What he looked for in others was a "good heart", and if he found one, the owner was good enough for him.

 

他所期望的是人家"善良的心"，当他得到时，人家真的对他很好。

Now that I am older, I believe that is a proper standard by which to judge people, even though I still don' t know precisely what a "good heart" is. But I know the times I don't have one myself.

如今我已经长大成人，我明白了"善良的心"是评价人的恰当的标准，尽管我仍不很清楚它的确切涵义，但是我却知道我有缺乏善心的时候。

 

Unable to engage in many activities, my father still tried to participate in some way. When a local sandlot baseball team found itself without a manager, he kept it going. He was a knowledgeable baseball fan and often took me to Ebbets Field to see the Brooklyn Dodgers play. He liked to go to dances and parties, where he could have a good time just sitting and watching.

 

虽然父亲不能参加许多活动，但他仍然没法以某种方式参与进来。当一个地方棒球队发现缺少一个领队时，他便作了领队。因为他是个棒球迷，有丰富的棒球知识，他过去常带我地埃比茨棒球场观看布鲁克林的鬼精灵队的比赛。他喜欢参加舞会和晚会，乐意坐着看。

 

On one memorable occasion a fight broke out at a beach party, with everyone punching and shoving. He wasn''t content to sit and watch, but he couldn''t stand unaided on the soft sand. In frustration he began to shout, "I'' ll fight anyone who will tit down with me!"

记得有一次的海边晚会上，不人打架，动了拳头，推推搡搡。他不甘于坐在那里当观众，但又无法在松软的沙滩上自己站起来。于是，失望之下，他吼了起来："谁想坐下和我打？"

Nobody did. But the next day people kidded him by saying it was the first time any fighter was urged to take a dive even before the bout began.

没有人响应。但是第二天，人们都取笑他说比赛还没开始，拳击手就被劝认输，这还是头一次看见。

I now know he participated in some things vicariously through me, his only son. When I played ball (poorly), he "played" too. When I joined the Navy he "joined" too.

现在我知道一些事情他是通过我--他唯一的儿子来做的。当我打球时(尽管我打得很差)，他也在"打球"。当我参加海军时，他也"参加"。

And when I came home on leave, he saw to it that " I visited his office. Introducing me, he was really saying, "This is my son, but it is also me, and I could have done this, too, if things had been different." Those words were never said aloud.

当时我回家休息时，他一定要让我去他的办公室，在介绍我时，他真真切切地说，"这是我儿子，但也是我自己，假如事情不是这样的话，我也会去参军的;

He has been gone many years now, but I think of him often. I wonder if he sensed my reluctance to be seen with him during our walks. If he did, I am sorry I never told him how sorry I was, how unworthy I was, how I reGREtted it. I think of him when I complain about trifles, when I am envious of another''s good fortune, when I don''t have a "good heart".

父亲离开我们已经很多年了，但是我时常想起他。我不知道他是否意识到我曾经不愿意让人看到和他走在一起的心理。假如他知道这一切，我现在感到很遗憾，因为我从没告诉过他我是多么愧疚、多么不孝、多么悔恨。每当我为一些琐事而抱怨时，为别人的好运而妒忌时，为我自己缺乏"善心"时，我就会想起我的父亲。

At such times I put my hand on his arm to regain my balance, and say, "You set the pace, I will try to adjust to you."

此时，我会挽着他的胳膊保持身体平衡，并且说，"你走你的，我想法儿跟上你。"