On Christmas Eve

张敏

A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile from his brother as Christmas pres- ent. On Christmas eve， when Paul came out of his office， a street urchin was looking around the shining new car， admiring it.

“Is this your car， Mister？”he said.

Paul nodded，“My brother gave it to me for Christmas.”

The boy was astounded，“You mean your brother gave it to you， and didn t cost you any- thing？”

“Boy， I wish...”he hesitated.

Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he has a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred Paull all the way down his heels.

“I wish，”the boy went on，“that I could be a brother like that.”

Paul looked at the boy in astonishment， then inpulsivly he added，“Would you like to take a ride in my car？”

“Oh， yes. Id love that.”

After a short ride， the boy turned his eyes aglow， said，“Mister， would you mind driving in front of my house？”

Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbours that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again.

“Would you stop at those with two steps？” the boy asked.

He ran up stairs. Then in a little while， Paul heard him coming back， but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He set him down on the bottom step. Then a sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.

“There she is， buddy， just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and didnt cost him a cent. And some day， Im gonna give you one just like it. Then you can see for yourself all the prettiest things in the windows that I was trying to tell you about.”

Paul got off and lifted the lad into the front of his car. The shinning eyed old brother crimbed in beside him. And three of them began a memorable holiday ride.

That Christmas eve， Paul learned what Jesus meant， when he said，“It is more blessed to give than to receive...”

圣诞之夜

我有个朋友，保罗，在圣诞节那天收到 了一份来自他哥哥的礼物，一辆轿车。在圣 诞前夜，当保罗从他的办公室走出来时，一 个街头顽童正圍着他的新车打转地看，非常 羡慕。

“这是您的汽车吗，先生？”他说。

保罗点了点头，“我哥哥给我的圣诞礼物。

小男孩惊呆了，“你是说你哥哥给你的，不用花你一分钱？”

“兄弟，我希望……”他迟疑了。

保罗当然清楚他希望什么，他希望他也有个那样的哥哥。但这个小家伙说的话，使保罗大吃了一惊。

“我希望，”小男孩继续说道，“我可以做一个那样的哥哥。”

保罗惊奇地看着小男孩，然后激动地说了句，“你想不想做我的车去兜兜风？”

“哦，想！我喜欢！”

跑了一小段路后，小男孩兴奋地说道， “先生，您可以把车开到我家门前吗？”

保罗微微一笑 。他觉得他知道这个小家伙想要干什么，他想要向他的邻居炫耀他可以坐一辆大汽车回家 。但是，保罗又一次想错了。

“ 您可以在那有两个台阶的房子前停下吗？”小男孩问道。

他跑着上楼去了 。然后一小会儿，保罗  听到他回来的脚步声，但他没再用跑的了。 保罗看见他正搀扶着他的跛脚的弟弟，他扶  着他坐在最底层的台阶上，然后拥抱着他， 指着这部车。

“ 小弟，那就是我在楼上跟你说的那部  车 。他哥哥给他的圣诞礼物，不用花他一分  钱 。将来某天我也要给你一部像那样的车， 那样你就可以自己去看我以前尽力想让你  知道的那些窗边的圣诞饰品了。”

保罗下车把跛脚的小孩抱上了车的前座，他的眼睛水灵灵的哥哥爬上了车，坐到了他旁边 。 然后他们三个开始一段令人难忘的旅程。

那个圣诞前夜，保罗收获了很多，他真正体会了耶稣所说的那句话，“施舍比接受更有福……”