像那样的一个哥哥

每到圣诞节前夕，孩子们都会精心准备一些礼物，和其他小朋友交换，大家都很期待自己会得到什么样的礼物。但是，有些小孩子却买不起圣诞礼物，但是他们有很美好的愿望，他们的愿望不是想为自己争取什么，而是想要送给别人什么……

My friend Paul received an automobile[汽车] from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office， a boy was walking around the shiny new car， admiring[欣赏] it. Seeing Paul coming， the boy asked， “Is this your car， sir？” Paul nodded and said， “My brother gave it to me for Christmas.” The boy was surprised and said， “You mean your brother gave it to you and it didnt cost you anything？ Oh， I wish…” He hesitated[犹豫].

Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the boy said surprised Paul all the way down to his heels[脚后跟]. “I wish，” the boy went on， “That I could be a brother like that.” Paul looked at the boy in astonishment[惊愕] and then he added， “Would you like to take a ride in my car？” “Oh yes， Id love that.”

After a short ride， the boy turned with his eyes aglow[发亮的]， saying， “Sir， would you mind driving in front of my house？” Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the boy wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again.

“Will you stop in front of those two steps？” the boy asked. Paul stopped there and the boy got off the automobile and ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back， but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled[跛脚的]brother.

The boy sat his brother down on the first step， then held his brother tightly and pointed to the car. The boy said， “There it is， Buddy， just like I told you upstairs. Pauls brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didnt cost him a cent. And some day Im going to give you one just like it… then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that Ive been trying to tell you about.”

Paul got out and lifted the crippled boy to the back seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him. The three of them began a memorable[令人难忘的] holiday ride. That Christmas Eve， Paul learned what Jesus meant when he said， “It is more blessed to give…”

圣诞节时，保罗的哥哥送他一辆新车。圣诞夜当天，保罗离开办公室时，一个男孩绕着那辆闪闪发亮的新车欣赏它。看到保罗走过来，男孩问：“先生，这是你的车？”保罗点点头并说道：“这是我哥哥送给我的圣诞节礼物。”男孩满脸惊讶地说：“你是说这是你哥哥送你的礼物，没花你一分钱？天哪，我真希望……”他犹豫着。

保罗当然知道男孩希望什么。他希望能有一个像那样的哥哥。但是小男孩接下来说的话却完全出乎了保罗的意料。“我希望，”男孩继续说道，“我能成为送车给弟弟的哥哥。”保罗惊愕地看着那男孩，冲口而出地说：“你要不要坐我的车去兜风？”“哦，当然好了，我太想坐了！”

车开了一小段路后，那孩子转过头来，眼睛闪闪发亮，对我说：“先生，你能不能把车子开到我家门前？”保罗微笑着，他知道孩子想干什么。那男孩必定是要向邻居炫耀，让大家知道他坐了一部大轿车回家。但是这次保罗又猜错了。

“你能不能把车子停在那两个台阶前？”男孩问。保罗在那儿停下来，男孩下车后跑上了阶梯，过了一会儿保罗听到他回来了，但动作似乎有些缓慢。原来把他跛脚的弟弟带出来了。

男孩将弟弟安置在第一个台阶上，紧紧地抱着他，指着那辆新车。男孩说：“巴迪，这就是我刚才在楼上对你说的那辆新车。这是保罗的哥哥送给他的圣诞礼物，而且没有花他一分钱。将来我也会送给你一辆像这样的车，到那时候你就能自己去看那些在圣诞节时，挂在窗口上的漂亮饰品了，就像我告诉过你的那样。”

保罗走下车子，把跛脚男孩抱到车子的后座。兴奋得满眼放光的哥哥也爬上车子，坐在弟弟的身旁。就这样他们三人开始了一次令人难忘的假日兜风。那个圣诞夜，保罗才真正体会到耶稣所说的“施比受更有福”的道理。