RD readers share first-hand accounts of compassion - 20 stories that touched their lives and our hearts. You may want a box of tissues handy...
读者文摘的读者们分享了他们有关同情的第一手资料——20个感动人心的故事。准备往下看，你可能需要一盒纸巾……
The Man at the Supermarket
在超市遇见的男人
When the supermarket cashier had added up my groceries, I was $12 over what I had on me. I began to remove items from the bags, when another shopper handed me a $20 note.
当超市收银员给我结账时，我发现我身上的钱不够付，还差12美元。我开始从袋子里面往外拿东西，这时另外一个顾客递给了我20美元。

“Please don’t put yourself out,” I told him.
我对他说，“我不想给您添麻烦。”

“Let me tell you a story,” he said. “My mother is in the hospital with cancer. I visit her every day and bring her flowers.
“我给你讲个故事吧，”他说。“我妈妈因为癌症住院了。我每天都买了花去看她。”
I went this morning, and she got cross with me for spending my money on more flowers.
“我今天早上也去了，然后她因为我每天给她买花这件事生气。”
She demanded that I do something else with that money. So, here, please accept this. It’s my mother’s flowers.”
“她要求我用这个钱做点别的事情。所以请收下这些钱吧。它们是我妈妈的花。”
——故事来自 Leslie Wagner
Jim and the Job
吉姆和那份工作
My neighbour, Jim, had trouble deciding if he wanted to retire from the construction field, until he ran into a younger man he’d worked with previously.
我的邻居吉姆，一直无法决定他是否要从建筑领域退休，直到他遇到了一个以前一起共事过的男人。
The young man had a wife and three children and was finding it difficult to make ends meet, since he hadn’t worked in some time.
这个年轻的男人有一个妻子和三个孩子。他有一段时间没工作了，家里入不敷出。
The next morning, Jim went to the union office and submitted his retirement paperwork. As for his replacement, he gave them the name of the young man.
第二天早上，吉姆就去了工会办公室，递交了退休申请。并且他让那个年轻男人做了他的替代者。
That was six years ago, and that young husband and father has been employed ever since.
这是6年之前的事了。从那以后这个年轻的丈夫和父亲一直都有着工作。
——来自 Miranda MacLean
A Family’s Food Angel
为家里带来食物的天使
While going through a divorce, my mother fretted over her new worries: no income, the same bills, and no way to afford groceries.
熬过离婚之后，我妈妈又有了新的烦恼：没有收入，支出却还是那么多，而且我们买不起吃的。
It was around this time that she started finding boxes of food outside our door every morning. This went on for months, until she was able to land a job.
大约在那时开始，她每天早上都能在家门外发现盒子装着的食物。这情况持续了几个月，直到她后来找到工作。
We never found out who left the groceries, but they truly saved our lives.
我们从来都不知道是谁留下的那些食物，但是他们真的救了我们的命。
来自——Jamie Boleyn
The Little Lift
小礼物
One evening, I left a restaurant just ahead of a woman assisting her elderly mother.
一天晚上，我从一家餐馆走出来，后面紧跟着一个女人，搀扶着她年长的母亲。
I approached a step up and paused to see if my arthritic knees could climb it.
我向上走了一个台阶，然后停下来看看我有膝关节炎的腿能否继续向上走。
To my right appeared an arm to assist. It was that of the elderly mother. My heart was so touched.
在我的右边，出现了一只手想要帮扶我。是那个年迈的老母亲。我非常地感动。
来自—— Donna Moerie
Colour Me Amazed
让我惊讶的“颜色”
I forgot about the rules on liquids in carry-on luggage, so when I hit security at the airport, I had to give up all my painting supplies.
我忘了登机随身携带行李的规定，所以当我到机场时，我不得不扔掉我所有的绘画用品。
When I returned a week later, an attendant was at the baggage area with my paints.一个星期后我回来，一个服务员在行李区拿着我的颜料等着我。
Not only had he kept them for me, but he’d looked up my return date and time in order to meet me.
他不仅替我保管了颜料，而且为了能够等到我，他还查了我的返程日期。
来自——Marilyn Kinsella
Bounty for a Wife
给一个妻子的恩惠
I was balancing caring for a toddler and holding down a full-time job, while my navy husband was on extended duty overseas.
我那当海军的丈夫在国外执行长期任务，我只能艰难地在照顾孩子和全职工作之间找平衡。
One evening, the doorbell rang. It was my neighbour, who was retired from the navy, holding a breadboard loaded with a freshly cooked chicken and vegetable stew. 

