意想不到的孩子的礼物
<p><span word="It">It</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="Christmas">Christmas</span> 1961. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="teaching">teaching</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="town">town</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Ohio">Ohio</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="twenty">twenty</span> <span word="seven">seven</span> <span word="third">third</span> <span word="graderseagerly">graderseagerly</span> <span word="anticipated">anticipated</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="day">day</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="gifts">gifts</span> <span word="giving">giving</span>.</p><p>那是1961年的圣诞节。我在俄亥俄州的一个小镇上教小学三年级。班上27个孩子都在热切盼望着这个互赠礼品、激动人心的日子到来。</p><p><span word="Each">Each</span> <span word="day">day</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="children">children</span> <span word="produced">produced</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="wonder">wonder</span>—<span word="strings">strings</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="popcorn">popcorn</span>, <span word="hand">hand</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="trinkets">trinkets</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="German">German</span> <span word="bells">bells</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="wallpaper">wallpaper</span> <span word="samples">samples</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="hung">hung</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ceiling">ceiling</span>. <span word="Through">Through</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="remained">remained</span> <span word="aloof">aloof</span>, <span word="watching">watching</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="afar">afar</span>, <span word="seemingly">seemingly</span> <span word="miles">miles</span> <span word="away">away</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="wondered">wondered</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="happen">happen</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="quiet">quiet</span> <span word="child">child</span>, <span word="once">once</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="happy">happy</span>, <span word="now">now</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="suddenly">suddenly</span> <span word="withdrawn">withdrawn</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="hoped">hoped</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="festivities">festivities</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="appeal">appeal</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="her">her</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="nothing">nothing</span> <span word="did">did</span>.</p><p>每天孩子们都会做点儿新玩意——爆米花串成的细链子、手工做的小装饰品和墙纸做的德国式风铃，我们把这些风铃挂在了天花板上。但自始至终，她都是孤零零地远远观望，仿佛是隔了一道几里长的障碍。我猜想着这个安静的孩子发生了什么事，原先是那么快乐，怎么突然变得沉默寡言起来。我希望节日的活动能吸引她，可还是无济于事。</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="day">day</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="gift">gift</span> <span word="giving">giving</span> <span word="finally">finally</span> <span word="came">came</span>. <span word="We">We</span> <span word="oohed">oohed</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="aahed">aahed</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="handiwork">handiwork</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="presents">presents</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="exchanged">exchanged</span>. <span word="Through">Through</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="all">all</span>, <span word="she">she</span> <span word="sat">sat</span> <span word="quietly">quietly</span> <span word="watching">watching</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="special">special</span> <span word="pouch">pouch</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="her">her</span>, <span word="red">red</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="green">green</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="white">white</span> <span word="lace">lace</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="wanted">wanted</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="her">her</span> <span word="smile">smile</span>. <span word="She">She</span> <span word="opened">opened</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="package">package</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="slowly">slowly</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="carefully">carefully</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="waited">waited</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="turned">turned</span> <span word="away">away</span>.</p>
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