Many years ago, a baby boy came into this world. But unfortunately, he didn't come with a cry, which was a big problem from the medical point of view. The doctor, tough and quick, turned the baby upside down and slapped his bottom sharply. The baby cried, and he survived. At that moment, the father yelled at the doctor, "Why did you hit my baby?" He did not realize that the doctor had saved the baby's life. The baby cried and cried, and the father smiled and silently cried as well. He held the baby in his arms and did not allow the doctor to touch the baby anymore...
很多年前,一個(gè)男嬰來到了這個(gè)世界。但遺憾的是他沒有“呱呱落地”,從醫(yī)學(xué)角度來說,這是一個(gè)很大的問題!好在醫(yī)生現(xiàn)場(chǎng)反應(yīng)很快,也很強(qiáng)悍,一下子把男嬰倒提起來,對(duì)著屁股一陣狂打。男嬰終于哭了,脫離了生命危險(xiǎn)。當(dāng)時(shí)在場(chǎng)的孩子父親不干了,對(duì)著醫(yī)生吼道,“你為什么打我的孩子啊?”他并沒有意識(shí)到醫(yī)生救了這孩子的命。男嬰不停地哭,這位父親面帶微笑,高興地默默流淚。他緊緊地把嬰兒抱在懷里,再也沒有讓醫(yī)生碰一下這個(gè)孩子……
Contest chair, ladies and gentlemen, that baby was me, and that man was my dad. Whenever my mom told people this story, I would always laugh aloud, and my dad would just shake his head and smile quietly.
大會(huì)主持人,女士們先生們,那個(gè)嬰兒就是我,那個(gè)男的就是我老爸。每當(dāng)媽告訴別人這個(gè)故事時(shí),我總會(huì)放聲大笑,而老爸則會(huì)一邊搖頭一邊默默地微笑。
Dad never tried to hug or kiss me when I was a child. And of course, he never said "I love you" to me, either. Maybe it's a Chinese cultural thing, or maybe that's the way my dad was. But whenever I felt defeated, sad or lonely, dad was always there. Dad was a man of few words, but I always liked to talk to him, and I could always feel a very special connection to him.
我小的時(shí)候爸從來不抱我,從來不親我,當(dāng)然他也從來不說“我愛你”這三個(gè)字。也許這是中國(guó)文化的問題,也許爸就是這種人。但每當(dāng)我受挫、傷心或孤獨(dú)無助時(shí),爸總會(huì)在默默地關(guān)心我。老爸話不多,但我總喜歡有什么話都給他說,同是我也總是能感到和老爸之間那種無法言喻的特殊關(guān)系。
As I got older, I had a huge crush on a girl. She was tall and beautiful, with long hair. One day, I walked up to her and
blurted out, "you are so beautiful baby. I love you so much. Please be my wife!" She was afraid and ran away with tears in her eyes. She told my teacher, and my teacher was so angry that she made me stay after school, and called my dad to take me home. My first love was over, and that year I was 7 years old.
等我大一些的時(shí)候我瘋狂愛上了一個(gè)女孩子。她又高又漂亮,還有一頭長(zhǎng)發(fā)。終于有一天,我忍不住了,走到她面前,很快地說道,“親愛的,你太漂亮了!我太愛你了!做我老婆吧!”沒想到她嚇壞了,抹著眼淚跑掉了,然后就告訴了老師。老師當(dāng)時(shí)非常生氣,放學(xué)后沒讓我回家,并給老爸打電話,讓他過來領(lǐng)人。我的初戀就這樣夭折了,那年我七歲……
On the way home, dad was very quiet. It seemed that nothing had happened. Finally I broke the silence and asked him, "Daddy, did I do something wrong?" Dad paused for a while as he always did and said quietly, "Son, you did nothing wrong, except that it's too early for you to pursue girls." "Daddy, do you think I could marry a tall and beautiful girl with long hair when I grow up?" I asked. Dad gave me one of his rare laughs and said, "Of course you could. You are so handsome! Just like your handsome father." For the first time, I realized that dad had a sense of humor, although he was always quiet.