一天晚上，门铃响了。是我的邻居，一个退休海军。他手里托着一个擀面板，上面放着一碗新鲜的鸡肉蔬菜炖汤。
“I’ve noticed you’re getting a little skinny,” he said.
“我注意到你最近变瘦了。”他说。

It was the best meal I’d had in months.
这是我几个月来吃过的最好吃的一顿饭。
来自—— Patricia Fordney
She Gave Me Direction
她为我指明了方向
As I left a party, I got on the wrong freeway and was immediately lost. I pulled over to the shoulder and called my roadside-assistance provider.
有一次我离开聚会之后开上了错误的高速公路，然后马上就迷路了。我把车停在路肩，给道路救援打电话。
She tried to connect me to a ­freeway police patrol, but that call never went through.
她试图帮我打给高速的巡逻警察，但是电话没有接通。
Hearing the panic in my voice, she came up with a plan B: “You’re near this office,” she said. “I’m about to go off shift. Stay put, and I’ll find you.”
她听出了我声音中的恐慌，想出了第二个方案。“你离我办公室很近了。”她说，“我快下班了。你原地别动，我去找你。”

Ten minutes later, she rolled up. She guided me not only to the right freeway but all the way to the correct freeway exit.
十分钟之后，她出现了。她不仅给我指了对的那条高速公路，还把所有通向正确出口的路都告诉了我。
And then, with a wave goodbye, she drove back into the night.
然后，她朝我挥手再见，消失在夜色中。
来自——Michelle Arnold
Breaking Bread
掰开的面包
Last December, before work, I stopped at a café and ordered an everything bagel with cream cheese.
去年十二月，我上班之前在咖啡馆里要了一份什么都加的奶油芝士百吉饼。
It was toasty warm, and I couldn’t wait to dig in.
它被烤得温热，我迫不及待想开吃了。
But as I left the café, I noticed an older homeless gentleman sitting at the bus stop.
但是当我离开咖啡馆的时候，我注意到一个无家可归的老人坐在公交车站。
Knowing it would probably be his only warm meal of the day, I gave him the bagel.
想到这可能是他一天中唯一一顿热乎的饭了，我便把我的百吉饼给了他。

But all was not lost for me. Another customer from the café offered me half of her bagel. I was so delighted because I realised that in one way or another, we’re all looked after.
但我并没有失去什么。另外一位从咖啡馆出来的顾客分给了我她一半的百吉饼。我非常高兴，因为我意识到，我们都在以这样或者那样的方式在关心着别人。
来自——Liliana Figueroa
“I Can Still Help”
我还能帮你
As I walked through the parking lot, all I could think about was the dire diagnosis I had handed my patient Jimmy: pancreatic cancer.
当我走过停车场时，我满脑子想的都是我给我的病人吉米的可怕的诊断：胰腺癌。
Just then, I noticed an elderly gentleman handing tools to someone working under his stalled car. That someone was Jimmy.
就在那时，我注意到一个老人正在给一个人递工具。那个人正是吉米，他在老人陷入泥中的车下忙活着。

“Jimmy, what are you doing?” I yelled out.
“吉米，你在干什么！”我喊了出来。

Jimmy dusted off his pants. “My cancer didn’t tell me not to help others, Doc,” he said, before waving at the old man to start the car.
吉米拍了拍裤子上的土，“我的癌症没有告诉我不要去帮别人，医生。”他说。随后他向老人挥手，让他发动汽车。
The engine roared to life. The old man thanked Jimmy and drove off. Then Jimmy got into his car and took off as well.
发动机轰鸣起来，工作正常。老人向吉米表达了感谢，开车驶离。然后吉米进到车里，也离开了。

