Carl's garden
卡爾的花園

Carl was a quiet, lonely man. Even after living in our neighbourhood for over 50 years, no one could really say they knew him very well. Yet he would always greet you with a big smile and a firm handshake.
卡爾是一位安靜、孤獨的老者。他在我們社區居住了50多年，卻沒人敢說真正了解他。但每當他跟你打招呼時，他總會露出燦爛的笑容，并緊緊地握住你的手。
When he saw a flyer at our local church asking for volunteers for caring for the gardens behind the minister's residence, he responded in his characteristic manner. Without fanfare, he just signed up. He was well into his 87th year when the thing we had always feared finally happened.
當他在我們當地的教堂看到了征集照料牧師住所后花園志愿者的宣傳單時，他便以他特有的方式做出了回應——直接去報了名，一點兒沒有聲張。可是，他到了87歲高齡時，我們一直擔心的事情終于還是發生了……
He was just finishing his watering for the day when three gang members approached him. Ignoring their attempt to intimidate him, he simply asked, "Would you like a drink from the hose?"
這天，正在他剛剛為花園澆完水時，三個年輕人走近他。他完全沒有在意這三個人威嚇他的企圖，只是問道：“你們想用澆花的管子喝點兒水嗎？”
The tallest and toughest-looking of the three said, "Yeah, sure," with a malevolent little smile. As Carl offered the hose to him, the other two grabbed Carl's arm, throwing him down. As he was lying there, Carl's assailants stole his retirement watch and his wallet, and then fled.
三個人中長得最高、最兇的那個說：“是的，當然”，臉上帶著惡意的微笑。當卡爾遞給他們水管時，另兩個人抓住卡爾的手臂，將他摔倒在地。他躺在地上時，這三個家伙偷了他的退休紀念手表和錢包，然后逃走了。
Carl tried to get himself up, but he had been thrown down on his bad leg. The minister came running to help him. "Carl, are you okay? Are you hurt?" the minister asked as he helped Carl to his feet.
卡爾試圖讓自己站起來，但他的那條壞腿實在用不上力氣，又倒了下來。牧師跑來幫他?！翱枺銢]事吧？你受傷了嗎？”牧師邊問，邊幫他站了起來。

Carl just passed a hand over his brow and sighed, shaking his head." Just some punk kids. I hope they'll wise-up someday." He picked up the hose and adjusted the nozzle again and started to water. “I’ve got to finish my watering. It's been very dry lately," he said calmly.
卡爾用一只手擦了擦額頭，嘆了一口氣，搖著頭說：“只是幾個年輕無知的孩子，我希望他們有朝一日能夠懂事些?！彼闷鹚?，重新調整了一下噴嘴，開始繼續澆水?！拔业猛瓿晌业臐菜蝿铡Ｗ罱鞖庖恢焙芨稍??！彼届o地說道。
A few weeks later the three returned. Their threat was unchanged. Carl again offered them a drink from his hose. This time they didn't rob him, but wrenched the hose from his hand and drenched him head to foot in the icy water. When they had finished their humiliation of him, they sauntered off down the street, falling over one another laughing at the hilarity of what they had just done. Carl just watched them. Then he turned toward the warmth giving sun, picked up his hose, and went on with his watering.
幾個星期后，那三年輕人又回來了。他們又是來威嚇這位老人家的。卡爾還是讓他們用水管喝水。但這次，他們并沒有搶卡爾的東西，而是從他的手中搶過水管，用冰冷的水將他從頭到腳澆濕。當他們完成了對卡爾的羞辱后，便沿著街道揚長而去了，競相著為他們剛剛所做的事情帶來的快樂而大笑著。卡爾只是看著他們，然后轉向溫暖的陽光，拿起水管，繼續澆水。
The summer was quickly fading into fall. Carl was doing some tilling when felt someone was approaching him from behind. He turned to see the tall leader of his summer tormentors. He braced himself for the expected attack.
