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Gretchen's Surprise
格雷琴的驚喜
When people come to America, they are often homesick, because things are not the same as in their own land.
人們來到美國的時候，往往會思念家鄉，因為這里的一切與他們家鄉不同。
In this story a wonderful Christmas surprise made a homesick little girl very happy.
在這則故事中，一份奇妙的圣誕節禮物讓一個思鄉的小姑娘非常高興。
The Empty Shoes
空空的鞋子
It was almost Christmas time, when one of the great ships that sail across the sea came to America.
一艘巨輪漂洋過海來到美國的時候差不多快到圣誕節了。
It brought a little girl named Gretchen, who had come with her father and mother to find a new home in our land.
它帶來了一個名叫格雷琴的小姑娘，小姑娘跟隨父母來到我們的大陸尋找一個新家。
Gretchen knew all about the story of Christmas.
格雷琴對圣誕節的故事了如指掌。
She had heard it over and over in her home across the sea.
她在大洋彼岸的家里聽過遍又一遍。
Every year she had placed her shoes in the garden so that Rupert could fill them.
每年她都會把她的鞋子放在花園里，這樣魯伯特就能把鞋子塞滿東西。
For, in her country, children believe that Santa Claus has a helper named Rupert,
因為在她的國家里，孩子們相信圣誕老人有一個名叫魯伯特的助手，
who comes each night at Christmas time to fill their wooden shoes with candy and nuts.
每到圣誕節的夜晚，他都會過來，用糖果和堅果塞滿他們的木鞋。
When Gretchen was coming across the ocean, she wondered what Christmas in the new country would be like.
當格雷琴漂洋過海的時候，她想知道這個新國家的圣誕節會是什么樣子。
She wondered still more, when she reached a great city and went with her mother and father to a little room in a boarding-house.
當她到了一個大城市，和她的父母來到個寄宿小屋的時候，她更困惑了。
Gretchen did not like the boarding-house; she could not feel at home there.
格雷琴不喜歡寄宿的地方，她在那里找不到家的感覺。
But worst of all, her father became sick the day after they reached the big city.
而且最糟糕的是，他們到達這座大城市的第二天，她的父親就病倒了。
