He was in the first third grade class I taught at Saint Mary's School in Morris, Minn. All 34 of my students were dear to me, but Mark Eklund was one in a million. Very neat in appearance, he had that happy-to-be-alive attitude that made even his occasional mischievousness delightful.

 

我在明尼苏达州莫里斯的圣玛丽学校教书，他在我教的第一个三年级的班上。全班34个学生每一个都讨我喜欢，但马克埃克隆却是独一无二的。他外表干干净净，是个乐天派，所以即便是他偶尔的调皮捣蛋，也依然讨人喜欢。

Mark often talked incessantly. I had to remind him again and again that talking without permission was not acceptable. What impressed me so much, though, was his sincere response every time I had to correct him for misbehaving. "Thank you for correcting me, Sister!" I didn't know what to make of it at first, but before long I became accustomed to hearing it many times a day.

马克常常说个不停。我不得不一而再、再而三地提醒他，未经允许不能讲话。不过，令我印象深刻的是，每当我不得已指出他的过错的时候，他都非常诚恳地对我说：“谢谢你指出我的问题，修女！”起初，我不知该作何反应，但很快，我便习惯了一天听到这句话好多遍。

One morning my patience was growing thin when Mark talked once too often, and then I made a novice-teacher's mistake. I looked at him and said, "If you say one more word, I am going to tape your mouth shut!"

一天早上，马克又一次讲个不停，我终于不耐烦了，于是犯了个新老师才会犯的错误。我盯着他说：“再说一个字，我就拿胶带把你的嘴封上！”

It wasn't ten seconds later when Chuck, another student, blurted out, "Mark is talking again." I hadn't asked any of the students to help me watch Mark, but since I had stated the punishment in front of the class, I had to act on it.

结果不到十秒钟，另一个学生查克就脱口而出：“马克又在讲话了。”我并没有让任何同学帮我盯着马克，不过既然我已经当着全班的面说过他再说话就要罚他，我得说话算话。

I remember the scene as if it had occurred this morning. I walked to my desk, verydeliberately opened my drawer and took out a roll of masking tape. Without saying a word, I proceeded to Mark's desk, tore off two pieces of tape and made a big X with them over his mouth. I then returned to the front of the room.

接下来的一幕我至今仍记忆犹新，仿佛就发生在今天早上。我走到讲桌前，不慌不忙拉打开抽屉，拿出一卷胶带，然后一言不发地走到马克桌前，撕下两截胶带，在他嘴上贴了个大大的“X”，然后转身走回教室前面。