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Tess was a precocious eight-year-old girl when she heard Mom and Dad talking about her little brother, Andrew. All she knew was that he was very sick and they were completely out of money. They were moving to an apartment complex next month because Daddy didnt have the money for the doctors bills and their house. Only a very costly surgery could save him now and it was looking like there was no-one to loan them the money. She heard Daddy say to her tearful Mother with whispered desperation, "Only a miracle can save him now. "
听父母谈起弟弟安德鲁的事情时,苔丝已经是一个早熟的八岁小女孩.她只知道弟弟病得很厉害,可父母却无钱给他医治.下个月他们就要搬到一个公寓房去住,因为爸爸已经无力再支付医药费和房款.现在唯一可以救他的办法就是做手术,手术费用非常高,可是看来没有人肯借钱给他们.她听到爸爸对满含泪水的妈妈低声而绝望地说："现在能救他的就只有奇迹了."
Tess went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured all the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexalls Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.
苔丝回到房间,从壁橱一个隐蔽的地方拿出一个玻璃瓶子,把里面所有的零钱倒在地上并仔细地数着,数了甚至三遍,总数必须完全正确,不能算错.她仔细地把硬币放回瓶子并把盖子拧好,悄悄地从后门溜出去,穿过六条街区,来到门上挂有红色印第安语大标志的雷克索药店.
She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster.
她耐心地等待着药剂师,可是药剂师非常忙,并没有注意到她.苔丝扭动着她的脚弄出一点声音,没有得到回应.她清了清嗓子,发出了她所能发出的最令人厌恶的声音,还是没有回应.
No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!"And what do you want?" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. "Im talking to my brother from Chicago whom I havent seen in ages," he said without waiting for a reply to his question.
最后,她从瓶子里拿出个25美分的硬币摔在玻璃柜台上,弄出清脆的响声.成功了!"你需要点什么?"药剂师不耐烦地问,"我正在和我的弟弟谈话呢,他从芝加哥回来,我们很多年没见了."他没等苔丝回答就接着说起来.
"Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. "Hes really, really sick… and I want to buy a miracle." "I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist. "His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?"
"我想跟你说下我弟弟的事情."苔丝也用同样的语气回答到,"他真的病得很严重……我想为他买个奇迹.""你说什么?"药剂师问道."他叫安德鲁,他病得很厉害,爸爸说现在只有奇迹能救他.所以,请问奇迹多少钱?"
"We dont sell miracles here, little girl. Im sorry but I cant help you," the pharmacist said, softening a little.
"我们这里不卖奇迹,小女孩,很抱歉我帮不了你,"药剂师的语气变得稍微温和了点. "
Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isnt enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs. "
"听着,我有钱,如果这里的不够,我会去找剩下的,请告诉我奇迹多少钱?"
The pharmacists brother was a well-dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does your brother need?" "I dont know," Tess replied with her eyes welling up. "I just know hes really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But Daddy cant pay for it, so I want to use my money. "
药剂师的弟弟,是个穿着很得体的男人.他俯下身问小女孩："你弟弟需要什么样的奇迹呢?""我不知道,"苔丝回答道,眼泪涌了上来."我只知道他病得非常厉害,妈妈说他需要做手术,但是爸爸支付不起手术费,所以我想用我自己的钱."
"How much do you have?" asked the man from Chicago.
"你有多少钱?"这个从芝加哥来的男人问.
"One dollar and eleven cents," Tess answered barely audibly. "And its all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to."
"1美元11美分,"苔丝回答道,声音小得都快听不到了."这是我所有的钱,但是如果不够,我会再想办法."
"Well, what a coincidence," *** iled the man. "A dollar and eleven cents-the exact price of a miracle for little brothers." He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said "Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Lets see if I have the kind of miracle you need. "
"刚刚好,"男人笑着说,"1美元11美分-正好可以为你弟弟买个奇迹."他一手拿着小女孩的钱,一手紧紧握住她的手说："带我去你住的地方,我想去看看你弟弟和你的父母,看看我是不是有你们需要的奇迹."
That well-dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neurosurgery. The operation was completed without charge and it wasnt long until Andrew was home again and doing well. Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.
这个穿着考究的男人就是著名的神经外科医生卡尔顿•阿姆斯特朗.这次手术他们没有支付任何费用,不久之后,安德鲁就康复回家了.爸爸和妈妈高兴地谈论着这件事情.
"That surgery," Mom whispered, "was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?" Tess *** iled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost:one dollar and eleven cents, plus the faith of a little child.
"这个手术真的是个奇迹,我想知道这个奇迹到底需要多少钱呢?"母亲低声说.苔丝笑了,她知道奇迹的真正价格：1美元11美分,加上一个小孩子的信念.
