英语励志短文:奇迹的价格(A Brother's Miracle)

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8岁的特丝是个懂事的孩子。一天,她听到父母在谈论弟弟安德鲁,她知道弟弟病得很严重,但家里已拿不出来看病。他们下个月就要搬到混合公寓去住了,因为父亲已无钱支付医生的帐单和住房的花消。弟弟得做手术,但高昂的手术费却无力制服,似乎也无人肯借钱给他们。特丝听到父亲极其绝望地哭着对母亲说,"现在只有奇迹可以挽救安德鲁。"

 

特丝回到卧室,找出藏在壁橱里的果冻罐子,倒出里面所有的零钱,摊在地板上。她仔细数了三遍,结果都一样,也不可能出错。她小心翼翼地把硬币放回罐子,拧紧盖子,然后从后门出去,奔向六个街区外的药店,那家店门上嵌有一个大大的红色印第安酋长标志。

特丝耐心地等待着药剂师,但此刻他实在太忙了,没有注意到她。特丝用脚摩擦着地面,发出很大的响声,但仍然没人答理。她郁闷地咳了两声,还是没人理睬

 

最后,她从果冻罐子里摸出一枚25美分的硬币,"砰"地一声把硬币放到了玻璃柜台上。果然有效。"噢。你想要什么?"药剂师不耐烦地问。接着又说:"我弟弟刚从芝加哥回来,我在和他聊天呢!我们已经有好几年没有见面了。"他只是随口一问,并不等特丝答话。 


"恩,我想和你谈谈我弟弟。"特丝同样有点不耐烦地回答他,"他真的病得非常,非常严重。。。。。。我想买一个奇迹。" 

 "什么?"药剂师问

“他叫安德鲁,脑子里长了一个坏东西。爸爸说现在只有奇迹才能救得了他。一个奇迹要多少钱呢?" 

 "小丫头,我们不卖奇迹,抱歉,我帮不了你。"药剂师说,声音柔和了点儿。 

"你听我说,我有钱。要是不够,我再回去拿。你只要告诉我一个奇迹的价格。" 

药剂师的弟弟很富有。他弯下腰,问小女孩:"你弟弟需要什么样的奇迹呢?" 

"我不知道,"特丝哭了起来,"我只知道他病得很重,妈妈说得动手术,可是爸爸没有钱,所以我想用自己的钱。" 

"你有多少钱?"那个从芝加哥来的人问道。"1美元11美分。"特丝的声音低得几乎听不见,"这是我所有的钱,不过需要的话我还可以再去拿。"

 

“噢,太巧了,”那人笑了,“你弟弟需要的奇迹刚好值1美元11美分。”

他接过小女孩的钱,拉着她的手,说:“到我去你家,我要看看你弟弟,见见你父母,看看我这儿有没有你需要的奇迹。” 

 

这个衣着体面的人是神经外科医生,叫卡尔顿·阿姆斯特朗。他免费给安德鲁做了手术,不久安得鲁就回家了,身体恢复得很好。 

 

之后,特丝的父母开心地谈到过去,发生了一连串的事才让她们有了今天。“那天的手术,”母亲小声说道,“的确是个奇迹,我真想知道那得花多少钱。”
 
特丝笑了,她知道奇迹的准确价格是——1美元11美分,还有一个孩子坚定的信念。
 
一个小女孩的信念
 
A Brother's Miracle
 
 
Tess was a precocious eight-year-old girl when she heard her Mom and Dad talking about her little brother, Andrew. All she knew was that he was very sick and they were completely out of money.
 
They were moving to an apartment complex next month because Daddy didn't have the money for the doctor's bills and our house.
 
Only a very costly surgery could save him now and it was looking like there was no-one to loan them the money. She heard Daddy say to her tearful Mother with whispered desperation, “Only a miracle can save him now.”
 
Tess went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured all the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect.
 
No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door. She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too busy at this moment.
 
Tess twisted her feet to make a noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster.
 
No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it! “And what do you want?” the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. “I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages, ”he said without waiting for a reply to his question.“
 
“Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,” Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. “He's really, really sick…… and I want to buy a miracle.” “I beg your pardon?” said the pharmacist.
 
“His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?” “We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you,” the pharmacist said, softening a little.
 
“Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.”
 
The pharmacist's brother was a well-dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, “What kind of a miracle does your brother need?” “I don't know,” Tess replied with her eyes welling up.
 
“I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money.”
“How much do you have?” asked the man from Chicago. “One dollar and eleven cents,” Tess answered barely audibly. “And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.”
 
“Well, what a coincidence,” smiled the man. “A dollar and eleven cents — the exact price of a miracle for little brothers. ”He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said “Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the kind of miracle you need.”
 
That well-dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neurosurgery. The operation was completed without charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.
 
Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.
 
“That surgery,” her Mom whispered, “was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?”
 
Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost…… one dollar and eleven cents …… plus the faith of a little child.