The Last Wish in a Winter Night
冬夜里的最后心愿
Kent was a manger of a cement agency. His establishment nearly had gone bankrupt because one of his inferiors betrayed him. He lost his tongue in reality. Just now Kent had made a presentation to the board in the chamber, conceding the failure of his administration. He had temporarily stopped the provision of cement in all projects.
肯特是一位水泥經銷部的經理。由于下屬的背叛,他的公司已經瀕臨破產。在事實面前他無力辯駁。剛才在會議室里,肯特已經向公司董事會作了報告,承認自己的失誤,并且暫時停止了所有工程的水泥供應。
It was a cold winter midnight. In corridor, the thermometer suspended showed the temperature was minus 9 degrees centigrade. The tragedy blurred Kent's mind, so he steered to a bar alone. He wanted nothing but to drink liquor tonight.
當時正值寒冷冬季的深夜。走廊里的溫度計顯示為零下9度。想著生意慘敗,肯特情緒低落,獨自驅車駛往一家酒吧。他打算今晚一醉方休。
There were few people in the street. Suddenly, a figure of an old madam exposed within his eyesight. She was standing sideways nearby a platform, dressed in a plain gown, wore a woolen scarf, hauling a portable suitcase, and holding with a plastic bag in the other hand. The slight old lady was seemingly more than 80. She was trembling in cutting wind with red nose. Now she kept motioning to Kent for a ride. Although Kent was somewhat angry about the old madam's disturbing and he wasn't induced at all to inquire any occurrence concerning her, he wouldn't like to leave her in the cold night. He thought that she presumably needed help. So he braked near her.
大街上空無一人。突然,在車子前方出現了一個老婦人側身站在站臺旁,拖著一個便攜式的行李箱,提著一個塑料袋。老人看上去已有80多歲,她穿著長袍,圍著一條羊毛圍巾,瘦弱的身軀,鼻子通紅,站在寒風中瑟瑟發抖。此時,她不停地向肯特的車子招手。盡管肯特有些懊惱,也無心理會老人身上發生了什么 ,但不忍把她丟在這寒夜中。肯特想老人可能需要幫助。于是,他剎車停在了老人的面前。

The madam pointed her wallet and said, "Would you please take me a ride? I can offer double fare…"
老人說:“先生,您可不可以載我一程?我給你雙倍的車費……”
Kent interrupted her, "I will charge you nothing! Come on!"
肯特趕忙打斷老人的話,說:“不用車費。快上車吧!”
The madam pointed her luggage (baggage) and said, "Could you put them into the car?"
老人又指了指地上的行李:“你可不可以幫我把它們放到車里?”
Kent stooped, heaved and put them in the car.
肯特忙彎腰用力提起箱子和塑料袋,放進了車里。
They proceeded to drive. Kent halted at a petroleum station where he wanted to purchase gallons of gasoline. During the interval they waited in a queue, the madam began with her narratives, "Could you please send me to the charity house in suburb, I want to give them the luggage. I had been rendered help as a refugee there 50 years ago." Kent was confused about the identity and behavior of the madam, so he asked, "Why do you do this at midnight?" The madam replied, "I retired on a pension. They prohibit (forbid) me from coming out during the day. In the case are the surplus jackets, jeans and pants of my nephews and nieces."
他們上路繼續向前行駛。肯特路過一家加油站,在加油站排隊等候的時候,老人打開了話匣子,“你可不可以先送我到市郊的濟貧院去,我要把這些包裹送過去。50年前我曾得到過濟貧院的救濟呢!”肯特對老人的身份和行為充滿迷惑,說:“您為什么要選擇半夜送過去呢?”老人緩緩地說:“我現在退休了,白天他們不允許我出來,箱子里是我侄子和侄女們穿剩下的夾克、牛仔褲和褲子。”
After 2 hours' bump, Kent went out the entry of the charity house. They continued.
兩個小時的顛簸后,肯特他們走出了濟貧院的大門。他繼續按照老人指的路線前進。
"Please wait a moment, Sir!" The madam said suddenly, fixed her eyesight on an old building. "You know the first house in the uppermost storey was the first home my husband and I leased (rented) where I dialed the up-to-date videophone the first time in my life. The landlord was a good guy." She burst into tears, "Now they've all gone to the heaven." Kent realized the madam was recalling a section (segment) of the good missing days. A penetrating feeling overwhelmed him, and he decided to cancel his plan and stay with the old madam.
“先生,請停一停。”老人突然說。這時,她的視線透過車窗久久地停留在了街邊一幢破舊的大樓上。“您知道嗎,這幢樓頂層的第一間,那是我和丈夫曾經租住的第一間房啊!房東是個好人。那里是我終生第一次使用可視電話的地方!”這時,老人久久凝視的目光中有淚光閃爍。“但是現在,他們都先后離開了我,去了天堂。”肯特這才明白,老人是在追憶昔日的美好時光。他被震撼了,決定放下一切,陪著老人。
As the old madam dictated, they went to a golf playground. The region, she said, was a dairy dozens of years ago. Everyday she went to the farm with sleeve covers, cushion, jar, towel and other auxiliary appliances. Her main work was to squeeze, transport and distribute milk. She also bred the cow sometimes.
接著,他按照老人的要求到了一個高爾夫球場旁邊。老人說這里幾十年前曾是一個牛奶場。她每天帶著袖套、坐墊、罐子、毛巾和其他輔助用具去牛奶場。她的主要工作是擠牛奶、運送并分發牛奶,有時也去飼養奶牛。
Then the old madam instructed, "Please send me to the rest home in the town, sir." Hearing this, Kent pulsed quickly. He knew the rest home was prescribed for the cancer patients who were diagnosed without any remedy."
“先生,我有些累了,您還是送我去市區的療養院吧。”老人說。肯特心頭一陣驚悸。他知道市中心療養院是專門收留無法救治的絕癥病人的地方。
"I will soon die of liver cancer. I come out to say goodbye to my life. Now I will have no regrets before death. Thanks for your help!" The madam made an explanation with smile, walking into a timber room. Kent was dumb for a while. He was chewing what the madam said, happily thinking of her life without any regrets.
“我得了肝癌,我的時間已經不多了。這次,我是偷偷地從療養院溜出來的。因為,我很想親自向過去的一切告別。這樣,在我人生結束的時候就沒有遺憾了。非常感謝你的幫助!”老人微笑著解釋,走進療養院的木房子里。肯特一時無語,他想著老人的話,感到欣慰,因為老人的內心真的沒有遺憾了。