When I was 19
十九歲的時候

I legally immigrated to the USA.
我非法移民到了美國

I left my country on Mother's day 1963.
1963年的母親節(jié)，我離開了故土

Circumstances were such that
我的處境如此糟糕

I for a short time
有一小段時間里

became homeless
我無家可歸

but then found a job
后來我找到一份工作

in East Los Angeles.
在舊金山東部

I was able to live in one of their staff houses,
我在他們提供的一間宿舍住下

went 3 hours to school each night.
每天晚上花三個小時的時間走去學(xué)校

I had very little money
我?guī)缀鯖]什么錢

but felt abundant .
卻感到十分富足

Mother's Day 1964 arrived
1964年的母親節(jié)到來了

and I needed to call my Mom in Germany.
我想給遠在德國的母親打個電話

I had a little paper sack of quarters
我只有幾個硬幣，用紙包成一個小包

for $12.
總共能湊齊12美元

It was a LOT of money for me.
這對我來說已經(jīng)是很大一筆錢了

I walked up 2 streets
我走過了兩個街區(qū)

to a phone booth.
才找到一個電話亭

It was a pretty hot day.
那時一個十分炎熱的日子

Anyway
無論如何

I dialed the operator:
我接通了接線員

'How may I help you?'
您需要什么服務(wù)？

I said
我說

I like to call my Mom in Germany.
我想給在德國的母親打個電話

She said
她說:

?'$ 12 for the first 3 minutes.'
最初三分鐘12美元

I fed the phone all the quarters I had.
我把手中所有的硬幣都倒進了電話機里

A.s.a. that happened
剛把硬幣扔完

I heard the phone ring.
我聽到了電話提示音

It was my Mom who picked up.
是母親拿起了電話

She was extremely excited
她興奮極了

to hear my voice for the first time in a year.
一年以來，還是第一次聽到了我的聲音

We talked fast and excitedly.
我們快速說著話，都很興奮

After a while she said:
過了一會兒她問

'Child this must be very expensive?'
孩子，這很貴吧？

I had forgotten time and space.
我已經(jīng)忘記了世間和空間

We talked on and on.
我們繼續(xù)交談下去

The call ended
通話結(jié)束

and all my quarters tumbled out again.
我的硬幣卻都彈了出來

I was stunned.
我感到驚訝極了

We had talked for 45 minutes
我們談了45分鐘

and this kind operator gave us such amazing present.
這個善良的接線員給了我一份這樣好的禮物

Thank you.
謝謝你

It was only 1 of the many kindnesses I have experienced
我曾體會過許多種善良，這只是其中一種

in this wonderful country.
在這個神奇的國度

I never asked for anything.
我從不曾奢望什么

But because I worked and studied hard,
但因為我一直勤勞的工作和學(xué)習(xí)

people seeing it supported my effords.
看到我的努力的人們都來支持我

?

?