第11章 美梦成真 The Terribly, Tragically Sad Man
洛伦·赛伯尔德/Loren Seibold
Once there was a boy who lived in a big house on a hill. He loved dogs and horses, sports cars and music. He climbed trees and went swimming, played football and admired pretty girls. Except for having to pick up after himself, he had a nice life.
One day the boy said to God,“I've been thinking, and I know what I want when I become a man.”
“What?” asked God.
“I want to live in a big house with a porch across the front and two Saint Bernards and a garden out back. I want to marry a woman who is tall and very beautiful and kind, who has long, black hair and blue eyes, and who plays the guitar and sings in a clear, high voice.
“I want three strong sons to play football with. When they grow up, one will be a great scientist, one will be a senator and the youngest will quarterback for the 49ers.
“I want to be an adventurer who sails vast oceans and climbs tall mountains and rescues people. And I want to drive a red Ferrari and never have to pick up after myself.”
“That sounds like a nice dream,” said God,“I want you to be happy.”
One day, playing football, the boy hurt his knee. After that he couldn't climb tall mountains or even tall trees, much less sail vast oceans. So he studied marketing and started a medical-supplies business.
He married a girl who was very beautiful and very kind and who had long, black hair. But she was short, not tall, and had brown eyes, not blue. She couldn't play the guitar, or even sing. But she prepared wonderful meals seasoned with rare Chinese spices and painted magnificent pictures of birds.
Because of his business, he lived in a city near the top of a tall apartment building that overlooked the blue ocean and the city's twinkling lights. He didn't have room for two Saint Bernards, but he had a fluffy cat.
He had three daughters, all very beautiful. The youngest, who was in a wheelchair, was the loveliest. The three daughters loved their father very much. They didn't play football with him, but sometimes they went to the park and tossed a Frisbee—except for the youngest, who sat under a tree strumming her guitar and singing lovely, haunting songs.
He made enough money to live comfortably, but he didn't drive a red Ferrari. Sometimes he had to pick up things and put them away even things that didn't belong to him. After all, he had three daughters.
Then one morning the man awoke and remembered his dream.“I am very sad,” he said to his best friend.
“Why?” asked his friend.
“Because I once dreamed of marrying a tall woman with black hair and blue eyes who would play the guitar and sing. My wife can't play the guitar or sing. She has brown eyes, and she's not tall.”
“Your wife is beautiful and very kind,” said his friend.“She creates splendid pictures and delicious food.”
But the man wasn't listening.
“I am very sad,” the man confessed to his wife one day.
“Why?” asked his wife.
“Because I once dreamed of living in a big house with a porch, and of having two Saint Bernards and a garden out back. Instead, I live in an apartment on the 47th floor.”
“Our apartment is comfortable, and we can see the ocean from our couch,” replied his wife.“We have love, laughter and paintings of birds and fluffy cat—not to mention three beautiful children.”
But the man wasn't listening.
“I am very sad,” the man said to his therapist.
“Why?” asked the therapist.
“Because I once dreamed that I would grow up to be a great adventurer. Instead, I'm a bald businessman with a bad knee.”
“The medical supplies you sell have saved many lives,” said the therapist.
But the man wasn't listening. So his therapist charged him $110 and sent him home.
“I am very sad,” the man said to his accountant.
“Why?” asked the accountant.
“Because I once dreamed of driving a red Ferrari and of never having to pick up after myself. Instead, I take public transportation, and sometimes I still have to clean up.”
“You wear good suits. You eat at fine restaurants, and you've toured Europe,” said his accountant.
But the man wasn't listening. His accountant charged him $100 anyway. He was dreaming of a red Ferrari himself.
“I am very sad,” the man said to his minister.
“Why?” asked the minister.
“Because I once dreamed of having three sons: a great scientist, a politician and a quarterback. Instead, I have three daughters, and the youngest can't even walk.”
“But your daughters are beautiful and intelligent,” said the minister.
“They love you very much, and they've all done well. One is a nurse, another is an artist and the youngest teaches music to children.”
But the man wasn't listening. He was so sad that he became very sick. He lay in a white hospital room surrounded by nurses in white uniforms. Tubes and wires connected his body to blinking machines that he had once sold to the hospital.
