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Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that thankfulness is indeed a virtue.
—William Bennett
At first it sounded like a Thanksgiving story, but the more I reflected on it, the more 2)appropriate it seemed for any time of the year. The way I heard it, the story went like this:
Thanksgiving Day was near. The first grade teacher gave her class a fun assignment—to draw a picture of something for which they were thankful.
Most of the class might be considered economically 3)disadvantaged, but still many would celebrate the holiday with turkey and other traditional 4)goodies of the season. These, the teacher thought, would be the subjects of most of her students’ art. And they were.
But Douglas made a different kind of picture. Douglas was a different kind of boy. He was the teacher’s true child of 5)misery, 6)frail and unhappy. As other children played at 7)recess, Douglas was likely to stand close by her side. One could only guess at the pain Douglas felt behind those sad eyes.
Yes, his picture was different. When asked to draw a picture of something for which he was thankful, he drew a hand. Nothing else. Just an empty hand.
His abstract image captured the imagination of his 8)peers. Whose hand could it be? One child guessed it was the hand of a farmer, because farmers raise turkeys. Another suggested a police officer, because the police protect and care for people. Still others guessed it was the hand of God, for God feeds us. And so the discussion went—until the teacher almost forgot the young artist himself.
When the children had gone on to other assignments, she paused at Douglas’ desk, bent down, and asked him whose hand it was. The little boy looked away and 9)murmured, “It’s yours, teacher.”
She recalled the times she had taken his hand and walked with him here or there, as she had the other students. How often had she said, “Take my hand, Douglas, we’ll go outside.” Or, “Let me show you how to hold your pencil.” Or, “Let’s do this together.” Douglas was most thankful for his teacher’s hand.
10)Brushing aside a tear, she went on with her work.
The story speaks of more than thankfulness. It says something about teachers teaching and parents parenting and friends showing friendship, and how much it means to the Douglases of the world. They might not always say thanks, but they’ll remember the hand that reaches out.
这个故事最初听起来像是一个感恩节故事，但我越想越觉得它适用于任何时候。我听到的故事是这样的：
感恩节临近了，有位一年级老师给班上的学生布置了一项好玩的作业——画出他们想感谢的东西。
班上大多数孩子的家庭并不富裕，但很多人仍然会吃火鸡及其它传统的应节食物来庆祝感恩节。老师预料大部分孩子都会画这类感恩节食物。情况也果然如此。
但道格拉斯画了一幅很不一样的图画。道格拉斯本来就是个与众不同的男孩，在老师眼中他是个苦难深重、虚弱、郁郁寡欢的孩子。当其他孩子在课间休息玩耍时，道格拉斯常常会紧靠她身边站着。人们只能从他忧郁的眼睛中猜测道格拉斯承受的痛苦。
是的，他的图画与众不同。当被要求画出想感谢的东西时，他画了一只手，其它什么也没有，只是一只空空的手。
他抽象的图画引起了同学们的纷纷猜测。那会是谁的手呢？一个小朋友猜那是农夫的手，因为他们喂养出火鸡。另一个小朋友说是警察的手，因为警察保护及照顾大家。还有一些人猜那是上帝的手，因为上帝赐给我们食物。猜测在继续着——以至于老师差不多将小画家给忘了。
当孩子们接着做其它作业时，她在道格拉斯的桌旁停下来，弯下腰问他那是谁的手。小男孩眼望别处怯怯地说：“老师，那是你的手。”
她回想起，有时她会像对其他学生一样，牵着他的手一起去这儿，到那儿。她常说：“拉着我的手，道格拉斯，我们走到外面去。”或：“让我教你怎样拿铅笔。”又或者：“我们一起来做这件事吧。”道格拉斯最感激的是老师的手。
老师擦掉眼泪，继续工作。
这故事讲述的不仅仅是感激之情。它宣扬了为师之道、父母对孩子的教育方法、朋友间的互相扶持，以及这种帮助对世界上与道格拉斯处境相同的人们是何等重要。他们不一定会经常表达谢意，但他们永远记得伸过来的援手。
翻译：Wendy
—William Bennett
At first it sounded like a Thanksgiving story, but the more I reflected on it, the more 2)appropriate it seemed for any time of the year. The way I heard it, the story went like this:
Thanksgiving Day was near. The first grade teacher gave her class a fun assignment—to draw a picture of something for which they were thankful.
