佚名/Anonymous

“Can I see my baby?”the happy new mother asked. When the bundle was nestled in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears. Time proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was marred.

When he rushed home from school one day and flung himself into his mother’s arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be a succession of heartbreaks.

He blurted out the tragedy.“A boy, a big boy……called me a freak.”He grew up, handsome for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music.“But you might mingle with other young people.”his mother reproved him, but felt a kindness in her heart.

The boy’s father had a session with the family physician. Could nothing be done?“I believe I could graft on a pair of outer ears, if they could be procured,”the doctor decided. So the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man. Two years went by. Then,“You are going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need, but it’s a secret.”said the father.

The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person emerged. His talents blossomed into genius, and school and college became a series of triumphs. Later he married and entered the diplomatic service.“But I must know!”He urged his father.“Who gave so much for me? I could never do enough for him.”

“I do not believe you could,”said the father,“but the agreement was that you are not to know……not yet.”The years kept their profound secret, but the day did come……one of the darkest days that ever pass through a son. He stood with his father over his mother’s caskets. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish brown hair to reveal that the mother had no outer ears.

“Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut.”he whispered gently,“and nobody ever thought mother less beautiful, did they?”

Real beauty lies not in the physical appearance, but in the heart. Real love lies not in what is done and known, but in what is done but not known.

“我能看看我的孩子吗？”一个幸福的新生儿妈妈问道。当一个包裹着的婴儿偎依在她怀里时，她打开裹布想看看孩子的小脸蛋，突然大吃一惊。医生很快转过头，向医院高高的窗外看去。这个婴儿生下来就没有耳朵。时间证明孩子的听力完全没有问题，只是面貌有些损毁。

一天，他从学校冲回家，扑倒在妈妈的怀里。她叹了一口气，知道他的生活将会不断地充满伤痛。

他说出了自己的悲伤：“一个男孩，一个大男孩……叫我畸形人。”他长大了，尽管有缺陷，却依然很英俊，很受同学们欢迎。如果不是因为那个不幸，他可能被选为班长。他颇有天赋，在文学和音乐方面卓有成就。“但是，你应该与其他年轻人交往啊。”他妈妈善意地责备道。

孩子的父亲和家庭医生谈过一次，难道一点儿办法都没有吗？“我相信，如果能够获得合适的外耳，我就能做移植手术。”医生们做出决定后说。于是，他们开始寻找愿为年轻人献出耳朵的人。两年过去了，后来，父亲说，“儿子，你去医院吧，我们找到了那个愿意献出耳朵的人，但是，这是一个秘密。”

手术进行得非常成功，一个新人脱颖而出了，他才华横溢，在中学和大学期间获得了无数次的成功。后来，他结婚了，并进入外交界。“但是必须让我知道！”他一再追问父亲，“是谁这样甘愿为我付出？他的恩情我永生难报。”

“我想，你是难以报答的，”他爸爸说，“但是，协议上规定你不能知道……至少现在不能。”岁月掩藏着这个巨大的秘密，但这一天最终还是来临了……那是他经历过的最黑暗的一天。他和父亲站在母亲的棺材前，父亲伸出一只手，缓慢地、温柔地撩起母亲浓密的棕红色头发——没有外耳。

“母亲说，永远不让别人剪她的头发，她很开心，”他轻轻地说，“没有人认为母亲不再漂亮了，不是吗？”

真正的美不在于外表，而在于内心。真正的爱不在于人人都知道的给予，而在于不为人知的付出。

心灵小语

一个母亲可以为孩子做出的牺牲，往往是人们无法想象的。珍惜这份爱吧，因其如此的无私，且不求回报。

succession n.连续；继承权；继位

例 This kind of community development is different from the succession of a natural community.

这一群落的发展和自然群落的演进是两种不同的发展方式。

misfortune n.不幸；灾祸

例 He sits to ponder his misfortune there.

他坐在那里沉思着他的不幸。

sacrifice v.牺牲；祭祀

例 We know how to work, to fight, and to sacrifice.

我们懂得如何去工作，去战斗，去做出牺牲。

triumph n.凯旋；欢欣

例 It was a great triumph when our team won the race.

我们队赛跑赢了，这是一个很大的成功。

他颇有天赋，在文学和音乐方面卓有成就。

译___________________________________________________________________

真正的美不在于外表，而在于内心。

译___________________________________________________________________

真正的爱不在于人人都知道的给予，而在于不为人知的付出。

译___________________________________________________________________

He blurted out the tragedy.

blurt out：脱口而出；突然说出

造___________________________________________________________________

I believe I could graft on a pair of outer ears.

a pair of：一对；一双

造___________________________________________________________________