提要

我們總是忙碌的，上學上班忙著來來去去，放假休閒旅遊，還是忙著來來去去。朋友、家人，因為總是在身邊、呵護幫助，我們經常就當他們是「理所當然」的了。

我們應該放慢或停下腳步，花更多時間與他們相處，千萬不要等到他們不在身邊了，才驚覺忽略了他們好久。



提要我們總是忙碌的，上學上班忙著來來去去，放假休閒旅遊，還是忙著來來去去。朋友、家人，因為總是在身邊、呵護幫助，我們經常就當他們是「理所當然」的了。

我們應該放慢或停下腳步，花更多時間與他們相處，千萬不要等到他們不在身邊了，才驚覺忽略了他們好久。





One day at the park, a woman sat down next to a man on a bench near a playground.

"That's my son over there," she said, pointing to a little boy in a red sweater who was gliding down the slide.

"He's a fine looking boy," the man said. "That's my son on the swing in the blue sweater."

Then, looking at his watch, he called to his son.

"What do you say we go, Todd?"

Todd pleaded, "Just five more minutes, Dad. Please? Just five more minutes." The man nodded and Todd continued to swing to his heart's content. Minutes passed and the father stood and called again to his son.

"Time to go now?" Again Todd pleaded, "Five more minutes, Dad. Just five more minutes." The man smiled and said, "O.K."

"My, you certainly are a patient father," the woman responded.

The man smiled and then said, "My older son Tommy was killed by a drunk driver last year while he was riding his bike near here. I never spent much time with Tommy and now I'd give anything for just five more minutes with him. I've vowed not to make the same mistake with Todd.

He thinks he has five more minutes to swing. The truth is, I get five more minutes to watch him play."


解說
有一天，在公園遊樂場附近的長椅上，一位媽媽在一位爸爸旁邊坐了下來。

「那邊是我的兒子，」她說，「指著一個穿紅色毛衣的小男孩，小男正從溜滑梯上滑下來。」

「他長得滿好看的，」那位爸爸說，「那是我兒子，鞦韆上穿藍毛衣的那個。」

然後，看著他的手錶，喊他的兒子：「陶德，我們是不是該走啦？」

陶德央求：「五分鐘，爸爸，再玩五分鐘……」爸爸點點頭，陶德則心滿意足的再回去玩。幾分鐘過去了，父親又提醒他的兒子。

「現在該走了！」陶德再次央求：「五分鐘，爸爸，再五分鐘……」那位爸爸笑笑說，「好吧。」

「哎呀，你肯定是一個非常有耐心的父親，」那位媽媽說。

爸爸笑了，然後說，「我的大兒子湯米，去年在這裡附近騎自行車，被一個醉酒的司機撞死。而我從來沒有花太多的時間陪湯米；現在我願意付出一切，就算是五分鐘。對陶德，我發誓不會再犯同樣的錯誤。」

「陶德覺得是他多玩了五分鐘，其實是我多了五分鐘看他玩。」





說到「別等失去才珍惜」,就聯想到一首短詩「苦澀與甜蜜」中的對照短句:

Bitter and Sweet (苦澀與甜蜜)

We wouldn't enjoy the sunshine

if we never had the rain.

We wouldn't appreciate good health

if we never experienced pain.

If we never shed a teardrop

and always wore a smile,

We'd all get tired of laughing

after we had grinned awhile.

Everything is by comparison

both the bitter and the sweet

And it takes a bit of both of them

to make our lives complete.

如果從來不曾下雨,我們不會懂得享受陽光
如果從未經歷過痛苦,我們不會珍惜健康
如果我們從沒流過一滴淚,總是帶著一抹微笑
笑得也會累
苦澀與甜蜜,一切都是比較而來
兩者都有必要,讓我們的生活圓滿


WOW!原來如此

to his heart's content

「content」是「滿意」。 例如：The teacher was content with his work.（老師對他的工作很滿意）。

文中的「to his heart's content」是「心滿意足」。 例如：Julie wanted a week's vacation so she could go to the beach and fish to her heart's content.（茱莉想放一周的假，到海灘心滿意足的玩個夠！）





by comparison

「compare」是比較。例如：Her comparison of the heart to a pump helped the students understand its action. 她將心臟比作幫浦（抽水機）有助於學生了解心臟的作用。

Bitter and Sweet （苦澀與甜蜜），就是「by comparison」絕佳對照。



pleaded

「plead」通常譯為「辯稱」。例如：The boy pleaded innocence and said he had not cheated on the exam. （那男孩辯稱無辜並說他未曾考試作弊）。

文中的「plead」則是單純的「請求、央求」。