The Boy at The Track
在賽馬場謀生活的男孩

Many years ago I drove a taxi for extra money. I primarily worked in the east end of Toronto. This was back in the days when the Greenwood Racetrack was in operation.
很多年前，我做過一陣兼職出租車司機。我主要在多倫多東區拉活。當時，格林伍德賽馬場還營業著。
The track was a pretty lively place. Crowds of people were always streaming in and out. I did a lot of business down there dropping off fares and picking them up. When I think of those days, I remember one particular summer about 30 years ago.
這座賽馬場是個非常熱鬧的地方，總是不斷地有許多人進進出出。我的大量業務就是到那里接送這些來來往往的人。當我回想那段日子時，總會記起三十年前的一個夏天。
Each time a taxi drove up to the front of the track, a group of local kids would run along the sidewalk angling for a position by the passenger door. One lucky kid, or to be more accurate the most aggressive kid, would open the passenger door and say "Good luck at the track, Mister!"
每當有出租車開到賽馬場門前時，都會有一群當地的孩子沿著人行道跑過來，搶占出租車停下來時乘客門的位置。某個幸運的孩子，或者更準確地說是最積極的孩子，會打開乘客門，說一句：“先生，祝您在賽馬場好運！”
The man getting out of the cab would invariably mumble 'thanks' and flip the kid a quarter on his way from the taxi to the entrance of the track.
從出租車上下來的人總是嘴里咕噥一句：“謝謝”，然后在從出租車到賽馬場入口的路上用手指彈給那個孩子一枚25分的硬幣。
It was a routine that everybody knew. Sometimes the cops would chase these kids away but they always came back a couple of hours later or the next day.
當時每個人都知道這個規矩。有時，會有警察把這些孩子們趕走，但每次他們都會在幾個小時后或者第二天就回來。

Throughout the summer, one kid caught my eye. He was bigger than most of them but he was pushed away by even the smallest of all the other kids. He never pushed back. In fact, he would even step aside when others pushed forward. He was actually courteous in the midst of all these aggressive kids.
整個夏天，有一個孩子給我留下了深刻的印象。他在那群孩子中算個頭比較高的，但即使最矮小的孩子也能把他推開。而且，他被推開時，從來沒有還過手。事實上，當別人向前推搡時，他甚至會讓開。他在這些積極的孩子中，顯得太有禮貌了。
Each time my cab or any other cab drove up it was another chance for those kids to be the one to open the door and say, "Good luck Mister!" and maybe get a quarter. This kid never stopped trying. He would watch the cab approach, figure out where it would stop along the sidewalk and then try his best to get to the door. He never made it. He always got pushed aside. But he never gave up. Then one day his chance arrived.
每當我的出租車或其他出租車駛來時，都是一次新的機會讓這些孩子成為那個打開車門并說上一句“先生，祝您好運！”的人，或許還能得到一枚25分的硬幣。那個孩子從來沒有停止過這樣的嘗試。他會注視著出租車駛來，判斷其將要停靠在人行道旁的位置，然后盡最大努力靠近車門。但他從來沒成功過。他總是被推到一邊。不過，他也從來沒有放棄。終于有一天，他的機會來了。
As I was pulling up to the sidewalk all the kids were scrambling for a cab that had arrived just ahead of mine. They didn't notice me pulling up. Only the boy saw me and walked towards my taxi. As I pulled up I made sure to position the passenger door right beside him. He didn't miss a beat. He opened the passenger door with a flourish and said to the man getting out, "Good luck at the track, Mister!"
當我要把我的出租車停在人行道旁時，所有孩子們都在爭搶一輛剛剛在我之前到達的出租車的開門機會。他們沒有注意到我的車要停下來。只有那個男孩看見了，并朝我的出租車走來。我故意把車停在了最靠近他的位置。他沒錯過機會。他用一個有點夸張的姿勢打開了乘客門，對要下車的人說：“先生，祝您在賽馬場好運！”
But the man who got out of my cab did not say thanks. He did not flip him a quarter. He said, "Get out of my way kid!" and he pushed him aside so hard that the boy fell on the sidewalk and I knew it hurt him bad. I was out of the cab in less than 10 seconds but I knew I would never find the man that pushed this boy down. He was gone in the crowd.
但是，從我出租車里出來的那個人并沒有說謝謝，也沒有彈給他25分的硬幣，只仍下了一句：“小孩兒，別擋我的路！”，然后把男孩推到一邊，因為推的力氣太大，男孩摔倒了人行道上。我知道這深深地傷害到了孩子。我用了不到10秒鐘就下了車，但我知道我永遠也找不到那個推倒男孩的人。他已經消失在人群中了。
So I looked for the kid. I decided to give him $20 for his efforts and gumption that he had shown. By the time I spotted him he was far up ahead, walking away through the crowd, hands in his pockets and his head hanging down. I could not get to him. The other cabs behind mine were honking their horns and drivers were screaming obscene words at me, telling me to move the cab. The traffic cop was waving at me to get back in my taxi and get going.
于是，我開始找那個孩子。我決定給他20元，以鼓勵他付出的努力，以及表現出來的進取精神。當我發現他的時候，他已經在我前面很遠的地方了，正雙手插在衣服口袋里，耷拉著腦袋，穿過人群向遠處走去。我沒法去追他。我后面的出租車正不停地按著喇叭，而且車上的司機們正沖我叫罵著，讓我把車挪開。而且，交警正向我揮手示意，讓我回到我車上，把車開走。
The kid was walking the opposite way. By the time I got the cab turned around I lost sight of him. All I could do was pound my fist on the steering wheel. I never saw him again.
那個孩子正朝相反的方向走去。當我掉頭把車子轉過來的時候，他已經從我的視線中消失了。我能做的只是重重地把拳頭砸在方向盤上。從此我再也沒見過他。
Over time I have thought about that kid. I thought I would like to find him one day and tell him that if only he had stuck around a little longer I would have given him a whole $20 instead of the lousy quarter he was after, because I was so struck by his spirit.
隨著時間的過去，我經常會回想起那個孩子的事情。我希望有一天會找到他，告訴他如果他再多呆一會兒，我就會給他整整20元，而不是那可憐的25分，因為我被他的精神打動了。
After 30 years I realized that maybe I learned an important lesson from this kid. And maybe I am supposed to pass it along.
30年后，我意識到也許我從這個孩子身上學到了一些很重要的東西。也許我應該把它們傳播給更多的人。
When things seem so hopeless that you are ready to give up, that is the time when things are most likely to turn around for you. One day we will all be recognized for how we tried. Not necessarily for what we did. So don't ever let up on, or walk away from integrity, then you will be rewarded.
當事情看起來如此絕望，以至于你已做好放棄的準備時，也是事情最有可能向你有利的方向轉變的時候。終究有一天，我們會得到別人的認可，是因為我們怎樣去嘗試的，而并不一定是因為我們做了什么。所以，永遠不要放棄，也不要偏離誠實正直的道路，如此以往，我們終將得到回報。