等他們坐好了，爸爸轉(zhuǎn)過頭來問那幾個孩子，圣誕老人找到他們沒有。三張憂郁的臉無聲地回答了他。

　　"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 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."

　　"我看不是吧，"爸爸邊說邊向媽媽眨眼暗示，"早上我碰到圣誕老人了，他說找不到你們，想把給你們的禮物暫時放到我們家里來?，F(xiàn)在咱們就去拿禮物吧，待會兒我再送你們?nèi)ボ囌尽?/p>

　　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，還在后排座位蹦蹦跳跳，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. One of the girls spied Jill's doll and immediately hugged it to her breast. I remember that the little boy grabbed Sharon's ball. And the other girl picked up something of mine. All this happened a long time ago, but the memory of it remains clear. That was the Christmas when my sisters and I learned the joy of making others happy.

　　到了我家一下車，那三個孩子穿過大門就直奔擺在圣誕樹下的禮物。其中一個小女孩發(fā)現(xiàn)了吉爾的洋娃娃禮物，馬上把它抱入懷中。我記得那小男孩抓走了莎倫的小球，而另外一個女孩就挑走了一件我的東西。這些都是很久很久以前的事了，然而回憶起來還是那么清晰，因為在那個圣誕日我和我的姐妹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的裙子是短袖的，便把吉爾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. Even when we all tried to talk them into coming, they were firm in their decision.

　　爸爸邀請他們一起去爺爺奶奶家吃圣誕大餐，但他們兩夫婦拒絕了。就算怎么游說，他們還是堅拒了我們的好意。

　　Back in the car, on the way to Winborn, my father asked the man if he had money for bus fare.

　　回到車里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.

　　他說哥哥寄了車票來。

　　My father reached into his pocket and pulled out two dollars, which was all he had left until his next payday. He pressed the money into the man's hand. 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."

　　爸爸從口袋里掏出僅有的兩美元，本來是我們要熬到下次發(fā)工資的，他卻把這錢塞到了男人的手里。男人想把錢推回來，但爸爸硬要他收下。"等你們到伯明翰就已經(jīng)很晚了，路上孩子們會餓的。收下吧，我以前也曾一貧如洗，讓家人挨餓的滋味不好受，我知道的。"

　　We left them there at the bus stop in Winborn. As we drove away, I watched out the window as long as I could, looking back at the little gihugging her new doll.

　　把他們送到溫邦的車站后，我們就開車離開了。我從車窗回望良久，凝望著那小女孩擁著她的新洋娃娃。