英語美文:危難之中 你仍握着選擇權

It was the first day of Spring here
此時此地正是初春
but it didn’t feel like it.
卻感覺不到春天的暖意
The Coronavirus Pandemic was sweeping the globe
疫情橫掃全球
and everywhere
每個地方
there were feelings of uncertainty, fear,
都彌散着彷徨，恐懼
loneliness
孤獨
and even despair.
甚至絕望的感覺
“Social Distancing”
羣體間疏離
had become the new norm.
成爲新的常規
Here
在這裏
the schools had been closed,
學校已經暫時關閉
the restaurant dining rooms shut,
餐廳堂食亦關門了
and people had been told to work from home
人們被要求在家辦公
whenever they could.
只要具備此種條件
Even the sheltered workshop where my oldest son worked
即便是那件我大兒子經營的庇護工場
had been closed
也被迫息業
until further notice.
等待進一步的通知
People had made a run on the stores
人們都去商店裏掃蕩
and large areas of the shelves were bare.
大片區域裏貨架上空空如也
On the news
新聞裏
the numbers of sick and dead continued to rise.
患病和死亡人數不斷增加
It felt like
讓人感覺
there was a weight on the souls of everyone in the world.
世界上每個人心頭都有千鈞重負
My own family was staying at home
我自己一家人也宅在家中
as much as possible
除非迫不得已出門
and as I looked out my window
當我看向窗外
I wondered
我想着
how long this crisis would last.
這場危機會持續多久？
It was then, however,
然而，恰在這時
that I saw something
我看見一樣東西
that lifted that weight off of my soul,
心頭的重負似乎減輕了一些
made my face smile,
我臉上現出微笑
and made my heart feel happy again.
心中又快樂起來
On the street below my house
家門外的街道上
there was an old friend of mine
站着我的一位老友
from high school
我們自高中起就認識
who was a teacher there now.
他現在已經是那裏的一個教師了
With him
在他身旁
was my younger son’s former aide
是我小兒子的輔導員
from the high school as well.
也是高中的時候認識的
They were delivering the school lunches
他們正在分發學校裏的午餐
door to door
挨家挨戶
to the hungry children who were stuck at home.
給那些困在家裏忍飢挨餓的孩子們
Watching them
看着他們
made me think of something
我想起一句話
In the bad times.
在困難的時候
Always look for the helpers.”
一定要尋求幫助
I have no doubt
我毫不懷疑
this crisis will pass
這場危機一定會過去
as all the crisis before it have.
一如它之前所有的危機
But it is our choice
但我們可以選擇
on whether it brings out the best in us
表現出最好的人性
or the worst in us.
或最惡毒的一面
Let it bring out the best in you.
讓它激發最好的你吧
Use it to strengthen your faith.
讓它堅定你的信吧
Use it to free yourself from fear.
利用它，從你的恐懼中掙脫
Use it to grow kinder,
讓它助你變得更加善良
more giving,
更慷慨
and more loving.
更富有愛心
Become a helper to all those in need
成爲每個需要幫助的人的救助者