【双语有声阅读】礼物 The gift

The gift

 

礼物

A young man was getting ready to graduate from university.

一个年轻人将要从大学毕业了。

For a long time he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom and knowing his father could well afford it, he told his Dad that was all he wanted.　

几个月以来他一直喜欢某个经销商展厅里的那台漂亮的跑车。他知道他的父亲买得起，所有他告诉父亲说，他只想要这台跑车。

As his graduation day approached the young man began looking for signs that his father had bought the car.

毕业典礼临近，年轻人期待看到父亲已经给他买车的迹象。

Finally on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his study.

最后，在毕业典礼当天的早晨，他的父亲把他叫到他的私人书房。

His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son and he told him how much he loved him.

他的父亲说他为自己有这么优秀的儿子而骄傲，还告诉他父亲是多么的爱他。

He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift box.

他递给儿子一个精心包装好的礼盒。

Curious, but somewhat¹ disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely leather bound² Bible³ with the young man's name embossed in gold.　　

年轻人很好奇，但带着失望，年轻人打开了盒子，看到一本用皮革包边的漂亮的圣经，上面有用金子浮雕的年轻人的名字。

Angry, he raised his voice to his father and said, With all your money you give me a Bible? and then stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible.　

年轻人愤怒地对这父亲喊道：你有那么多钱，你就给我一本圣经？然后丢下圣经，冲出了家门。

Many years passed and the young man was very successful in his own business.

很多年过去了，年轻人已经成为了商场上的成功人士。

He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old and thought perhaps he should go to him as he had not spoken to him since that graduation day.

他有一个美丽的家和一个幸福的家庭，但是忽然意识到自己的父亲很老了，想着或许他应该去看看他。自从那个毕业典礼之后，他就没有见过他。

Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him that his father had passed away and had willed all his possessions to his son so he needed to come home and take care of things.

他还没来的及安排，就接到了一个电报，通知他他的父亲去世了，把所有财产都留给了他。他需要马上回家处理这些财产。

When he arrived at his father's house sadness and regret filled his heart.

当他到达父亲的房子，心里充满了悲伤与遗憾。

He began sorting through his father's papers and saw the still new Bible just as he had left it years ago.

他开始翻看他父亲的重要文件，看到了那本依旧崭新的圣经，新如当年。

With tears in his eyes he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages.

他流着泪打开了圣经翻阅。

His father had carefully underlined a verse…

父亲在一段话的下面认真地画了线…

Matthew-7:11, And if ye, being evil⁴, know how to give good gifts to your children,how much more shall your heavenly Father which is in Heaven give to those who ask him?

马太福音第七章第十一节:如果你是罪恶的，尚且知道把好的礼物送给孩子，贺卡你们在天上的父，岂不更会把好东西送给求助于他人的人?

As he read these words a car key dropped from the back of the Bible.

就在他读这句话的时候，一把汽车钥匙从圣经后面掉下来。

It had a tag⁵ with the dealer's name and on the tag was the date of his graduation and the words paid in full.

上面的标签上有经销商的名字，正是他想要的那辆跑车的经销商。标签上的时间正式他毕业典礼的那天，还写着一句全额付款。

How many times do we miss out on blessings⁶ because they are not packaged as we expected?

有些祝福并没有像我们所期望的那样被包裹着，我们因此错过了多少这样的祝福呢?

1 somewhat   

pron.一些，某物；adv.多少，几分

参考例句：

• The cake we made was somewhat of a failure.我们做的蛋糕不大成功。
• The two office buildings are somewhat alike in appearance.这两座办公楼在外形上有点相似。

2 bound   

adj.一定的，必然的；受约束的，有义务的

参考例句：

• I feel honor bound to repay the money I borrowed.我觉得有责任归还我借的钱。
• If he signs that paper,he will be bound hand and foot.如果他签署那份文件，他就会受到束缚。

3 bible   

n.《圣经》；得到权威支持的典籍

参考例句：

• According to the Bible we are all the seed of Adam.根据《圣经》所说的，我们都是亚当的后裔。
• This dictionary should be your Bible when studying English.学习英语时，这本字典应是你的主要参考书。

4 evil   

n.邪恶，不幸，罪恶；adj.邪恶的，不幸的，有害的，诽谤的

参考例句：

• We pray to God to deliver us from evil.我们祈求上帝把我们从罪恶中拯救出来。
• Love of money is the root of all evil.爱钱是邪恶的根源。

5 tag   

n.标签，附属物，名称，谚语；vt.附以签条，尾随，添饰，指责，连接；vi.紧随，尾随

参考例句：

• Please tag your baggage.请在你的行李上贴上标签了。
• The clerk attached a price tag to each article.店员给每一件商品系上标价签。

6 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》