英語故事:一份特別的新年禮物

導讀：或許我們的意識裏有太多“理所當然”，因此我們極少對父母說“感謝你們”，對老師說“多謝栽培”，對保潔的叔叔阿姨道一句“辛苦了”……我們的幸福離不開他們的堅守崗位，一句“謝謝”，一句“您辛苦了”也許不能爲他們帶來多大的財富，卻是對其工作的最大鼓勵和支持。從今天起，爲每一個堅守着崗位和本分的人送去一聲理解的祝福吧！

It was 1st January, the first day of the year and a holiday for me. What luck! I started by thinking of getting the bank work.out of the way. The bank person, an elderly gentleman with a white beard, was, as usual, curt to my polite "Happy New Year." He nodded and I sat in front of him.

那天是1月1日，新年的第一天，也是我的假日。真幸運！我開始盤算到銀行去把工作辦妥。給我辦理業務的銀行職員是一位老先生，留着一捋白鬍子。他像平常一樣簡潔地迴應我那句禮貌的“新年快樂”。他對我點點頭，我便坐到他面前。

Minutes passed and nothing happened.

幾分鐘過去了，什麼事情也沒發生。

Then very hesitantly I put my form and booklet in front of him. He was busy filling up entries in his register. After a few minutes he took my form and from his cabinet he took out a very thick file from which he started filling in my details. I sat there wondering why we had computerized banking if we were still filling in forms and registers.

然後，我萬分猶豫地把自己的表格和小冊子放到他面前。他正忙着往登記簿裏錄入條目。過了幾分鐘，他拿起我的表格，從文件櫃裏抽出一本厚厚的檔案文件，開始登記我的信息。我坐在那裏，不禁疑惑既然我們要人工填寫表格和登記簿，那還要電腦化的銀行業務來幹嘛呢。

After waiting for a few more minutes, in which I showed all signs of being impatient, I asked him if my work was done. The moment I uttered the words, I felt as if a bombshell had fallen on him. He shouted, "Nothing is done, it will take time!"

在繼續等待的幾分鐘裏，我表現出各種不耐煩的小動作。我問他我的業務是否辦理好了。就在我說話的那一刻，我覺得那像一顆炸彈落在他的身上。他大聲吼道：“全都沒辦好，這需要時間！”

Just then I saw his morning cup of tea which had been lying there for the last ten minutes, untouched. The tea had turned almost cold while he was doing his work. Suddenly I felt what this man, who had been working at this counter for the last God-knows-how-many years, must be feeling when customers like me come who are always in a hurry to get their work done. We do not even feel the need to thank them for being there. He must be feeling so agitated that "here comes another person who will push me for doing his work first."

就在那個時候，我發現在剛剛過去的十分鐘裏，他那杯早晨熱茶一直放着，一口都沒喝。這杯茶在他工作時幾乎涼掉了。突然之間，我明白了，當遇到像我這樣總是急着想把業務辦完的顧客時，這位在銀行的這個窗口裏幹了不知道多少年的人會有怎樣的感受。我們從未想過要感謝他們一直堅守崗位。他一定會很激動地想：“這次又是一個催着我快點幫他辦事的傢伙。”

On an instinct I told him, "Sir, you please have your tea, I am not in a hurry." This man, who I had been seeing for the last few years, suddenly looked up at me and for the first time we had eye contact—he had never made eye contact earlier. I saw a different person there, another human being who was as hard-pressed for time as I always am.

我本能地對他說：“先生，請您先喝一口茶吧，我不趕時間。”這位過去幾年來我已經見過無數次的先生突然擡頭看着我，這是我們第一次目光接觸——之前他從未正眼看過我。我看到了一個截然不同的人，另一個和我一樣爲時間飽受壓力的人。

I saw both of us sailing in the same boat. I felt that he was also missing the small things in life like a hot cup of tea or lying in a warm bed for a few more minutes like me. He gave me a rare smile and said, "It is an everyday affair with me; you are not in a hurry but somebody else will come who will be in a hurry."

我看出我們同是天涯淪落人。我感覺到他和我一樣錯過了許多生活中的小事，比如一杯熱茶，或是在溫暖的牀上多躺幾分鐘。他少有地對我笑了笑，說：“這是我每天的工作；雖然你不趕時間，但總有其他匆匆忙忙的後來人。”

He really touched my heart with his wise words. I felt that we had all put shields on our hearts like we put gloves on our hands; we are scared to show our heart and reveal too much of ourselves. I felt that all this time I thought of him as a robot, someone who was there for my convenience, but today I suddenly felt a strange communion with him. I vowed to be more empathetic and friendly with people who help me with my work and be thankful that they are there for me.

他那睿智的話語觸動了我的心。我覺得我們總是給內心罩上防護盾，就像給雙手戴上手套那樣；我們害怕顯露自己的內心或曝露太多自我。這些年來我總把他看作一個機器人，一個爲我提供便利的存在，但今天我突然感到與他產生了一種奇妙的情感交融。我發誓日後定當更加替他人着想，對協助我的工作的人更加友好，併爲他們出現在我的身邊而心懷感激。