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She was kind of elderly, so it felt like it took her a long time to reach the front.
她有點上了年紀，所以感覺她花了很長時間才走到前排。
When she did, she carefully folded her money, put it into the box, scanned the congregation,
她小心翼翼地把錢折好，放進盒子里，掃視著會眾，
found me, and said, “My grandson brought a friend with him from Denver.
找到了我，說：“我孫子從丹佛帶來了一個朋友。
His name is Alistair, and he is from the Eastern Shawnee Tribe. But he is a very nice person.
他的名字叫阿利斯泰爾，來自東部肖尼部落。但他是一個非常好的人。
Alistair, I would like you to come up here and sing us a Special.”
阿利斯泰爾，我想請你上來給我們唱一首特別的歌。”
I immediately began making shy “no” gestures and grinning, kind of the way my dog does when he’s eaten another sofa cushion.
我立刻害羞地做了個“不”的手勢，咧著嘴笑，有點像我的狗吃了另一個沙發墊時的樣子。
But there was an old man behind me patting me on the back, saying, “Go on up there and sing, son.
但我身后的一位老人拍著我的背說：“孩子，過來唱吧。”
I can tell by looking at you that you are a singer.”
我一看你就知道你是個歌手。”
That was the moment that I realized how true the old adage is that looks can be deceiving.
那一刻，我意識到那句古老的格言是多么的正確：外表是可以欺騙人的。
But my friend had grabbed me by the arm and was guiding me over his knees in the narrow pew.
但我的朋友抓住我的胳膊，領著我從狹窄的長凳上越過他的膝蓋。
He said, “Grandma’s going to be so happy.” And the next thing I knew, I was out in the center aisle,
他說：“奶奶會很高興的。“接下來我所知道的就是，我已經走到中間的過道上了，
and it almost felt like there was some invisible force propelling me toward the front of the church.
就好像有一種看不見的力量把我推向教堂的前面。
It could have been God. And I was hoping that, if it was God, when I reached the microphone,
也可能是上帝。我希望，如果是上帝的話，當我拿到麥克風時，
God would choose that moment to work a super-big miracle and make it so that I could sing—and that I knew any hymns at all.
上帝會選擇這個時刻創造一個超級大的奇跡，讓我能夠唱歌——我能唱出任何贊美詩。
I reached the microphone. I waited.
我拿到了麥克風。我在等著。
It didn’t seem like any big miracles were imminent, but I told myself it was going to be OK.
看起來似乎沒有什么大的奇跡即將出現，但我告訴自己一切都會好起來的。
I did have some stage and singing experience.
我確實有一些舞臺和唱歌的經驗。
It was back in the ’90s, when I lived in San Francisco and I was in a Goth band called the Flesh Orchids.
那是在90年代，我住在舊金山，當時我在一個叫“果肉蘭花”的哥特樂隊。
