美文賞析:摔倒的小女孩

So most Sundays
事情是這樣的，幾乎每個星期天
I bang out a quick 5km run around my local park,
我都會在家附近公園裏小小的跑上5公里
it resets my body clock
這會讓我的生物鐘重歸正軌
after a weekend
在之前的週末兩天
playing video games
我都在玩電子遊戲
or writing until like 3am.
或寫作直至凌晨3點
So
這一天
as I'm getting to the last half a kilometre ,
我剛準備跑完這一公里的最後一小半跑道
I see a figure in the distance.
我遠遠的看到一個身影
They have brightly coloured, pink footwear on,
她一雙腳上穿着顏色鮮豔的粉色溜冰鞋
I'm only just sort of registering this
我剛剛看清這雙鞋
in my exhausted state
運動完有些疲乏
when wham,
突然，“轟”
they hit the deck.
她撞到木欄上
Hard.
撞得不輕
To my surprise,讓我驚訝的是
they just get right back up again,他們卻很快站了起來
but again
wham they hit the deck,
only this time,
不過這一次
they don't get up.
他們沒有再站起來
I pick up the pace a little,
我稍稍加速
jogging over to them
跑向那人
and asking if they're okay.
像問問她是否需要幫助
It's a girl,
那是個小女孩
maybe ten or eleven,
約莫十歲或十一歲
all on their own,
一個人呆在那裏
taking off a pair of roller skates
正設法脫掉自己的溜冰鞋
with their face all red
臉上紅腫
from what were obviously two painful falls
原因明顯是剛纔那狠狠的兩摔
onto hard concrete.
撞到堅硬的水泥地面上
"Yeah, I'm okay, thanks",
“嗯，我沒事，謝謝”
she says.
她說
But she is not okay.
但她並非沒事
There's tears forming in her little eyes
她小小的眼睛裏有淚水流出來
as she takes off her rollerblades
一邊還在脫下自己的溜冰鞋
and swaps them for training shoes
換上一雙訓練鞋
she's been carrying in her bag.
她一直將那雙鞋子放在揹包裏
"That was a really bad fall,
那一跤摔得挺重的
are you sure you're okay?"
你確定你沒事嗎
"Yeah,
沒事
I just got scared"
我就是嚇到了
she replies.
她答說
"Have you just started Roller Skating,
你纔剛剛開始學溜冰
yeah?"
是不是？
I ask,
我問道
it's obvious she has,
答案顯然是如此
the skates are like brand new.
那雙溜冰鞋還是簇新的
"I only got them on Friday!"
“我星期五的時候纔得到這雙鞋！”
she says,
她說到
a little smile appearing
小小的臉上露出微笑
as she remembers
似乎想起
how happy and excited she must have been to get them.
自己剛剛得到這雙鞋子的時候多麼喜悅和興奮
"Wow,
哇
that's awesome!
真棒
But, you know,
但是，你知道
I think it might be a bit too windy to practice,
我覺得今天風有些大，不適合練習
I used to skateboard
我過去經常滑雪
and it's amazing
我驚訝的發現
how a little bit of wind
一點點微風
can throw you off your balance!"
就會吹得你失去平衡
"Yeah, it is really windy",
沒錯，今天真的風很大
then that little tear forming in her eye
她眼眶中又冒出小小的淚珠
began to drip down her cheek.
淚珠開始從她臉頰上滾落
She was doing everything in her power
她正竭盡所能
not to cry in front of a stranger,
不在一個陌生人面前哭泣
she knew
她知道
she had to be strong.
自己必須堅強
Her little voice quivered ,
她小小的聲音顫抖着
but not once did she break.
但沒有崩潰痛哭，一次也沒有
"Are Mummy and Daddy around?"
你爸爸媽媽在附近嗎
I asked her,
我問她
looking around
環顧四周
to see if there were any parents nearby
想看看附近有沒有家長
to call over.
可以招呼過來
"No, my Mum is at home"
“沒有，我媽媽在家裏”
"Wow,
哇
so you came all the way here on your own
這麼說，你是自己一路走過來的
because you're so excited to use your skates!?"
因爲你迫不及待想要試一試你的溜冰鞋？
"Yep",
“沒錯”
again,
再一次
her smile sort of overrides the tears.
她的微笑抑制住了眼淚
She's proud of herself,
她爲自己感到驕傲
and I am too.
我亦如此
"Oh my,
哦，我的老天
you are the bravest little girl I have ever met!
你是我遇到過的最勇敢的小女孩！
Do you live close by,
你住在附近嗎
I only ask because
我只是想知道
if you fall
如果你摔倒
and graze your elbow,
擦破了膝蓋
it's just a short walk home isn't it"
是不是很快就能回家處理傷口
"I do,
是的
but my Mum said
但是我媽媽告訴我
not to tell people where I live"
不要告訴別人我住在哪裏
I laugh.
我大笑起來
She smiles again.
她也在微笑
"Well", I continue, "
“那麼，”我接着說到
I'm going to carry on running.
我要接着跑步了
You look after yourself, okay?
你好好照顧自己，好嗎？
And I really mean it,
我說的話都是真心實意
you are so brave
你真的很勇敢
learning to roller skate like that!"
像這樣一個人學溜冰
"Thank you!"
“謝謝！”
she says again,
她又說
she's stopped crying,
她停止了哭泣
she just looks so proud of herself.
看起來爲自己自豪極了
"You are so welcome!"
“不用謝！”
it triggered something parental in me,
這個小女孩似乎觸動了我心中柔軟的角落
I just started crying.
我淚眼婆娑
People are absolutely amazing sometimes,
有時候有些人真的令人讚歎
and if or when I have kids,
如果我也會有孩子，到了那時
if they're half as brave and strong as that little girl,
如果他們有這個小女孩一半勇敢，一半堅強
I'll be a very, very proud father indeed.
我會是一個非常，非常驕傲的父親
Keep it up,
加油
Roller Girl,
學溜冰的小女孩
you made me proud to be a human today.今天是
你讓我爲自己生而爲人感到驕傲