To the piano player she said hoarsely, Can you imagine, Joseph, soup on Christmas Eve?

 

接着，她转向那位钢琴师，用嘶哑的声音问，在圣诞节前夕喝碗汤，约瑟夫，你能设想这种滋味吗？

 

He pointed to his empty tipping plate.

 

钢琴师指了指身旁的那只空空如也的放小费的盘子。

 

The young sailor finished his meal and got up to leave.

 

那位年轻的海员已用罢晚餐，起身准备离开餐馆。

 

Putting on his coat, he walked over to the flower woman's table.

 

他披上外套，走到卖花老妪的桌前。

 

Happy Christmas! he said, smiling, and picking out two corsages, asked, How much are they?

 

祝您圣诞快乐！说着，他笑嘻嘻地从花篮里挑出两束专供妇女佩带在前胸的鲜，多少钱？

 

Two francs, monsieur.

 

两个法郎，先生。

 

Pressing one of the small corsages flat, he put it into the letter he had written, then handed the woman a 20-franc note.

 

他把其中的一束花压平，放进一封已经写好的笺里，然后将一张20法郎面额的钞票递给了老人。

 

I don't have change, monsieur, she said, I'll get some from the waiter.

 

我没有零钱找您，先生。她说，我这就向服务员去借。

 

No, ma'am, he said, leaning over and kissing the ancient cheek.

 

不用了，夫人。说着，水手俯身吻了吻老太婆那张皱纹褶褶的老脸，

 

This is my Christmas present to you.

 

这是我送给您的圣诞礼物。

 

Straightening up, he came to our table holding the other corsage in front of him. Sir, he said to me, may I have permission to present these flowers to your beautiful wife?

 

他直起身朝我们的餐桌走来，那另一束鲜花擎在他的胸前。先生，他对我说，我可以将这束花作为礼物送给您漂亮的妻子吗？

 

In one quick motion, he gave my wife the corsage, wished us a Merry Christmas, and departed.

 

说着，他迅速地将那束鲜花塞到我妻 子的手中，道了声圣诞快乐，便转身走出了餐馆。

 

Everyone had stopped eating. Everyone was watching the sailor. Everyone was silent.

 

人们都放下手中的餐具，个个目不转睛地看着那位水手，整个餐厅悄无声息。

 

A few seconds later, Christmas exploded throughout the restaurant like a bomb.

 

几秒钟后，圣诞节日那固有的欢乐激情像枚炸弹似地爆裂开来。

 

The old flower woman jumped up, waving the 20-franc note.

 

卖花老妪腾身站起，挥动着她手中的那张20法郎的钞票。

 

Hobbling to the middle of the floor, she did a merry jig and shouted to the piano player,

 

她跌跌绊绊地走到餐厅的中央，欢快地踏起了舞步，冲着钢琴师大声嚷：

 

Joseph, my Christmas present, and you shall have half so you can have a feast too.

 

约瑟夫，瞧瞧我这份圣诞礼物吧！说什么我也得让你分享其中的一半，让你也能吃上一顿丰盛的圣诞晚餐。

 

The piano player began to beat out Good King Wenceslaus, hitting the keys with magic hands, nodding his head in rhythm.

 

钢琴师急速地弹起了《好国王温西斯劳斯》舞曲，魔术般的指头敲打着琴键，头部和着乐曲的旅律频频点动。

 

My wife waved her corsage in time with the rhythm.

 

我的妻子也随着音乐的节奏挥动着那束鲜花。

 

She was radiant and appeared 20 years younger.

 

她容光焕发，仿佛一下子年轻了20岁。

 

The tears had left her eyes and the corners of her mouth turned up in laughter.

 

幸福的泪水夺眶而出，嘴角上绽出青春的笑容。

 

She began to sing, and our three sons joined her, bellowing the song with uninhibited enthusiasm.

 

她启动歌喉，放声歌唱，我们的三个孩子随声和了起来。他们纵情高歌，没有一丝半缕的拘谨感。

 

Gut, gut, shouted the Germans.

 

好！好！德国人高声喝彩。

 

They jumped on their chairs and began singing in German.

 

他们跳到椅子上，并用德语唱起这支歌。

 

The waiter embraced the flower woman.

 

服务员上前拥抱着卖花的老太太，

 

Waving their arms, they sang in French.

 

两人同时挥舞手臂，用法语唱了起来。

 

The Frenchman who had slapped the boy beat rhythm with a fork against a bottle.

 

那个曾打了他的儿子一巴掌的法国男子用餐叉敲击着酒瓶打起了拍子，

 

The lad climbed on his lap, singing in a youthful soprano.

 

那男孩爬上他爸爸的膝盖，用童声歌唱起来。

 

The Germans ordered wine for everyone.

 

德国人请在场的每个人喝酒。

 

They delivered it themselves, hugging the other customers, bawling Christmas greetings.

 

人们自斟自饮，相互拥抱。

 

One of the French families ordered champagne and made the rounds, kissing each one of us on each cheek.

 

那家法国人当中的一位要来了香槟—到每张桌上给人敬酒，并吻了每个人的双颊。

 

The owner of the restaurant started singing The First Noel, and we all joined in, half of us crying.

 

饭馆老板带头唱起圣诞歌，我们大家都跟着唱，其中有半数人是含泪而歌。

 

People crowded in from the street until many customers were standing.

 

人们络绎不绝地从街上向餐馆涌来，其中一些顾客由于没有空位而只好站在那里。

 

The walls shook as hands and feet kept time to the yuletide carols.

 

人们和着圣诞歌的节奏手舞足蹈，声音震得餐厅的四壁阵阵发颤。

 

A few hours earlier, a few people had been spending a miserable evening in a shoddy restaurant.

 

没想到在这家简陋的小餐馆里所度过的那个凄凉的夜晚，结果竟变成我们终生难忘的最美好的圣诞之夜。

 

It ended up being the happiest, the very best Christmas Eve they had ever spent.

 

这全亏那位灵魂中闪烁着圣诞精神的年轻海员。

 

This, Admiral McDonald, is what I am writing you about.

 

这些，麦克当纳海军上将,正是我要写给你的。

 

As the top man in the Navy, you should know about the very special gift that the U.S. Navy gave to my family-to me and to the other people in that restaurant.

 

作为海军的高层人物,你应该了解美国海军给我的家人及在那个餐厅的其他人这一非常特别的礼物。

 

Because your young sailor had the Christmas spirit in his soul, he released the love and joy that had been smothered within us by anger and disappointment.

 

因为你的年轻水兵的圣诞精神把我们由于愤懑和失望而被压抑在内心深处的爱心和欢乐给引发出来。

 

He gave us Christmas.

 

他赐给了我们圣诞的欢乐。