A Sailor's Christmas Gift

by William J. Lederer



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Last year at Christmas time my wife, three boys and I were in France on our way from Paris to Nice. For five wretched days everything had gone wrong. Our hotels were tourist traps, our rented car broke down, we were all restless and irritable in the crowded car. On Christmas Eve, when we checked into a dingy hotel in Nice, there was no Christmas spirit in our hearts. It was raining and cold when we went out to eat. We found a drab little joint shoddily decorated for the holidays. It smelled greasy. Only five tables in the restaurant were occupied. There were two German couples, two French families and an American sailor, by himself. In the corner, a piano player listlessly played Christmas music. I was too stubborn and too tired and miserable to leave. I looked around the noticed that the other customers were eating in stony silence. The only person who seemed happy was the American sailor. While eating he was writing a letter, and a half-smile lighted his face.
去年,在圣誕節(jié)期間,我和我的妻子以及我們的三個(gè)孩子,從法國(guó)踏上由巴黎到尼斯的旅途。由于接連五天的惡劣天氣,旅途上一切很不順心。我們下榻的旅館盡是些敲詐勒索旅客的“陷阱”;我們租用的那輛汽車?yán)鲜前l(fā)生故障,在擁擠不堪的車子上大家個(gè)個(gè)顯得煩躁不安。圣誕節(jié)前夕,我們住進(jìn)了尼斯的一家旅店,這家旅店又臟又暗,我們打心眼里感覺(jué)不到絲毫的節(jié)日氣氛。    我們外出就餐時(shí),天正下著小雨,天氣寒冷。我們找到了一家死氣沉沉的小餐館。為點(diǎn)綴一下節(jié)日的氣氛,這家餐館剛剛做了番粗劣的裝潢。一進(jìn)門就聞到一股刺鼻的油污氣味。整個(gè)餐廳只有五張桌子有人就餐:兩對(duì)德國(guó)夫婦,兩戶法國(guó)家庭和一名孑然一身的美國(guó)水手。在餐廳的一個(gè)角落里,有位鋼琴師在無(wú)精打采地彈奏著圣誕樂(lè)曲。 我情緒低落,加之疲憊不堪,執(zhí)意不愿離開這兒去找別的餐館了。我環(huán)顧四周,見這里的顧客一個(gè)個(gè)沉默不語(yǔ),只顧吃著、喝著,唯獨(dú)那位美國(guó)水手看上去興高采烈。他一邊吃著,一邊寫信,面帶微笑,神采奕奕。