I was shopping at a department store and had just boarded the down escalator when I noticed a woman standing to the side. She looked about 65, and her expression told me she was scared.
我到一家百貨商店買(mǎi)東西，就在我踏上自動(dòng)扶梯剛要下樓時(shí)，突然注意到扶梯邊站著一位婦女。她看上去差不多有65歲，從她臉上的表情可以看出她很害怕。
I turned toward her and asked, " Do you need help?"
于是我轉(zhuǎn)向她問(wèn)道：“需要幫忙嗎?”
As the escalator continued moving I heard the woman reply softly, " I’m afraid." There was a hint of incredulity in her voice.
自動(dòng)扶梯載著我向下移動(dòng)著，我只聽(tīng)到她用低低的聲音回答："我很怕。"聲音中流露出一絲遲疑。
" Want me to come back and get you?" I called to her. She nodded. But by the time I reached her, the woman had reconsidered. " I don’t think I can do it," she said.
“要我回來(lái)幫你嗎？”我沖著她叫道，她點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭。我又回到了樓上，可老人卻改變了主意。“我不行?！彼f(shuō)。
I was suddenly aware that I had made a far greater investment than I expected." I know we can do it," I said. " I can hold on to you." She looked down at the beast.
直到這時(shí)，我才突然意識(shí)到這件事并不像我原想的那樣簡(jiǎn)單?！拔覀兡苄?，”我說(shuō)，“我會(huì)攙扶著你?！?/strong>
Then her eyes came back to mine, looking doubtful. " This has never happened to me before," she said, as much to herself as to me. I felt that her sudden fear had to do with the escalator’s mechanical nature, its basic inhuman untrustworthiness.
她低下頭，看著那個(gè)龐然大物，隨后她轉(zhuǎn)回來(lái)，看著我，目光中滿是疑慮；“我以前從未遇到過(guò)這種情況?！彼f(shuō)道，既像是在對(duì)我，又像是在自言自語(yǔ)。
I took her arm. " Shall we?" She made a little sound of alarm as we stepped on, but we’d passed the point of no return. She relaxed slightly as the stairs moved us downward." I don’t understand this at all," she said. As we neared the bottom, her grip tightened again, but we did fine." I’m so grateful..." she began." It was nothing," I said. " I was happy to do it."
我覺(jué)得老人這種突如其來(lái)的恐懼與自動(dòng)扶梯的機(jī)械性質(zhì)有關(guān)--它歸根結(jié)底是非人性的東西，很難給人以安全感。我拉起她的胳臂，問(wèn)道：“可以嗎？”我們邁上扶梯時(shí)，她輕輕地尖叫了一聲。然而，既然我們已踏上了扶梯，也就不能再回頭了?！≈钡椒鎏葺d著我們下行了一段，她才略微放松下來(lái)?！拔乙稽c(diǎn)也不明白這種東西，”她說(shuō)。我們接近扶梯底部時(shí)，她又一次緊緊抓住我，但我們順利走下了扶梯?！拔也恢趺粗x你才好……”她開(kāi)口說(shuō)道?！斑@沒(méi)什么，”我說(shuō)，“我很高興這樣做?！?/strong>
Happy, yes. I do very little to help others. I am busy caring for a family and working full time. For a brief moment, I had a flash of insight into why someone would become a nurse or a social worker or a minister. When I helped the woman, I felt pure and whole, purposeful. It was a happier moment than I’d had in weeks.
我很高興，的確如此。平時(shí)我很少幫助別人，整日忙于工作和照顧家庭。就在這一剎那，我突然明白了。
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