bunch of flowers would best brighten up my comfortable but colorless student digs2,I spied an elderly gentleman having difficulty holding onto his walking stick and his bag of apples.I rushed over and relieved him of the apples,giving him time to regain his balance.
有一天,我到一個(gè)市場,正捉摸著哪束花能讓我那舒適但毫無色彩的學(xué)生公寓亮堂起來2,此時(shí),我看到一位老先生幾乎抓不住自己的拐杖和一袋蘋果.我跑過去,從他手里拿過蘋果,讓老先生能重新站穩(wěn).
"Thanks,luv3,he said in that distinctive Yorkshire lilt I never tire of hearing.4 "I'm quite all right now,not to worry,he said,smiling at me not only with his mouth but with a pair of dancing bright blue eyes.
小家伙3,”他用令我百聽不厭的濃重約克郡口音對(duì)我說4.”我目前很好,不必?fù)?dān)心,”他回答說,他沖我笑著,嘴角和一雙明亮藍(lán)眼睛都充滿笑意.
"May I walk with you?" I inquired."Just to make sure those apples don't become sauce prematurely."5
“我可以送送你嗎?”我問道.”我只是不想讓你的蘋果過早地變成蘋果醬.”5
He laughed and said,"Now,you are a long way from home,lass.From the States,are you?"
他大笑起來,回答道,”現(xiàn)在你離家萬里.從美國來的,對(duì)不?”
"Only from one of them.6 New York.I'll tell you all about it as we walk.
“來自其中的一個(gè)州,紐約.我會(huì)告訴你一切的,我們邊走邊聊?”
So began my friendship with Mr.Burns,a man whose smile and warmth would very soon come to mean a great deal to me.
我和布恩斯先生的友情就這樣開始了,他的笑容和溫暖不久以后對(duì)我來說意義重大.