He was terribly, tragically sad. His family, friends and minister gathered around his bed. They were all deeply sad too. Only his therapist and his accountant remained happy.
Then one night, when everyone except the nurses had gone home, the man said to God,“Remember when I was a boy and I told you all the things I wanted?”
“It was a lovely dream,” said God.
“Why didn't you give me those things?” asked the man.
“I could have, ”said God.“But I wanted to surprise you with things you didn't dream of.”
“I suppose you've noticed what I've given you: a kind, beautiful wife; a good business; a nice place to live; three lovely daughters—one of the best packages I've put together...”
“Yes,” interrupted the man.“But I thought you were going to give me what I really wanted.”
“And I thought you were going to give me what I really wanted,” said God.
“What did you want?” asked the man. It had never occurred to him that God was in want of anything.
“I wanted to make you happy with what I'd given you,”said God.
The man lay in the dark all night, thinking. Finally he decided to dream a new dream, one he wished he'd dreamed years before. He decided to dream that what he wanted most were the very things he already had.
And the man got well and lived happily on the 47th floor, enjoying his children's beautiful voices, his wife's deep brown eyes and her glorious paintings of birds. And at night he gazed at the ocean and contentedly watched the lights of the city twinkling on, one by one.
从前，有一个小男孩住在山上一所大房子里。他喜欢遛狗、骑马、赛车、听音乐，还有爬树、游泳、踢足球，再就是追求漂亮女孩子。除了要做家务外，他的生活过得很不错。
一天，男孩对上帝说：“我想了很久，终于想到长大后我想拥有什么了。”
“那你长大后想拥有些什么呢？”上帝问。
“我想住在一栋前面带长廊的大房子里，养两只圣伯纳德狗，屋后还要有一个花园。我要娶一个美丽高挑、温柔善良的妻子，她要有乌黑飘逸的长发和深蓝的眼睛，会弹吉他，唱起歌来清脆而嘹亮。
“我想要三个强壮的儿子和我一起踢足球。他们长大后，一个能成为伟大的科学家，一个当议员，最小的儿子会在49人的橄榄球队当四分卫。
“我想成为一名探险家，在浩瀚无边的海洋里航行，攀登所有的高山，解救危难中的人。我还想开着红色的法拉利兜风，还有，再也不要自己做家务了。”
“听起来是很美好的梦想，”上帝说，“希望你美梦成真。”
一天，小男孩踢球时，摔坏了膝盖。从那以后，他再也不能登高山和爬大树，更别说在海洋上航行了。于是，他学习市场营销，开了一家医疗用品公司。
他娶了一位美丽善良的女孩，她有着一头乌黑长发，但她并不高挑，甚至可以说很矮；眼睛是棕色，而不是蓝色的；她不会弹吉他，甚至不会唱歌。不过，她能用稀有的中国香料做出美味佳肴，还会画一些羽毛华丽的小鸟。
由于生意的关系，他住在城里一栋高楼的顶部。在那儿可以俯视蔚蓝的大海和城市辉煌的灯火。他没有地方养两只圣伯纳德狗，但养了一只毛茸茸的猫。
他有三个女儿，都非常漂亮，只是最可爱的小女儿坐在轮椅里。三个女儿都非常爱她们的父亲，虽然不能陪他踢足球，但经常一起去公园掷飞盘——除了小女儿。她会坐在树下，弹着吉他，唱着婉转动听的歌。
他赚了足够的钱，生活得很舒适。但是，他没能驾驶红色的法拉利。有时，他还必须料理家务，整理东西，尽管那是他的分外之事。毕竟，他有三个女儿啊。
一天早晨，他突然醒过来，想起了曾经的那个梦想。“我很难过。”他对他最好的朋友说。
“怎么了？”朋友问。
“我曾经梦想和一个高挑，黑发蓝眼，会弹吉他、会唱歌的女人结婚。可我的妻子不会弹吉他，也不会唱歌，只有棕色的眼睛，个子也不高。”