回家路上老爸非常沉默,好像什么事都沒發(fā)生。最后我打破了沉默,問道,“爸爸,我做錯(cuò)什么了嗎?”和往常一樣,老爸沉默了一下,輕輕地說到,“兒子,你沒做錯(cuò)什么,只是你這個(gè)年齡追女孩子有點(diǎn)早。”“爸爸,你覺得我長(zhǎng)大能娶一個(gè)又高又漂亮,頭發(fā)很長(zhǎng)的老婆嗎?”我又問道。老爸聽了很難得地大笑了一下,說道,“當(dāng)然能了!你那么帥,跟你老爸一樣帥!”我第一次感到,老爸雖然話不多,但還是有些幽默感的。
When I was in high school, dad retired and set up a food stand on the street near my school. Dad was very good at making fried noodles, and a lot of people liked his noodles. Every day when I finished school, my classmates and I would pass his food stand. But I really hated talking to dad in front of his food stand, because I did not want my classmates to know that my dad was selling noodles on the street!
等到我上高中的時(shí)候老爸退休了,在離我學(xué)校不遠(yuǎn)的街邊擺起了面攤兒。老爸很擅長(zhǎng)做炒面,當(dāng)時(shí)很多人都很喜歡他做的面。每天放學(xué)回家,我和我的同學(xué)們都要路過爸的面攤。但那時(shí)候我真得很討厭站在他攤前和他說話,因?yàn)槲覍?shí)在不想讓我的同學(xué)知道我有一個(gè)在大街上擺攤的老爸。
One night, I couldn't stand it any more and shouted, "Dad, could you stop selling your stupid noodles? I don't need a father who sells noodles on the street!" At that moment, dad was shocked. He tried to say something but didn't. When he turned his head away, something happened that I had never seen and would never forget for the rest of my life. His eyes were filled with tears and sadness. It was the first time that I saw dad crying. My mom later told me that dad was selling noodles to save money for my college education. I was such an idiot, and even today I still feel guilty for that night.
一天晚上我再也忍不住了,朝老爸吼道,“你能不能不再去賣面條?我不需要一個(gè)只會(huì)在大街上賣面條的父親!”在那一刻爸驚呆了,他想要說些什么,但最終沒有說。當(dāng)他扭過頭的時(shí)候,我發(fā)現(xiàn)他的眼里含著淚水和哀傷。我從未見過老爸這個(gè)樣子。媽后來告訴我,老爸?jǐn)[攤賣面條是在為我上大學(xué)攢學(xué)費(fèi)。我太蠢了!即使今天,我仍然為那天晚上的所作所為而感到內(nèi)疚。
Time really flies. I finished college and then left my home city. For the past ten years, whenever I've visited home, dad was always there meeting me and seeing me off quietly at the railway station. Whenever he saw me off, he never tried to hug me or touch me, although I always expected a father's hug. When I was away from home, dad never wrote or called me, but he always pushed my mom to call me. Whenever mom was calling me, dad would sit beside her with a list of questions. He would instruct mom to talk to me for him. That's the way dad is, and that's how dad shows his love to me.
時(shí)間飛逝,我念完了大學(xué),后來又離開了我所在的城市。在過去的十年中,每當(dāng)我回老家,老爸總會(huì)默默地在火車站迎我然后再送我。每當(dāng)他在車站送我時(shí),他從來不會(huì)和擁別,也從來不會(huì)碰我一下,雖然我總是期待他能抱我一下。當(dāng)我遠(yuǎn)在他鄉(xiāng)時(shí),老爸從來不會(huì)給我寫信,也從來不給我打電話。但他總是會(huì)催媽給我打電話。每當(dāng)媽給我打電話時(shí),老爸就會(huì)坐在她身邊,準(zhǔn)備好一些問題,然后讓媽幫他傳話。
I was married three years ago. Dad was very happy for me. And now he likes to tell people that his daughter-in-law is tall and beautiful, with long hair...
三年前我結(jié)婚了,老爸很為我感到高興?,F(xiàn)在他喜歡告訴別人,他的兒媳婦又高又漂亮,還有一頭長(zhǎng)發(fā)……
Dad is still quiet, but I still feel a connection. Ladies and gentlemen, when a connection is deep and powerful, it lives in a place far beyond words, and it becomes something special---"a silent father's love."
老爸話仍然不多,但我仍然能感到和他之間的那種特殊的密切關(guān)系。女士們先生們,當(dāng)這種關(guān)系變得如此深厚和強(qiáng)烈時(shí),它會(huì)根植于某處,再也無法用語言表達(dá);它會(huì)變成一種特殊的情感:一種無言的父愛。