Paul received an automobile1 from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve2 when Paul came out of his office, a street boy was walking around the shiny3 new car, admiring it. “Is this your car, Mister?” he asked.
Paul nodded. “My brother gave it to me for Christmas.” The boy was shocked. “You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you nothing4? Boy, I wish...” He hesitated.
Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad said shocked Paul all the way down to his heels5.
“I wish,” the boy went on, “that I could be a brother like that.”
Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively6 he added, “Would you like to take a ride7 in my automobile?”
“Oh yes, I'd love that.”
After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes aglow8, said, “Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?”
Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again.
“Will you stop where those two steps are?” the boy asked.
He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled 9 brother. He sat10 him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him11 and pointed to the car. “There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And some day I'm gonna give you one just like it...then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you about.”
Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride.
On that Christmas Eve, Paul learned what it means by “It is more blessed 12to give...”
My Wish for the World Is That We all Could Be Brothers Like That.
罗从哥哥那里得到一辆新车作为圣诞礼物。圣诞节前夜，保罗离开办公室时，街上的一个小男孩绕着那辆闪闪发亮的新车，羡慕地问道：“先生，这是你的车吗？”
保罗点点头：“这是我哥哥送给我的圣诞礼物。”男孩满脸惊讶：“你是说这是你哥哥送的礼物，你一个子儿没花？嗨，真希望……”他话语吞吐起来。
保罗当然知道他希望什么：他是希望也能有个那样的哥哥送他一辆车子。但男孩的话却让保罗万分震惊。
“我希望自己也能成为那样的哥哥，送辆车给弟弟。”男孩继续说。
保罗惊愕地看着男孩，然后脱口而出：“愿意坐我的车兜兜风吗？” “喔，愿意，我太愿意了。”
车子开了一小段路后，小男孩转过身来，双眼生辉：“先生，你能不能把车子开到我家门前？”
保罗笑了笑，心想自己知道小家伙有何打算：他想向邻居们炫耀一番，他能坐辆大车子回家呢。可保罗这次又错了。
“你能不能把车子停在那两级台阶前？”男孩问道。
男孩跑上台阶，过了一会儿保罗听到他返回的脚步声，但动作有些缓慢。他搂着跛脚的弟弟，把他安顿在最底下一级台阶上坐下，然后紧贴着他，指着那辆新车说：“看见了吧，小弟，刚才我在楼上全告诉你了。这是保罗的哥哥送给他的圣诞礼物！没花他一分钱呢。将来有一天，我也要送给你一辆这样的车子，到时你就能亲眼去看那些我老对你说起的、挂在橱窗里的圣诞饰品了。”
保罗走下车，将跛脚弟弟抱到车子的前座。满眼发亮的哥哥也爬上车子，坐在弟弟的旁边。三个人开始了一次令人难忘的节日之旅。
那个平安夜，保罗才真正体会到“施予比接受更有福”这句话的真正含义。
但愿世人都能成为那样的哥哥。
1. automobile n． 汽车
2． Christmas Eve 圣诞前夜
3． shiny adj． 闪闪发亮的
4． ．．．it didn＇t cost you nothing? 没花你一分钱？（口语）
5． lad n． 男孩；小伙子 all the way 一直；完全地 heel n． 脚跟
6． impulsively adv． 冲动地
7． take a ride 开车兜风
8． aglow v． 放光彩
9． crippled adj． 瘸腿的
10． sit v． （使）就座，（使）坐
11． squeeze up against sb． 挤在一起，贴近
12． blessed adj． 有福的；使人愉快的