“可你的妻子美丽又善良，”他的朋友说，“还会画漂亮的画，做可口的美食。”
但他听不进去。
“我很难过。”一天，他对妻子说。
“为什么？”妻子问。
“我曾梦想住在一栋带长廊的大房子里，养两只圣伯纳德狗，还有一个后花园，结果，我却住在公寓的47层。”
“可是我们的公寓非常舒适，还能从**看到蔚蓝的海洋，”他的妻子答道，“亲爱的，我们有爱，欢笑和画中的鸟陪伴，还有绒球似的猫咪——况且还有三个漂亮的孩子。”
但是，他听不进去。
“我很难过。”他对家庭医生说。
“为什么？”医生问。
“我曾梦想成为一个伟大的探险家，而今我只是一个秃了顶，膝盖受了伤的商人。”
“可你售出的医疗用品救了很多人的命。”医生说。
但他听不进去，于是医生收了他110美元，把他送了回去。
“我很难过。”这个男人又对他的会计师说。
“为什么？”会计师问。
“我曾梦想驾驶红色的法拉利，而且不要料理家务。可是，现在我只能坐公交车，有时，还得做家务。”
“可是，你穿着上好的套装，出入高档餐馆，还去欧洲旅游过呢。”会计师说。
他还是听不进去，不过，会计师仍收了他100美元，因为他也梦想拥有红色法拉利。
“我很难过。”这个男人对牧师说。
“为什么？”牧师问。
“我曾梦想有三个儿子，一个是伟大的科学家，一个是参议员，还有一个是四分卫。可是，现在，我只有三个女儿，最小的还不能走路。”
“可是，你的女儿们都聪明漂亮，”牧师说，“她们都很优秀，也都很爱你，一个是护士，一个是艺术家，小女儿还能教孩子们音乐。”
可是，他就是听不进去。他伤心至极，最后病倒了，他躺在医院白色的病房里，身边围绕着身穿白色制服的护士们，身上插满了各种管子和线，而这些器械都是他卖给医院的。
他陷入巨大的悲伤里。家人、朋友，还有牧师都围在床边，沉浸在深深的哀痛中，只有他的医疗师和会计师仍然很快乐。
一天夜里，他们都回家了，只有护士留在身边。这个人又见到上帝了，他说：“您还记得小时候我告诉过您，我长大后想要的东西吗？”
“那是个非常美好的梦想。”上帝说。
“那您为什么不给我呢？”他问。
“我已经给了，”上帝说，“我只是想把你没梦想到的东西也给你，好给你一个惊喜。”
“我想你已经注意到我给你的东西了：一个善良美丽的妻子；一份好事业；一个舒适的住所；三个可爱的女儿——这是我把所有的东西放在一起后，最好的一个组合……”
“是吗？”他打断上帝的话，说道，“可我以为您会给我真正想要的东西呢。”
“可我想，你也会把我真正想要的东西给我。”上帝说。
“您想要什么呢？”他问道，他从未想过上帝也有想要的东西。
“我希望你幸福，也把幸福给了你。”上帝说。
整个夜里，他躺在黑暗里沉思。最后，他决定重新做一个梦，一个多年前就该做的梦。他决定做一个梦，梦里那些他现在已经拥有的东西。
很快，这个男人恢复了健康，他开心地生活在第47层楼，享受着拥有的一切——女儿们甜美的声音，妻子深情的棕色眼睛，漂亮的鸟儿油画。晚上，他凝视着海洋，心满意足地观赏城市的灯火辉煌……
1.I want to live in a big__________with a porch across the front and two Saint Bernards and a garden out back. I want to__________a woman who is tall and very beautiful and kind,__________has long, black hair and blue eyes, and who__________the guitar and sings in a clear, high voice.
2.He was so__________that he became very sick. He lay in a white hospital__________surrounded by nurses in white uniforms. Tubes and wires connected his__________to blinking machines that he had once__________to the hospital.
3.Finally he decided to__________a new dream, one he wished he'd dreamed years before. He decided to dream that__________he wanted most were the very things he already__________.
1.除了要做家务外，他的生活过得很不错。
____________________________________
2.“听起来是很美好的梦想，”上帝说，“希望你美梦成真。”
____________________________________
3.“我希望你幸福，也把幸福给了你。”上帝说。
____________________________________
1.Except for having to pick up after himself, he had a nice life.
pick up：收拾
____________________________________
2.When they grow up, one will be a great scientist, one will be a Senator and the youngest will quarterback for the 49ers.
grow up：成长；逐渐形成
____________________________________