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“Can I see my baby?” the happy new mother asked.
“我可以看看我的寶寶嗎？”初為人母的她開心地問道。
When the bundle was nestled in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped.
當裹在襁褓里的嬰兒被放到她臂彎里時，她掀開折疊著的布，看到他的小臉時，她不禁倒吸了一口氣。
The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window.
醫生迅速地轉過身，透過醫院的高層窗戶向外看去。
The baby had been born without ears.
嬰兒生下來就沒有耳朵。
Time proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect.
時間證明，嬰兒的聽力毫無問題。
It was only his appearance that was marred.
這只是有損他的相貌。
When he rushed home from school one day and flung himself into his mother’s arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be a succession of heartbreaks.
一天，當他匆匆從學校跑回家，撲向母親的懷抱時，她嘆了口氣，意識到他的生活注定會遭受一連串的打擊。
He blurted out the tragedy. “A boy, a big boy... called me a freak.”
他脫口訴說遭到的不幸：“一個男孩，一個大個子男孩……他喊我怪胎。”
He grew up, handsome for his misfortune.
他長大了，俊朗的長相彌補了他的不幸。
A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that.
他頗受同學歡迎，要不是有缺陷，很可能就當了班長。
He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music.
他對文學和音樂很有天賦和潛質。
“But you might mingle with other young people.” his mother reproved him, but felt a kindness in her heart.
“但你可能會和其他年輕人一樣。”母親責備地說，但從心底覺得很欣慰。
The boy’s father had a session with the family physician,“Could nothing be done?”
男孩的父親與家庭醫生商量：“難道真的無法補救嗎？”
“I believe I could graft on a pair of outer ears, if they could be procured.”the doctor decided.
“我認為可以移植一雙外耳，如果能夠找到的話，”醫生做了決定。
Whereupon the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man.
于是他們開始尋求一個愿意為這個年輕人做出犧牲的人。
Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, “You’re going to the hospital, son.
兩年過去了。一天，父親對兒子說：“孩子，你要住院了。
Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need.
我和你媽找到愿意為你捐獻耳朵的人了。
The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person emerged.
手術獲得了巨大成功，一個新人誕生了。
His talents blossomed into genius, and school and college became a series of triumphs.
他的潛力轉化為巨大的才能，在中學和大學都取得了一連串的成功。
Later he married and entered the diplomatic service.
后來他結婚了，進入外交行業工作。
One day, he asked his father, “Who gave me the ears? Who gave me so much? I could never do enough for him or her.”
一天，他問父親：“是誰給了我耳朵？誰給了我那么多？我做多少都無法報答他/她。”
“I do not believe you could,” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know... not yet.”
“我也這樣認為，”父親說，“但是協議上說你不能知道……還不到時候。”
The years kept their profound secret, but the day did come.
多年以來，他們一直保守著秘密，但這天終于來了。
One of the darkest days that ever pass through a son.
這也是兒子度過的最黑暗的日子。
He stood with his father over his mother’s casket.
他和父親站在母親的棺木前。
Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish brown hair to reveal the mother had no outer ears.
慢慢地，輕柔地，父親伸出一只手，掀開母親濃密的、紅褐色的頭發——母親竟然沒有耳朵！
“Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut,” his father whispered gently,“and nobody ever thought mother less beautiful, did they?”
“你母親說過她很高興，她從不理發，”父親輕柔地低聲說，“但沒人覺得母親沒以前美麗，是吧？”