Take-home message: kindness has no limits and no restrictions.
记住：善良不受任何限制。
来自——Dr Mohammed Basha
He Kept an Eye on Me
他一直留意着我
Driving home in a bad storm, I noticed a vehicle trailing close behind me.
在暴风雪中开车回家时，我注意到一辆车一直跟在我车的后面。
Suddenly, my tyre blew!
突然，我的轮胎爆了！
I pulled off the road, and so did the other car.
我停在了路边，那辆车也是。
A man jumped out from behind the wheel and without hesitation changed the flat.
一个人从车轮后面跳了出来，毫不犹豫地给我换了一个备胎。

“I was going to turn off three kilometres back,” he said. “But I didn’t think that tyre looked good.”
“我得调头回去了，我开过了三公里。”他说。“因为我觉得你的轮胎看起来有问题。”
——来自Marilyn Attebery
My Commander’s Call
来自指挥官的安慰
It was one of my first missions on a gunship during the Vietnam War.
这是我在越南战争期间在武装直升机上的第一个任务。
I was scanning for enemy fire when I spotted a bright object that looked as if it were coming straight at us.
我观察着敌军的火力点，这时我看见了一个发光的物体，看起来正直直地朝我们射过来。
“Missile! Missile!” I shouted into my interphone.
“导弹！导弹！”我对着对讲机大喊。
The pilot jerked the plane as hard as he could, dumping guys from one side of the craft to the next.
飞行员用尽全力急拉飞机，机内的人全被甩到了另一侧。
Well, turns out the “missile” was a flare we had just dropped. Suffice it to say, the guys weren’t pleased.
然而，那个“导弹”其实只是颗刚刚落下的照明弹。恩，简单地说，机内的人很不高兴。

Back at the base, my commander put an arm around my shoulder. “Sergeant Hunter,” he said, “you keep calling them like you see them. Better safe than sorry.”
回到基地，我的指挥官一只胳膊搂住我的肩膀。“小队长，”他说，“你一直在喊导弹导弹，好像你真的看见他们了一样。确保安全总比弄错了之后的歉意重要。”

That kind act gave me the confidence to be one of the top gunners in my squadron.
他的这个举动给了我信心，使我成为了中队里数一数二的枪手。
来自——Douglas Hunter
21 Apples From Max
来自麦克斯的21个苹果
When my grandson Max told his mother, Andrea, to donate any cheque she would give him for his 21st birthday to charity, Andrea got an idea.
我的孙子麦克斯对他的妈妈安德拉说，他希望把庆祝他21岁生日的钱捐给慈善协会。安德拉想出了一个办法。

She handed Max’s brother Charlie a video camera. Then she withdrew 21 $10 notes from the bank and bought 21 apples at the supermarket.
她给了麦克斯的哥哥查理一个相机，然后从银行取21张10元钞票并在超市买了21个苹果。
When they spotted a homeless man, Andrea told him, “Today is my son Max’s 21st birthday, and he asked me to give a gift to someone to help him celebrate.”
当他们看见了一个流浪汉时，安德拉对他说，“今天是我儿子麦克斯的21岁生日，他希望我给别人送礼物来给他庆祝生日。”
She handed the man a $10 note and an apple. The man smiled into the camera and announced, “Happy birthday, Max!”
她递给这个男人10美元和一个苹果。流浪汉朝着相机微笑然后说，“生日快乐，麦克斯！”

Soon, they passed out their booty to men and women waiting in line at a soup kitchen. In a unified chorus, they wished Max, “Happy birthday!”
很快，他们把苹果和钱分发给在一家汤店前排成一队的男人和女人们。他们整齐地喊着，“麦克斯，生日快乐！”

At a pizza parlour, Andrea left $50 and told the owners to feed the hungry. “Happy birthday, Max!” they shouted.
在一家披萨店，安德拉给店主留了50美元并告诉店主，把钱用来给穷人们食物。
“生日快乐，麦克斯！”他们也大喊着。

