透過李家同簡潔而寓意深遠的文章，領略用英文表達中文故事的妙趣

我在此給讀者一個建議：你不妨先看看中文文章，先不看英文的翻譯，然後試著將中文翻成英文，我相信你一定會覺得中翻英好困難。翻完以後，再去看英文翻譯，相信可以學到不少，也可以寫出越來越像外國人的句子。-- 李家同

李花村 Plum Blossom Village

我行醫已經快四十年了，以目前情況來看，我相信孩子存活的機會非常小，可是我仍安排他住進加護病房，孩子臉上罩上了氧氣罩，靜靜地躺著。我忽然跪下來作了一個非常誠懇的祈禱，我向上蒼說，我願意走，希望上蒼將孩子留下來。理由很簡單，我已六十五歲，這一輩子活得豐富而舒適，我已對人世沒什麼眷戀，可是孩子只有六歲，讓他活下去，好好地享受人生吧！

I’ve been a doctor for nearly forty years; judging by the look of things, I knew that the boy’s chances of survival were very slim.  In spite of that, however, I had him put in the ICU.  He lay there quietly, an oxygen mask covering his face.  Suddenly I knelt down and said an unusually earnest prayer.  “I’m willing to die, but I hope You will preserve this boy,” I said to God.  “The reason is simple: I‘m 65 years old.  I’ve lived a full and comfortable life; now I’m ready to take my leave of this world.  But this boy is only six!  Please let him live.  Let him enjoy what life has to offer.”

〈來自遠方的孩子The Boy from a Distant Land〉
他老是一個人。在美國，雖然個人主義流行，但並不提倡孤獨主義，青少年老是呼朋引伴而行。
He was always alone—in America, individualism may be fashionable, but being a loner isn’t.  Young people tend to travel in groups.

〈李花村 Plum Blossom Village〉
我行醫已經快四十年了，以目前情況來看，我相信孩子存活的機會非常小，可是我仍安排他住進加護病房，孩子臉上罩上了氧氣罩，靜靜地躺著。我忽然跪下來作了一個非常誠懇的祈禱，我向上蒼說，我願意走，希望上蒼將孩子留下來。理由很簡單，我已六十五歲，這一輩子活得豐富而舒適，我已對人世沒什麼眷戀，可是孩子只有六歲，讓他活下去，好好地享受人生吧！

I’ve been a doctor for nearly forty years; judging by the look of things, I knew that the boy’s chances of survival were very slim.  In spite of that, however, I had him put in the ICU.  He lay there quietly, an oxygen mask covering his face.  Suddenly I knelt down and said an unusually earnest prayer.  “I’m willing to die, but I hope You will preserve this boy,” I said to God.  “The reason is simple: I‘m 65 years old.  I’ve lived a full and comfortable life; now I’m ready to take my leave of this world.  But this boy is only six!  Please let him live.  Let him enjoy what life has to offer.”

〈深河Deep River〉
恆河代表上蒼無盡的愛，富人和窮人，他們的骨灰，都進入了恆河，正如上蒼一樣，上蒼接受富人，更接受窮人。
The Ganges represents God’s infinite love.  The ashes of rich and poor al...