最好的遗产==爱

As a young man, Al was a skilled artist, a potter. He had a wife and two fine sons. One night, his oldest son developed a severe stomachache. Thinking it was only some common intestinal disorder, neither Al nor his wife took the condition very seriously. But the malady was actually acute appendicitis, and the boy died suddenly that night. Knowing the death could have been prevented if he had only realized the seriousness of the situation, Al's emotional health deteriorated under the enormous burden of his guilt. To make matters worse his wife left him a short time later, leaving him alone with his six-year-old younger son. The hurt and pain of the two situations were more than Al could handle, and he turned to alcohol to help him cope. In time Al became an alcoholic. As the alcoholism progressed, Al began to lose everything he possessed - his home, his land, his art objects, everything. Eventually Al died alone in a San Francisco motel room. When I heard of Al's death, I reacted with the same disdain the world shows for one who ends his life with nothing material to show for it. "What a complete failure!" I thought. "What a totally wasted life!" As time went by, I began to re-evaluate my earlier harsh judgment. You see, I knew Al's now adult son, Ernie. He is one of the kindest, most caring, most loving men I have ever known. I watched Ernie with his children and saw the free flow of love between them. I knew that kindness and caring had to come from somewhere. I hadn't heard Ernie talk much about his father. It is so hard to defend an alcoholic. One day I worked up my courage to ask him. "I'm really puzzled by something," I said. "I know your father was basically the only one to raise you. What on earth did he do that you became such a special person?" Ernie sat quietly and reflected for a few moments. Then he said, "From my earliest memories as a child until I left home at 18, Al came into my room every night, gave me a kiss and said, `I love you, son.'" Tears came to my eyes as I realized what a fool I had been to judge Al as a failure. He had not left any material possessions behind. But he had been a kind loving father, and he left behind one of the finest, most giving men I have ever known.
作为一个年轻人，AL是个非常有才华的艺术家，一个陶制工人。他有一个爱妻和两个可爱的儿子。一天晚上，他的大儿子得了很严重的肚痛病。AL和妻子都以为是一般的肠胃紊乱所致，所以都没有把这件事放在心上。但是其实儿子得的是很严重的急性阑尾炎，因为夫妻俩的大意，那天晚上大儿子突然地离开了人世。得知儿子的死如果因为他意识到病情的严重性就可以被避免的消息后，他陷入了深深的自责而日渐消沉。不久，妻子离去，留下他和他6岁的小儿子，这样使得情况愈来愈糟糕。双重打击是AL无法承受的，从此他便借酒浇愁，很快，他成了个十足的酒鬼。由于酗酒成性，AL渐渐失去了他原先拥有的一切，他的家，土地，甚至是他的艺术目标。最后，AL死在了San Francisco 的汽车旅馆里。当我得知AL的死讯后，我以和世俗同样的目光，对像AL这样在死后没有为自己留下任何物质的东西，可以显示他们生前的显赫的人，嗤之以鼻。那是一个彻底失败的人生，一个被浪费了的人生，我，是这样认为的。随时间流逝，我不得不开始重新审视我原先粗糙的判断。你要知道，我认识AL的小儿子Ernie，他已经成人。他是我见过的众多善良，仔细，有爱心的人中的一个。我见过Ernie和其孩子们以及他们之间犹如涓涓细流般的爱。我知道，那样的爱和关怀一定有一个源头。我没有听到Ernie经常谈到他的父亲。我也知道，要为这样一个酗酒者辩护是相当困难的。有一天，我鼓足了勇气问他：“我始终不明白一件事，就是你的父亲是唯一抚养你长大的人，那么到底是什么使得你成为这样一个卓有成效的人呢？” Ernie平静地站了起来，沉思了一会儿，然后对我说：“在我的记忆中，在我18岁离开家之前，每一天晚上AL都会来我的房间亲吻我并对我说：‘我爱你，儿子。’。” 我的眼睛湿润了，我意识到就那样把AL的人生圈定到失败里是多么愚蠢啊！他实在是没有留下什么财产。但是他曾经是一个多么了不起的父亲！他留下了他的儿子，是我见过的最好，付出最多的中的一位。