圣誕小故事:最好的圣誕禮物
ThatChristmasEve,thestreetsofBostonwerecloggedwithtouristsandlocalsbundledinwoolandflannel.Shoppers,hawkers,andgawkerswhirledandswirledaroundme.“FrostytheSnowman,”“LetItSnow!”and“JingleBells”playedinstores;onthesidewalks,thestreetmusiciansdidtheirbest.Everyone,itseemed,wasaccompaniedbysomeoneelsesmilingorlaughing.Iwasalone.
那年的圣誕前夕,我走在波士頓的街道上,路人熙熙攘攘,游客和本地人打扮的衣著光鮮。購(gòu)物者、小販和路人把我圍在中間。街旁商店播放著圣誕歌曲,走到哪里都能聽(tīng)到《結(jié)霜的雪人》、《下雪吧》和《鈴兒響叮當(dāng)》。人行道上,街頭音樂(lè)家賣力的表演著。似乎每個(gè)人都有人陪伴,臉上綻放出幸福的笑容。只有我是孤身一人。
圣誕節(jié)手抄報(bào)圖片
TheeldestofaPuertoRicanfamilyof11childrengrowingupinNewYork’scrowdedtenements,I’dspentmuchofmylifeseekingsolitude.Now,finally,at27,acollegestudentinthemidstofadrown-outbreakupofaseven-yearrelationship,IcontemplatedwhatI’dsocraved,butIwasn’tquitesureIlikedit.Everypartofmewantedtobealone,butnotatChristmas.MyfamilyhadreturnedtoPuertoRico,myfriendshadgonehomeduringtheholidaybreak,andmyacquaintanceswereinvolvedintheirownlives.Duskwasfalling,andtheinevitablereturntomyemptyapartmentbroughttearstomyeyes.Blinkinglightsfromwindowsandarounddoorsbeckoned,andIwishedsomeonewouldemergefromoneofthosehomestoaskmeinsidetoawarmroomwithaChristmastreedecoratedwithtinsel,itsvelvetskirtsprinkledwithshinyfakesnowandwrappedPsents.
我家是一個(gè)波多黎各大家庭,我是家里的長(zhǎng)子,下面還有10個(gè)弟弟妹妹,從小生活在紐約城擁擠的租住房里,在生命的大部分時(shí)間,我都在尋求片刻的孤獨(dú)。此時(shí)此刻,終于,這個(gè)27歲的大學(xué)生,結(jié)束了一段7年的戀情,得到了他想要的孤獨(dú),可他卻怎么也高興不起來(lái)。我想一個(gè)人靜一靜,但不是在圣誕節(jié)。我的家人已經(jīng)返回了波多黎各,我的朋友都放假回家了,我認(rèn)識(shí)的人都有自己的生活要過(guò)。天色晚了,想到要回去那空落落的宿舍,眼淚就不爭(zhēng)氣的冒了出來(lái)。城市住家的燈火點(diǎn)亮起來(lái),從門窗透出的閃爍燈光仿佛在召喚著我,我多希望有人會(huì)打開(kāi)房門,邀請(qǐng)我走進(jìn)那溫暖的房間,房間一角是一株圣誕樹(shù),圣誕彩條將它裝飾的絢爛華麗,天鵝絨的樹(shù)擺上點(diǎn)綴著閃亮的雪花和包裹好的禮物
Istoppedatthelocalmarket,feelingevenmoredePssedaspeoplefilledtheirbasketswithgoodies.Datesanddriedfigs,walnuts,pecans,andhazelnutsintheirshellsremindedmeofthegiftswereceivedaschildreninPuertoRicoonChristmasDay,becausethebiggiftsweregivenonthemorningoftheFeastoftheEpiphany,onJanuary6.Imissedmyfamily:theirrambunctiousparties;thedancing;themoundsofricewithpigeonpeas;thecrusty,garlickyskinontheporkroast;theplantainandyuccapasteleswrappedinbananaleaves.Iwantedtocryforwantingtobealoneandforhavingachievedit.
我在集市邊停下腳步,看到人們提著裝滿美食的籃子,心中感到愈加失落。棗子、無(wú)花果干、核桃和山核桃,還有帶殼的榛子,讓我想起小時(shí)候在波多黎各收到的圣誕禮物。1月6日主顯節(jié)上午,我們才能收到的圣誕大禮。我想念我的家人:想念他們亂糟糟的派對(duì),想念他們的舞蹈,想念香噴噴的木豆米飯,想念烤乳豬的蒜味脆皮,想念芭蕉葉包裹的大蕉絲蘭根。我得到了想要的孤獨(dú),卻忍不住要落下淚來(lái)。
Infrontofthechurchdownthestreet,amangerhadbeensetup,withMary,Joseph,andthebarnanimalsinexpectationofmidnightandthearrivalofbabyJesus.Istoodwithmyneighborswatchingthescene,someofthemcrossingthemselves,praying.AsIwalkedhome,IrealizedthatthestoryofJosephandMarywanderingfromdoortodoorseekingshelterwasmuchlikemyownhistory.LeavingPuertoRicowasstillawoundinmysoulasIstruggledwithwhoIhadbecomein15yearsintheUnitedStates.I’dmournedthelosses,butforthefirsttime,IrecognizedwhatI’dgained.Iwasindependent,educated,healthy,andadventurous.Mylifewasstillbeforeme,fullofpossibility.
在街道盡頭的教堂前,布置好了一條馬槽,瑪麗、約瑟夫和馬廄里的動(dòng)物們都在期待著午夜到來(lái),耶穌降臨。我和鄰居站在那里看著這幅場(chǎng)景,有些人手畫十字、低頭禱告。在回家路上,我意識(shí)到約瑟夫和瑪麗挨家挨戶尋求庇護(hù)的故事就如同我自己的經(jīng)歷。離開(kāi)波多黎各始終是我心頭難以化解的痛楚,我一直在想,15年的美國(guó)生活讓我變成了一個(gè)什么樣的人。我本應(yīng)為我所失去的感到難過(guò),但那一刻,我第一次認(rèn)識(shí)到我獲得了什么。我是一個(gè)獨(dú)立的、受過(guò)良好教育的、健康的、富有冒險(xiǎn)精神的青年。生活的道路就在我的腳下,充滿了無(wú)盡的可能性。
Sometimesthebestgiftistheoneyougiveyourself.ThatChristmas,IgavemyselfcreditforwhatI’daccomplishedsofarandpermissiontogoforward,unafraid.ItisthebestgiftI’veeverreceived,theonethatImosttreasure.
有時(shí)候,你送給自己的禮物才是最好的禮物。那個(gè)圣誕節(jié),我送給自己的是肯定和許諾,肯定自己過(guò)去的努力,許諾自己將不懼一切,奮勇向前。那是我曾收到過(guò)的最好的禮物,我最珍惜的圣誕禮物