With one last $10 note and apple, they stopped at Andrea’s sister’s office. Unable to contain her laughter or her tears, she bellowed into the camera, “Happy birthday, Max!”
只剩一张钞票和一个苹果了，他们来到了安德拉姐姐的办公室。她无法控制情绪地兴奋地入了镜：“生日快乐，麦克斯！”
来自——Dr Donald Stoltz
How Did She Know?
她是怎么知道的？
I was driving across the country to start a new job.
我开车穿越了整个国家，开始新的工作。
What began as a fun adventure turned into a nightmare when I realised I had run through most of my money and still had a long way to go.
当我意识到我还剩下很长的路要走，却已经快没钱了的时候，这场像探险一样的开心旅程渐渐变成噩梦。
I pulled over and let the tears flow. That’s when I noticed the unopened farewell card my neighbour had shoved in my hand as I left.
我停在路边，让眼泪流下。然后我意识到，邻居临走前塞在我手里的告别卡我还没有打开。
I pulled the card out of the envelope, and $100 dropped out – just enough to get me through the remainder of my trip.
我把卡片从信封中拿出来，然后有100美元掉了出来——刚好够我继续剩下的旅程。
Later, I asked my neighbour why she had enclosed the money. She said, “I had a feeling it would help.”
后来我问我的邻居，为什么她在里面装了钱？她说，“我有一种感觉，它帮得上你。”
来自——Nadine Chandler
Blanket Statement

毯子的价值
When I was seven, my family drove to the Grand Canyon in Arizona.
我七岁的时候，我的家人驱车前往亚利桑那州的大峡谷。
At one point, my favourite blanket flew out the window and was gone.
行进到某处时，我最喜欢的毯子被吹飞出了窗外消失了。
I was devastated. Soon after, we stopped at a service station.
我非常难过。不久后，我们停在了一个服务区。
I found a bench and was about to eat my sandwich when a biker gang pulled into the station.
我找到了一个长凳。刚准备吃三明治，就看到一队自行车手进了服务区。

“Is that your blue Ford?” a huge, frightening man with a grey and black beard asked.
“那是你的蓝色福特车吗？”一个魁梧的留着黑色和灰色胡须的男人问道。
My mother nodded reticently.
我妈妈没说话，点了点头。
The man pulled my blanket from his jacket pocket and handed it to her.
那个男人从他夹克的口袋里拽出了我的毯子，交给了我妈妈。
He then returned to his motorcycle. I repaid him the only way I knew how: I ran up to him and gave him my sandwich.
他随后走向了他的摩托车。我用我当时所知的唯一的方法回报了他：我跑向他，给了他我的三明治。
来自——Zena Hamilton
Twice as Nice
双份的精彩
Two firefighters were waiting in line at a fast-food restaurant when the siren sounded on their fire engine parked outside.
两个消防队员正在一家快餐店排队等候，突然他们停在外面的消防车上的警笛响了。
As they turned to leave, a couple who’d just received their order, handed their food to the firefighters.
正当他们准备离开的时候，一对刚刚取回食物的夫妻把他们的食物给了消防员。 The couple then got back in line to reorder. Doubling down on their selfless act, the manager refused to take their money.
这对夫妇回到等候线重新点餐。经理没有收取他们的餐费，作为刚刚无私行为的加倍回报。
来自——JoAnn Sanderson
Just Driving Through
仅仅是驾车路过
When my friend and I were injured in a car accident, a family from out of state stopped to help.
我和我的朋友在一次车祸中受伤了，一个来自别的州的家庭停下来帮助我们。Seeing we were hurt, they drove us to the hospital and stayed there until we were released.
他们发现我们受伤了，就开车带我们到医院，然后留在那里观察直到我们伤情好转。
They then took us home, got us food, and made sure we were settled in.
之后他们把我们带回家 ，给了我们食物，确保我们呆得很舒适。
Amazingly, they interrupted their holiday to help us.
这让我非常惊讶，因为他们为了帮助我们而中断了自己的假期。
来自——Cindy Earls
By the Book
书旁的善意
I’d pulled over onto the side of a road and was suffering a panic attack when a minivan full of kids pulled over.
我把车停在路边，心里感到很恐慌。这时一辆坐满了孩子的小货车开了过来。
A woman got out and asked if I was OK. “No,” I said.
一个女人从车里出来，问我是否还好。我说，不。
Then I laid out what had happened: I was delivering books for a publishing company. My next stop was way, way up this long and winding and, to me, very treacherous road. I couldn’t do it.
然后我说出了发生着什么：我在为一家出版公司运书。我的下一站离这里非常远，道路漫长而曲折。对我来说，这条路实在太危险了，我开不了。
“I’ll deliver the books for you,” she said. She was a local, and the roads were nothing for her.
“我帮你送书吧。”她说。她是本地人，这些路对她来说不算什么。
I took her up on the offer and never forgot the simple kindness of this stranger.
我接受了她的提议。我永远不会忘记来自陌生人的最简单的善良。
来自——Doreen Frick
White Shoulders
白色肩膀
A woman at our garage sale wore a perfume that smelled heavenly and familiar.
闲置物品交易会上，一个女人喷的香水闻起来极其美好又熟悉。
“What are you wearing?” I asked.

