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His wife, Carol, was cooking a pot roast when we walked into the kitchen. A seventh-grade science teacher, she was the picture of Southern charm.
我們走進廚房時，他的妻子卡蘿爾正在燉牛肉塊。她是一名七年級的科學課老師，簡直就是南方魅力的化身。
Baxter explained that local folks were "mountain stay-at-home people", and he considered himself one of them. "We rarely entertain in our house," he said. "When we do, it's usually kin." The revelation made my night there all the more special.
巴克斯特解釋說，當地人是“喜歡待在家里的山里人”，他覺得自己也是這么一個人。“我們很少在家里招待客人，”他說，“招待的話，一般是親戚。”他的這番透露讓我那一夜變得更加不同尋常。
The next morning when I came downstairs, Carol asked if I'd come to her school and talk to her class about my trip. I told her I didn't want to encourage a bunch of seventh-graders to hitchhike across the United States. But Carol said the kids should be exposed to what else is out there -- the good and the bad. "They need to know," she said.
第二天我下樓時，卡蘿爾問我愿不愿意去學校跟她班上的孩子們談談我的旅行。我告訴她我可不想慫恿一幫七年級的孩子去搭便車游遍美國，但卡蘿爾說孩子們應該接觸到外面的世界是什么樣子包括好的一面和壞的一面。“他們需要了解真相，”她說。
I agreed, and before long had been scheduled to talk to every class in the school. All the kids were well-mannered and attentive. Their questions kept coming: Where were people the kindest? How many pairs of shoes did I have? Had anybody tried to run me over? Were the pigs' feet as good in other parts of the country? Had I fallen in love with anyone? What was I most afraid of?
我同意了。沒過多久，我就被安排給學校每個班講話。所有的孩子都彬彬有禮而且聚精會神。他們的問題不斷冒出來：哪兒的人們最友善？我穿壞過多少雙鞋？有沒有人試圖軋死我？別的地方的豬腳也這么好吃嗎？我有沒有愛上過誰？我最害怕的是什么？
Although I hadn't planned it this way, I discovered that a patriotic tone ran through the talks I gave that afternoon. I told the students how my faith in America had been renewed. I told them how proud I was to live in a country where people were still willing to help out a stranger. I told them that the question I had in mind when I planned the trip was clearly answered. Indeed, no matter who you are, you can still depend on the kindness of strangers.
盡管我并沒有打算這么做，我發現愛國主義的語調貫穿了那天下午的講話。我告訴學生們，我對美利堅的信念如何重新燃起了。我告訴他們，生活在一個人們仍然愿意幫助陌生人的國度里，我有多么自豪。我告訴他們，我當初計劃這次旅行時腦子里的問題已經得到明確的解答。的確，不管你是誰，你仍然可以依賴陌生人的善意。
