读者文摘:最美的赞歌(3)（在线收听）

She was kind of elderly, so it felt like it took her a long time to reach the front.

她有点上了年纪，所以感觉她花了很长时间才走到前排。

When she did, she carefully folded her money, put it into the box, scanned the congregation,

她小心翼翼地把钱折好，放进盒子里，扫视着会众，

found me, and said, “My grandson brought a friend with him from Denver.

找到了我，说：“我孙子从丹佛带来了一个朋友。

His name is Alistair, and he is from the Eastern Shawnee Tribe. But he is a very nice person.

他的名字叫阿利斯泰尔，来自东部肖尼部落。但他是一个非常好的人。

Alistair, I would like you to come up here and sing us a Special.”

阿利斯泰尔，我想请你上来给我们唱一首特别的歌。”

I immediately began making shy “no” gestures and grinning, kind of the way my dog does when he’s eaten another sofa cushion.

我立刻害羞地做了个“不”的手势，咧着嘴笑，有点像我的狗吃了另一个沙发垫时的样子。

But there was an old man behind me patting me on the back, saying, “Go on up there and sing, son.

但我身后的一位老人拍着我的背说：“孩子，过来唱吧。”

I can tell by looking at you that you are a singer.”

我一看你就知道你是个歌手。”

That was the moment that I realized how true the old adage is that looks can be deceiving.

那一刻，我意识到那句古老的格言是多么的正确：外表是可以欺骗人的。

But my friend had grabbed me by the arm and was guiding me over his knees in the narrow pew.

但我的朋友抓住我的胳膊，领着我从狭窄的长凳上越过他的膝盖。

He said, “Grandma’s going to be so happy.” And the next thing I knew, I was out in the center aisle,

他说：“奶奶会很高兴的。“接下来我所知道的就是，我已经走到中间的过道上了，

and it almost felt like there was some invisible force propelling me toward the front of the church.

就好像有一种看不见的力量把我推向教堂的前面。

It could have been God. And I was hoping that, if it was God, when I reached the microphone,

也可能是上帝。我希望，如果是上帝的话，当我拿到麦克风时，

God would choose that moment to work a super-big miracle and make it so that I could sing—and that I knew any hymns at all.

上帝会选择这个时刻创造一个超级大的奇迹，让我能够唱歌——我能唱出任何赞美诗。

I reached the microphone. I waited.

我拿到了麦克风。我在等着。

It didn’t seem like any big miracles were imminent, but I told myself it was going to be OK.

看起来似乎没有什么大的奇迹即将出现，但我告诉自己一切都会好起来的。

I did have some stage and singing experience.

我确实有一些舞台和唱歌的经验。

It was back in the ’90s, when I lived in San Francisco and I was in a Goth band called the Flesh Orchids.

那是在90年代，我住在旧金山，当时我在一个叫“果肉兰花”的哥特乐队。