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A string of bad things kept the writer's family from thinking positively. However, a flower from an American sailor in a far from ideal restaurant brought cheers and joy to their hearts, and led to a chain reaction which warmed the hearts of all those present on Christmas Eve. Read the following text to find out more about how a positive small gesture can start a benevolent circle of a warm relationship even among strangers.
一連串不順心的事情讓作者的一家人陷入消極的狀態。然而，在一家很不理想的餐館，一位美國水手送來的鮮花給他們帶來了歡呼和喜悅，這一舉動引起了連鎖反應，圣誕節前夜，在場的所有人的心都被溫暖了。閱讀下面的文章，找出一個不起眼的善意舉動是如何開啟人與人甚至是與陌生人之間的人際關系的。
A Sailor's Christmas Gift
水手的圣誕禮物
by William J. Lederer
威廉·J·萊德勒
Last year at Christmas time my wife, three boys, and I were in France, on our way from Paris to Nice. For five wretched days everything had gone wrong. Our hotels were "tourist traps"; our rented car broke down; we were all restless and irritable in the crowded car. On Christmas Eve, when we checked into a shabby hotel in Nice, there was no Christmas spirit in our hearts.
去年圣誕期間，我、妻子和三個兒子在法國，從巴黎前往尼斯。一連五天都很倒霉，沒有一件事順心。入住的旅館盡是些“宰客的黑店”，租用的汽車也壞了，一家人擠在車上，個個顯得煩躁不安。圣誕節前夜，我們住進了尼斯一家邋遢的旅店，心里沒有半點圣誕節的感覺。
It was raining and cold when we went out to eat. We found a boring looking little joint carelessly decorated for the holiday. It smelled greasy. Only five tables in the restaurant were occupied. There were two German couples, two French families, and an American sailor, by himself. In the corner a piano player monotonously played Christmas music.
我們外出就餐時，天正下著雨，天氣寒冷。我們找到了一家小餐館，這小店看著很乏味，只是隨便裝飾了一下來應節。餐館散發著一股油膩的味道。里面只有五張桌子坐了人：兩對德國夫婦，兩戶法國家庭和一名獨自用餐的美國水手。在餐廳的一個角落里，鋼琴師在無精打采地彈奏著圣誕樂曲。