Most of the class might be considered economically 3)disadvantaged, but still many would celebrate the holiday with turkey and other traditional 4)goodies of the season. These, the teacher thought, would be the subjects of most of her students’ art. And they were.
But Douglas made a different kind of picture. Douglas was a different kind of boy. He was the teacher’s true child of 5)misery, 6)frail and unhappy. As other children played at 7)recess, Douglas was likely to stand close by her side. One could only guess at the pain Douglas felt behind those sad eyes.
Yes, his picture was different. When asked to draw a picture of something for which he was thankful, he drew a hand. Nothing else. Just an empty hand.
His abstract image captured the imagination of his 8)peers. Whose hand could it be? One child guessed it was the hand of a farmer, because farmers raise turkeys. Another suggested a police officer, because the police protect and care for people. Still others guessed it was the hand of God, for God feeds us. And so the discussion went—until the teacher almost forgot the young artist himself.
When the children had gone on to other assignments, she paused at Douglas’ desk, bent down, and asked him whose hand it was. The little boy looked away and 9)murmured, “It’s yours, teacher.”
She recalled the times she had taken his hand and walked with him here or there, as she had the other students. How often had she said, “Take my hand, Douglas, we’ll go outside.” Or, “Let me show you how to hold your pencil.” Or, “Let’s do this together.” Douglas was most thankful for his teacher’s hand.
10)Brushing aside a tear, she went on with her work.
The story speaks of more than thankfulness. It says something about teachers teaching and parents parenting and friends showing friendship, and how much it means to the Douglases of the world. They might not always say thanks, but they’ll remember the hand that reaches out.
这个故事最初听起来像是一个感恩节故事，但我越想越觉得它适用于任何时候。我听到的故事是这样的：
感恩节临近了，有位一年级老师给班上的学生布置了一项好玩的作业——画出他们想感谢的东西。
班上大多数孩子的家庭并不富裕，但很多人仍然会吃火鸡及其它传统的应节食物来庆祝感恩节。老师预料大部分孩子都会画这类感恩节食物。情况也果然如此。
但道格拉斯画了一幅很不一样的图画。道格拉斯本来就是个与众不同的男孩，在老师眼中他是个苦难深重、虚弱、郁郁寡欢的孩子。当其他孩子在课间休息玩耍时，道格拉斯常常会紧靠她身边站着。人们只能从他忧郁的眼睛中猜测道格拉斯承受的痛苦。
是的，他的图画与众不同。当被要求画出想感谢的东西时，他画了一只手，其它什么也没有，只是一只空空的手。
他抽象的图画引起了同学们的纷纷猜测。那会是谁的手呢？一个小朋友猜那是农夫的手，因为他们喂养出火鸡。另一个小朋友说是警察的手，因为警察保护及照顾大家。还有一些人猜那是上帝的手，因为上帝赐给我们食物。猜测在继续着——以至于老师差不多将小画家给忘了。
当孩子们接着做其它作业时，她在道格拉斯的桌旁停下来，弯下腰问他那是谁的手。小男孩眼望别处怯怯地说：“老师，那是你的手。”
她回想起，有时她会像对其他学生一样，牵着他的手一起去这儿，到那儿。她常说：“拉着我的手，道格拉斯，我们走到外面去。”或：“让我教你怎样拿铅笔。”又或者：“我们一起来做这件事吧。”道格拉斯最感激的是老师的手。
老师擦掉眼泪，继续工作。
这故事讲述的不仅仅是感激之情。它宣扬了为师之道、父母对孩子的教育方法、朋友间的互相扶持，以及这种帮助对世界上与道格拉斯处境相同的人们是何等重要。他们不一定会经常表达谢意，但他们永远记得伸过来的援手。
翻译：Wendy