序 青出于蓝
风
刚刚读完霍林河女儿(DIANE)的“A True Story” ，好另人感动。从文中推算，她多不过十四、
五岁的样子，竟是这般深思熟虑。对社会问题竟有这般见解，难能可贵啊！
在纽约我曾遇到过一个乞丐，他端着“饭盒”朝我撞来，“饭”撒在地上，强行索赔。在加拿大
好些，他们通常站在路边手持帽子向行人小声吆喝：“给点零钱”。看你缅腆，他们甚至开句玩
笑：“别害羞，我尽我所能 ( I do my best ) ”。我给予他们以适当的同情，梦想过怎样解决
这种社会问题，但没有想到也应当给予他们以必要的尊重。一个孩子使我们惊醒。
DIANE 的文学技巧给人以非常成熟之感。倒叙手法的运用，两个流浪汉的鲜明对比，爸爸前后的
态度等等，只用寥寥数笔就构划清楚。我十分喜欢这篇短文，忍不住把它用汉语写了下来，以便
让更多的人能够阅读。我尽可能保持原文风貌，但毕竟不是少年的心境，颇有力不从心之感，望
DIANE 和林河兄海涵。另外 “ he was generalizing ”一语也没有找到适当的词语来表达，我
用了“似乎无动于衷”，霍林河用了“漫不经心”。请各位校正为盼。我把此文推荐给了“犬子”，
又转发到其他孩子手里，希望流传更远。
从文中看，DIANE 承袭了霍林河的那种本质：浓重而深沉。“真实的故事”仅用流浪汉的一句话
便给出两个IDEAS： 人皆有善和人当自强。很了不起。回想我的为文，纤巧有余而要点甚少，该
向二位多学为是。
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流浪汉的真实故事
原著:丹丹 风译
当我到家的时候爸爸正在炉前做饭，卷心菜和肉在锅里滋滋作响，厨房里充满了晚餐的香味。我
刚刚从钢琴班下课回来，告诉爸爸就在几分钟前路边发生的故事。
在回家的路上，有一个“批萨”店，他们卖意大利冰点，很好的生意，通常许多孩子围在那儿。
当我路过那里的时候，即使没有看见，我已经感到身后有一个乞丐 -- 毫不奇怪，这里是曼哈顿
区，你总可以“嗅”出乞丐的味道。忽然，我听到他对卖刨冰的小伙子猛叫起来。象许多其他人
一样，我不由自主地转过身来。我看见他大吵大闹，敲敲打打。很显然，看着他们那副模样，孩
子们吓呆了，紧紧抓住妈妈的手臂。我不愿看见这粗野的一幕，继续往家里走，但我很奇怪为什
么那么多人还留在那儿看。
我把这个故事讲给爸爸，他似乎无动于衷，平淡地说，许多无家可归的人头脑都有问题。
我坐在旁边的椅子上，无话可说。这时，我想起了生活中的另一段小插曲，那是在几年前，当我
十一岁的时候。一次放学，我路过圣约翰大教堂，看见一个乞丐向一位夫人讨钱。那位夫人快步
走了过去，好像要躲开一只嗡嗡叫的恼人的蜜蜂。我很同情这位流浪汉，翻着兜想找到些零钱。
当我拿着一枚硬币递给他时，他却笑着摇头不肯要，看着他那龋蚀的牙齿我也禁不住笑了起来。
“我从未要过孩子的钱”，他说。我点点头慢慢离去，身后仍然传来他急促声音：“在学校里好
好学习吧，绝不要象我这样流落街头”。我使劲地点着头离开那里，他的话让我惊奇和沉思。
整个回家的路上，我一直在考虑件事儿。以前从新闻和朋友们那里听过许多关于流浪汉的骇人听
闻的故事，我从没想到他们中会有人这么明智和友善。我把这个故事讲给爸爸，他感到非常惊奇，
并深受感动。我还对他说，人们希望这些流浪汉得到新的机会去过更好的生活。现在轮到爸爸沉
思和重重地点头了。
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原文:
A True Story
-- BY Diane
When I came home I saw my dad at the stove cooking some cabbage and meat. I told him
about the event that happened a few moments ago when Iwas walking home from piano
class.
I was walking past a pizza store that sold Italian ice, they usually have good busin-
essso many children were around. I walked past the store and Ismelled a homeless man
behindme before I could even see him, but since this is Manhattan I was not surprised
at seeing, or in this case - smelling, ahomeless man. But then I heard him yelling at
the man who was selling ice. I turned around to look, just as many others turned too.
The homeless man was yelling at the poor man behind the counter and banging on the ice
cart. The children around him were obviously scared by the looks on their faces and
they were grabbing onto their mother抯 arms. I decided it was rude to stare and kept
walking but was surprised at the amount of other people stillstaring.
I told this to my dad and once again he was generalizing. He said that many homeless
men had mental problems.
I said nothing at first and sat in a chair nearby. Then I remembered the incident that
happened to me a few years ago when I was about eleven yearsold. I was walking home
from school, past the great Saint John's Cathedral and saw a homeless man begging a
woman for money. The woman quicklywalked away, obviously trying to get away from him
as if he was an annoying bug buzzing at her. I pitied the homeless man and searched
my pocket forsome change. I found a quarter and tried to give it to him. He shook his
head and smiled. I saw his decayed teeth and couldn’t help smiling myself. He
said “I never take money from children.” I nodded and began to leave. Then he quick-
ly said, “stay in school and don’t end up on the streets like me.” Iwas surprised
at what he just said but just nodded again and left.
On the way home I was thinking about what had happened. I never thought homeless people
could be so sane and friendly since I heard so manyhorrible stories about them on the
news and from my friends. I told this memory to my dad and he was very surprised and
seemed moved by the story.I told him that people like that kind homeless man deserves
a second chance in a better life. My dad looked very thoughtful and nodded.
8/1/2001
