提要

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry.

He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal, he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?"

"You don't owe me anything," she replied "Mother has taught us never to accept payment for a kindness."

"Then I thank you from my heart." he said.

As the boy nammed Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but also his strong faith in God and people.

Years later, unfortunately, that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.

Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, had strange sparkles in his eyes.

Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room, and recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room.

She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all.

Finally, she looked, and something caught her attention on the side as she read these words.....

"Paid in full with one glass of milk." Dr. Howard Kelly signed.

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: "Thank You, God, that Your love has spread abroad through human hearts and hands."



解說

一個貧窮男孩，挨家挨戶推銷物品掙學費，他肚子很餓、口袋又只剩下一毛錢，決定到下一戶人家討些食物。

但見到一個可愛的年輕女孩來開門，男孩卻不好意思開口要吃的了，於是他問，是否可以給他一杯水喝？

年輕女孩看出他的「饑腸轆轆」，於是給他拿來了一大杯牛奶。他慢慢地喝了下去，然後問，「我該給妳多少錢？」

「你不欠我什麼，」她回答，「媽媽教導我們，善行不接受酬勞。」

「那麼，我由衷的感謝妳們，」男孩說。

名叫霍華凱利的男孩離開那房子時，渾身是勁，他對上帝與人性的信心也更強。

多年以後，那位年輕女孩很不幸的得了重病。當地醫師對她的病束手無策，只好把她送到大城市的醫院，在那裡，他們請到研究罕見疾病的專家—霍華凱利醫師來諮詢。

霍華凱利醫師一聽到她來自的城鎮的名字，眼中就閃爍奇特的光芒。

他馬上起身、穿過醫院大廳，直奔她的房間，立刻就認出了是給他一大杯牛奶的女孩。他回到諮詢室，研究各種挽救她生命的可行方法。

經過長期的努力，凱利醫師團隊終於戰勝了病魔。當醫藥費帳單送給凱利醫師批准時，他在帳單的下方寫了一些字，再讓他們送到那女孩的房間。

因為認定帳單必定是「天價」，終生都得努力賺錢來支付的女孩，鼓起勇氣看帳單時，下方的字卻吸引她的注意：

「已用一杯牛奶付清」（簽名）霍華凱利醫師。

喜悅的淚水從她的眼睛奪眶而出，她誠心禱告說：「謝謝您，上帝，您的愛已通過人類的心靈和雙手傳播。」

WOW!原來如此

lost his nerve

「nerve」是神經，在此當做「膽量」。例如：It takes some nerve to train tigers.（要有點膽量才敢訓練老虎。）

「lost his nerve」（失去膽量），當窮男孩發現開門的是與他年齡相近的女孩，突然害羞或因為愛面子，不敢要食物，只敢討杯水喝。



sparkles in his eyes

「sparkles」是「閃閃發光」。例如：Diamond sparkled in the sunlight.（鑽石在陽光下閃閃發光。）或Her eyes sparkled with happiness.（她的雙眼閃耀著幸福的光芒。）

「flood」 是洪水，「tears flooded her eyes」不只是「熱淚盈眶」而已。

「sparkles in his eyes」與「tears of joy flooded her eyes」都用物象形容眼神，前者是「閃爍光芒」；後者是「淚水決堤」。



Paid in full

「Paid in full」是全額付清，也可以說「pay up」或「payment in full」。買東西或去餐廳吃飯，帳單上都會註明是否帳款已經支付。如果只付了一半，則會註明「Paid in half」。

女孩看出霍華凱利餓肚子，於是給他一大杯牛奶，而且「善行不接受酬勞」，在他來說，救那女孩一命的醫藥費，與當年讓自己免於挨餓的一杯牛奶，完全等值。

因此，凱利當了醫師之後，非常高興有機會能夠報答當初的「一飯之恩」。

Riddles（猜謎）

1. What s black when it s clean and white when it s dirty?

2.What has eyes that can not see, a tongue that can not taste, and a soul that can not die?

3. What's black when it's clean and white when it's dirty?

解答

1. What's black when it's clean and white when it's dirty? （哪一樣物品乾淨的時候是黑的；髒的時候是白的？）

天生是黑的黑板（其實多數是深綠色），擦乾淨時是黑的；寫滿粉筆的時候就「又白又髒」了。

答案是→A blackboard.

2.What has eyes that can not see, a tongue that can not taste, and a soul that can not die? （什麼東西有「 眼」不能視，有「舌」不能嘗，有「靈魂」卻不會死？）

鞋前方開小口稱為「鞋眼」，鞋中間緊貼腳背的一塊是「鞋舌」，「鞋底」則是「sole」，發音跟「soul」 （靈魂）一樣。「鞋底」會磨損，但沒有生命，所以也就不會死。

答案是→A shoe.

3.What are two things you cannot have for breakfast?

（有兩樣東西是不能用來當早餐吃的，是什麼呢？）



不能用來當早餐，會讓人從食物方面去想，但沒人規定早餐一定要吃些什麼東西，通常午餐、晚餐吃的食物，一睜開眼就當早餐吃，也沒什麼不行。這裡只是說「午餐」、「晚餐」這兩個字，與「早餐」的字不同，所以是「唯二」不能用來當早餐吃。

答案是→Lunch and dinner.