15.The Most Beautiful Flower 最美丽的花
The park bench was deserted as I sat down to read beneath the long, straggly branches of an old willow tree. Disillusioned by life with good reason to frown, for the world was intent on dragging me down.
公园的长椅上空无一人，我走了过去坐在一棵老柳树长长的零乱的枝条下读书。梦想的破灭让我眉头不展，这个世界好像决意要将我击垮。
And if that weren't enough to ruin my day, a young boy out of breath approached me, all tired from play. He stood right before me with his head tilted down and said with great excitement, “Look what I found!”
想到这些，我一天的心情都毁了，可更让人心情不好的是这时一个小男孩上气不接下气地走近我，看样子玩得很累。他就站在我的正前方，歪着脑瓜激动地说：“看，我找到的东西!”
In his hand was a flower, and what a pitiful sight, with its petals all worn—not enough rain, or too little light. Wanting him to take his dead flower and go off to play, I faked a small smile and then shifted away.
他手中拿着一枝花，真可怜，花瓣全掉光了，看起来不是雨水不够，就是光照不足。我假装笑了笑把脸转向一边，希望他拿着那枯死的花到一边玩去。
But instead of retreating he sat down next to my side and placed the flower to his nose and declared with surprise, “It sure smells pretty and it's beautiful, too. That's why I picked it; here, it's for you.”
可是他不但没有离开反而挨着我坐了下来，他把那枝花放到鼻子下面闻了一下惊奇地说道：“这枝花真香!也很漂亮，所以我把它采下来，送给你吧。”
The weed before me was dying or dead，not vibrant of colors, orange, yellow or red. But I knew I must take it, or he might never leave. So I reached for the flower, and replied, “Just what I need.”
我面前的这枝花已是半枯，差不多全枯了，没有任何鲜艳的橘黄色、黄色或者红色。但是我知道我必须接过那枝花，否则他是不会离开的，所以我伸手去接那枝花，应声说：“这正是我想要的。”
But instead of him placing the flower in my hand, he held it mid-air without reason or plan. It was then that I noticed for the very first time, that the boy could not see: he was blind.
可是他没有把花放到我的手里，而是无缘无故将花举到半空中。就在这时我第一次注意到这个男孩看不见：他是一个盲人。
I heard my voice quiver, tears shone like the sun. As I thanked him for picking the very best one, “You're welcome,” he smiled, and then ran off to play, unaware of the impact he'd had on my day.
我听到自己的声音有些发颤，眼睛里闪现出晶莹的泪光。我感谢他摘了的一朵花送给我。他笑了笑说：“不客气”，然后就跑到一边去玩了,没有意识到他对我那一天的影响有多深。
I sat there and wondered how he managed to see a selfpitying woman beneath an old willow tree. How did he know of my self-indulged plight? Perhaps from his heart, he'd been blessed with true sight.
我坐在那里，不知道他是如何看到在老柳树下有一个自怨自艾的女人的。他是如何知道我处在自我放任的状态呢?也许，他有幸能用自己的心去看，那才是真正的视力。
Through the eyes of a blind child, at last I could see, the problem was not with the world; the problem was with me. And for all of those times I myself had been blind, I vowed to see beauty. Then I held that wilted flower up to my nose, breathed in the fragrance of a beautiful rose and smiled as that young boy.
透过那个盲孩的眼睛，至少我明白了问题不在于这个世界，而在于我自己。就那些日子来说，我才算是一个盲人。因此我发誓要去发现生活中的美。于是我拿着那朵凋零的花放到鼻子下，吸入这朵美丽玫瑰花的香味，然后像那个小男孩一样绽开了笑颜。