“White Shoulders,” she said.
“你喷的什么香水？”我问。“白色肩膀。”她回答。
Suddenly, I was bowled over by a flood of memories.
突然，如洪水般的回忆向我袭来。
White Shoulders was the one gift I could count on at Christmas from my late mother.
白色肩膀是我指望在圣诞节从我已故的母亲那里得到的礼物。
We chatted awhile, and she bought some things and left.
我们聊了一会，她买了一些东西，离开了。
A few hours later, she returned holding a new bottle of White Shoulders.
几个小时之后，她回来了，手里拿着一瓶新的白色肩膀。
I don’t recall which one of us started crying first.
我记不清我们两个是谁先开始哭的了。
来自——Media Stooksbury
Lace With Love
用爱系好的鞋带
Children were playing at the recreation area of an IKEA store when my five-year-old granddaughter motioned for a small boy to stop.
孩子们在宜家门口的接待区玩耍，这时我五岁的孙女示意一个小男孩停下来。
She knelt down before him and re-tied his flopping shoelaces – she had only just learned to tie her own.
她在小男孩面前跪下来，系好他松开的鞋带——她才刚刚学会系自己的。
No words were spoken, but after she finished, both smiled shyly, then turned to race off in different directions.
他们谁都没说话，她系好之后，两个人相对羞涩一笑，然后向不同的方向跑去了。
来自——Sheela Mayes
A Key to Kindness
打开善良大门的钥匙
Leaving a shop, I returned to my car only to find that I’d locked my keys and mobile phone inside.
走出商店准备回到车里的时候，我发现我把我的钥匙和手机锁在车里面了。
A teenager riding his bike saw me kick a tyre and say a few choice words. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
一个少年骑自行车路过，看见我在踹轮胎，嘴里还念念不休。“发生什么事了？”他问我。

I explained my situation. “But even if I could call my wife,” I said, “she can’t bring me her car key, since this is our only car.”
我向他说明了我的处境。“但是即使我可以给我的妻子打电话，”我说，“她也没法把钥匙给我送过来，因为我们家只有这一辆车。”

He handed me his mobile phone. “Phone your wife and tell her I’m coming to get her key.”
他把他的手机递给我：“给你妻子打电话，我去她那里取钥匙。”

“That’s a round trip of 11 kilometres.”

“Don’t worry about it.”
“来回可是11公里啊。”“别担心。”

An hour later, he returned with the key. I offered him some money, but he refused.
一个小时之后，他带着钥匙回来了。我给了他一点钱，但是他拒绝了。

“Let’s just say I needed the exercise,” he said. Then, like a cowboy in the movies, he rode off into the sunset.
“就当我骑车锻炼了。”他说。之后，就向电影里的牛仔一样，他消失在夕阳中。来自——Clarence Stephens
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