Good deeds start with one

by Jade/张新峰(译)

□语篇导读

善良同感冒一样，也是一种“传染病”，一旦接触就会散播开来，但它传播的是一份真情，一份温暖。善良的人永远带着感恩的心，留心周围的世界，去帮助每一个需要帮助的人。让这种善良的“传染”愈远愈久!赠人玫瑰，手有余香。当世界充满爱时，我们每一个人也都会得到幸福。

My husband Mike had been working in Florida for five months.Our 9-year-old daughter Kallie missed him very much.So Kallie and I were flying to Florida to spend a week with him.

The plane was full.Because we did not get our boarding passes until we arrived at the gate,Kallie and I could not get seats together.Kallie was nervous about the trip and had counted on my reading to her the whole way.

The passengers next to me got to their seats,and I asked if they would change places with Kallie or me.They all said no.

Meanwhile,a mother and her two children several rows ahead of us also met the same condition.The mother could hold her baby,but her 6-year-old son had to sit with strangers.And nobody offered to help her.

Then,I saw a troop of Boy Scouts (童子军)on our flight.The Scout leader stood up and said to the woman:“Madam,I think we can help you.”He spent five minutes rearranging his group so there was space for the family to sit together.A smile came on the mother's face.

Suddenly,the man sitting next to the Scout leader turned around to me and asked,“Would you and your daughter like our seats?”I answered excitedly,“Yes.Thanks very much.”Then we changed seats and being together made our trip so much better.

Would that man have offered us his seat if the Scouts hadn't done so for the Mom and her children?I'm not sure.But I do know that kindness is contagious,and good deeds cause more good deeds!

◆词语积淀

condition/kən'dɪ∫n/n. 情况；状况

stranger/'streɪndʒə(r)/n.陌生人；外地人

flight/flaɪt/n.飞行；航班

rearrange/,riːə'reɪndʒ/v.重新安排

contagious/kən'teɪdʒəs/adj.传染性的；感染性的

turn around转过身，转过去

◆典句赏析

1.Because we did not get our boarding passes until we arrived at the gate,Kallie and I could not get seats together.因为我们直到到达登机口才拿到登机牌，所以凯莉和我没能坐到一起。

not...until...作为连词短语，意思是“直到……才……”，是一种固定用法。until后面可以接时间，也可以引导时间状语从句。例如：

It didn't stop raining until the end of last month.在上月底之前，雨从未停止。(直到上月底雨才停下来。)

【即时尝试】直到她回来我才开始看电视。

2.Kallie was nervous about the trip and had counted on me reading to her the whole way.凯莉对这次的旅行感到紧张，她本来指望我一路上讲故事给她听。

count on是固定词组，意为“依靠；指望”。count on sb.(doing sth.)表示“指望某人(做某事)”。count on的近义短语为depend on。the whole way也是常见的词组，意为“自始至终；一路上”。例如：

We walked the whole way to the station,a matter of 3 miles.我们一直走到车站,大约3英里的路程。

Children depend on their parents for food and clothing.孩子依赖他们的父母供给衣食。

【即时尝试】这个男孩不得不依靠他的父母生活。

译文助读

我的丈夫迈克已经在佛罗里达州工作五个月了。我们9岁的女儿凯莉非常想念他。所以凯莉和我将飞到佛罗里达州和他一起度过一个星期。

飞机已经满员了。因为我们直到到达登机口才拿到登机牌，所以凯莉和我没能坐到一起。凯莉对这次的旅行感到紧张，她本来指望我一路上讲故事给她听。

我旁边的乘客都坐到了他们的座位上，我问他们是否能与凯莉或我换一下座位。他们都说不。

与此同时，在我们前面几排的一位母亲和她的两个孩子也遇到了同样的情况。那位母亲可以抱着她的孩子，但她6岁的儿子不得不和陌生人坐在一起。没有人主动帮助她。

这时我在飞行中看到一群童子军。童子军的领袖站起来并对那个女人说：“夫人，我想我们可以帮助你。”他花了五分钟重新安排他的团队，这样就有空间让那家人坐在一起。那位母亲的脸上露出了笑容。

突然，坐在童子军领袖旁边的那个人转过身来问我：“你和你女儿喜欢我们的座位吗？”我兴奋地回答道：“是的。非常感谢。”然后我们换了座位。坐在一起使我们的旅行更美好。

如果童子军没有为那位母亲和她的孩子们这样做，那个人会不会给我们让座呢？我不确定。但我确实知道，善良是会传染的，良好的行为将产生（引发）更多的好事!