評論
打印
Saving David
拯救大衛
Years ago, when I was working as a psychologist at a children's institution in England, an adolescent boy showed up in the waiting room, it was David.
許多年前，我是英國一所兒童機構的心理醫生，有一天，一個十幾歲的男孩出現在候診室，他叫大衛。
David wore a black raincoat that was buttoned all the way up to his neck. His face was pale, and he stared at his feet while wringing his hands nervously. He had lost his father as an infant, and had lived together with his mother and grandfather ever since. But when David turned 13, his grandfather died and his mother was killed in a car accident. He was very depressed， refusing to talk to others.
大衛穿著一件黑色的雨衣，扣子一直扣到脖頸。他臉色蒼白，眼睛緊盯著自己的雙腳，同時還緊張地揉搓著雙手。大衛很小的時候就失去了父親，一直同母親和祖父生活在一起。在13歲那年的時候，他的祖父去世了，母親也在一次車禍中喪生。他情緒低落，不跟任何人說話。
The first two times we met, David didn't say a word. He sat in the chair and only looked up at the children's drawings on the wall. As he was about to leave after the second visit, I put my hand on his shoulder. He didn't shrink back, but he didn't look at me either.
在我們頭兩次見面時大衛一句話也沒說。他坐在椅子上，抬起頭時也只是看著我身后墻上孩子們畫的畫。他第二次來后，在他將要離開的時候，我將手放在他的肩上，他沒有退縮著躲開，也沒有看我一眼。
"Come back next week," I hesitated a bit. Then I said, "I know it hurts."
"如果愿意，下周還來吧。"我猶豫了一下說我知道你很難過。"
He came, and I suggested we play a game of chess. He nodded. After that we played chess every Wednesday afternoon in complete silence and without making any eye contact. It's not easy to cheat in chess, but I admit that I made sure David won once or twice.
他的確來了，我提議兩人下象棋，他點頭同意了。之后，我們每周三下午下棋——但都不說話，他也從不和我對視。下棋時作弊并不容易，不過我得承認，我的確有意讓大衛贏過一兩次。
It seemed as if he enjoyed my company. But why did he never look at me? "Perhaps he senses that I respect his suffering." I kept wondering and playing with him, until some months later, suddenly, he looked up at me, "It's your turn," he said.
看上去他，很喜歡和我在一起，但是為什么他從不看我眼呢?"也許他只是需要有人為他分擔痛苦我想也許他覺得我尊重他的苦楚。"與他下棋時我一直帶著這樣的疑問，直到幾個月后，突然，大衛抬頭看著我，說道該你了。"
After that day, David started talking He got friends in school and joined a bicycle club. He wrote to me a few times, after that the letters stopped. Now he had really started to live his own life.
自那天起，大衛開始說話了。他在學校里有了朋友，并加入了一個自行車俱樂部。他給我寫過幾次信，在那之后，他就不再寫信了。現在他已經真正開始了自己的生活。
Maybe I gave David something. At least I learned a lot from him. I learned how time makes it possible to overcome what seems to be an insuperable pain. I learned to be there for people who need me. And David showed me how one - without any words - can reach out to another person. All it takes is a hug, a shoulder to cry on，a friendly touch, a sympathetic nature - and an ear that listens.
也許我給予過大衛某種東西，至少我從他，那里學到了很多。我懂得了時間如何使人克服看上去無法逾越的痛苦，我學會了幫助需要我幫助的人。大衛還使我明白，一個人怎樣才能不通過語言而去幫助他人。所需的只是一個擁抱，一個痛哭時可以依依的肩頭，一次友好撫慰，一種同情的本性，以及一雙聆聽的耳朵。