夏天很快過去，秋天到來了。這天，當卡爾正在耕地時，感覺到身后有人靠近自己。他轉過身來，看到了夏天折磨過他的那三個年輕人中高個兒的頭兒。此時，卡爾已經做好了再一次被他攻擊的心理準備。
"Don't worry old man, I'm not gonna hurt you this time." The young man spoke softly, offering a tattooed and scarred hand to Carl. Then, pulled a crumpled bag from his pocket and handed it to Carl.
“老先生，您別擔心。這次我不會傷害您?！边@個男孩輕輕地說，同時將一只帶有紋身和傷疤的手伸向卡爾。然后，從他的衣袋里掏出一個皺巴巴的袋子，遞給了卡爾。
"What's this?" Carl asked. "It's your stuff," the man explained. "It's your stuff back. Even the money in your wallet." "I don't understand," Carl said. "Why would you help me now?" “
這是什么？”卡爾問道。“這是您的東西，”男孩解釋說，“我把您的東西還回來了，包括錢包里的錢?！薄拔也幻靼?，”卡爾說，“你為什么現在要幫我？”
The man seemed embarrassed and ill at ease. "I learned something from you," he said. "I ran with that gang and hurt people like you. We picked you because you were old and we knew we could do it. But you never showed any hate to us for hating you." He stopped for a moment.
男孩看上去非常尷尬和不安?！拔覐哪砩蠈W到了一些東西，”他說?！拔腋菐腿艘黄鸹欤瑢ｉT傷害像您這樣的人。我們選擇您，是因為您年紀比較大，我們知道我們能夠得手。但是，您從來沒有因為我們討厭您而表現出對我們的憎恨。”他停了片刻。
"I couldn't sleep after we stole your stuff, so here it is back. That bag's my way of saying thanks for straightening me out, I guess." And with that, he walked off down the street.
“我們偷了您的東西后，我無法入睡，所以我把東西還回來了。我想，這個袋子就是我向您表達感謝的方式，感謝您幫助我回到了正道?！比缓?，男孩便沿著街道離開了。
Carl opened the sack and took out his retirement watch and put it back on his wrist. Opening his wallet, he checked for his wedding photo. He gazed for a moment at the young bride who still smiled back at him from all those years ago.
卡爾打開袋子，取出他的退休紀念手表，戴回手腕上。然后，打開他的錢包，看著自己的結婚照。他凝視了一會兒照片上年輕的新娘，跨越幾十年的時空，她仍然對他微笑著。
He died one cold day after Christmas that winter. Many people attended his funeral. The minister noticed a tall young man with tattooed hands who he didn't know, sitting quietly in a distant corner of the church.
那年冬天圣誕節后的一個寒冷的日子里，卡爾去世了。許多人參加了他的葬禮。牧師注意到一個他不認識的手上有紋身且身材高大的年輕人，安靜地坐在教堂的一個偏僻角落里。
The following spring another flyer went up. It read: "Person needed to care for Carl's garden." It took a while, but then one day a knock was heard at the minister's office door.
來年的春天，教堂里又貼出了一份宣傳單，上面寫道：“招募負責照料卡爾花園的人士。”有一段時間，這份宣傳單無人問津。直到有一天，牧師辦公室的門口傳來了敲門聲……
Opening the door, the minister saw a pair of scarred and tattooed hands holding the flyer. "I believe this is my job, if you'll have me," the young man said. The minister didn't hesitate and gave him the keys to the garden shed.
打開門，牧師看到一雙帶有傷疤和紋身的手里拿著那份宣傳單?！拔蚁嘈胚@份工作應該屬于我，如果您接受我的話?！蹦贻p人說道。牧師毫不猶豫地把花園棚屋的鑰匙交給了他。
The man went to work and, over the next several years, he tended the flowers and vegetables just as Carl had done. He went to college, got married, and became a prominent member of the community. And he kept the garden as beautiful as he thought Carl would have kept it.
從那以后，這個年輕人就接過了照料卡爾花園的任務，并且在接下來的幾年里，一直像老卡爾一樣照料著花園里的花和蔬菜。后來，他上了大學，結了婚，成為了這個社區的優秀成員。他將這個花園照料得非常好，就如同他認為老卡爾會做的那樣。