窗口―一種與人分享的幸福
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military and a whole lot of things. Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.
As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn’t hear the band ― he could see it. In his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.
Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.
The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, “Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.”
兩個病重的男人住在同一間病房。其中一個每天下午能夠在床上坐起來一個小時，以便排出肺部的流質食物。他的床靠著這間房子的惟一一扇窗戶。另一個人則只能平躺在床上度日。
他們能連續說上好幾個小時的話。他們談論各自的妻子和家人，他們的家，他們的工作，他們參軍的經歷，還有好多其他的事情。每天下午，靠著窗戶的那個人能坐起來的時候，他總是向他的室友描繪他看到的窗外發生的所有事情。 睡在另一張床上的人開始盼望那些一小時的生活。每當那時，他的生活就會因窗外的一切活動和窗外的多姿多彩而感到開闊和愉快。
從窗口望去是一個公園，里面有一個可愛的池塘。鴨子和天鵝在水中嬉戲，孩子們則在劃模型船，年輕的戀人手挽手在絢麗多彩的花叢中散步，遠處是城市地平線上美麗的風景。
靠窗的這個人用優美的語言詳細描繪這些的時候，房子另一端的那個人就會閉上眼睛想象那些栩栩如生的情景。
一個溫和的下午，窗口的那個人描繪了經過此處的閱兵。盡管另一個人聽不到樂隊演奏，但他卻能看到。當窗口那個人用生動的語言描繪的時候，他則用心在看。
一天天過去了，一周周過去了。一天早晨，當值白班的護士為他們提來洗澡水，看到的卻是窗口那個男人的尸體，他已經在睡夢中安然去世了。她很悲傷，便叫醫院的值班人員把尸體抬走了。
一到合適的時機，另一個人便問他能否搬到窗口那兒去。護士很樂意為他做了調換，在確信他覺得舒適后，就離開了。緩慢地，痛苦地，他用一個胳膊肘支撐著自己起來，想第一次親眼看看外面的真實世界。他竭盡全力慢慢地朝床邊的窗口望去，看到的卻只是一面墻。
這個人問護士是什么促使他過世的室友描繪出窗外那么豐富的世界的。護士回答說，那個人是個盲人，甚至連墻都看不見。她說：“也許他只是想鼓勵你。”
散文 英語本文地址：http://www.autochemexpert.com/writing/essay/43800.html
