母亲节特辑--爱的礼物（英汉读物）

A Gift of Love

     "Can I see my baby?” the happy new mother asked. When the bundle was nestled in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny race, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window. The baby had been both without ears.  Time proved that the baby's heating was perfect. It was only his appearance that was marred.

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     When he rushed home from school one day and flung himself into his mother's arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be a succession of heartbreaks.

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     He blurted out the tragedy. "A boy, a big boy...called me a freak.'' He grew up, handsome for his misfortune.  A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. "But you might mingle with other young people," his mother reproved him, but felt a kindness in her heart.

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     The boy's father had a session with the family physician. Could nothing be done? "I believe I could graft on a pair of outer ears, if they could be procured,'' the doctor decided. So the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man. Two years went by. Then, "You are going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’s a secret,” said the father.

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     The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person emerged. His talent blossomed into genius, and school and college became a series of triumphs. Later he married and entered the diplomatic service. “But I must know!” He urged his father. “Who gave so much for me? I could never do enough for him."
    

     "I do not believe you could," said the father, "but the agreement was that you are not to know...not yet."  The years kept their profound secret, but the day did come ...  one of the darkest days that ever pass through a son.  He stood with his father over his mother's casket.   Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish brown hair to reveal that the mother had no outer ears.

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     "Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut," he whispered gently, "and nobody ever thought mother less beautiful, did they?"

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     Real beauty lies not in the physical appearance, but in the heart. Real love lies not in what is done and known, but in what is done but not known.

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    “我能看看我的孩子吗?”刚生完宝宝的妈妈幸福地问道。小小的婴儿包被放到她怀里，当她打开围布看他那小脸蛋时，她大吃一惊。医生急忙转过身，透过医院高高的窗户朝外望去。孩子生下来就没有耳朵。时间证明孩子的听力没有任何问题，只是长相受到了损坏。

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    一天，他从学校跑回家，一头扑到她的怀里，她叹了口气，知道他的生活会是接连不断的悲伤与痛苦。

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    他脱口说出他的伤心遭遇。“一个男孩，一个大男孩……叫我畸形人。”他长大了，尽管有不幸的残疾，仍可算相貌英俊。他的同学都喜欢他，要不是他的先天缺陷，他会被选为班长的。他逐渐显现出一种天赋，在文学和音·乐方面颇有才华。“你要和别的孩子打交道呀，”母亲嘴上责备他，心中却满是柔情。

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    孩子的父亲和家庭医生谈了一次。难道什么也做不了?“我相信我能够移植外耳，只要能够获得合适的耳朵，”医生拿定主意说。于是他们开始寻找一位愿意为年轻人献出自己耳朵的人。两年过去了。然后有一天父亲说道：“儿子，你将去医院移植耳朵，你母亲和我找到了愿意为你捐献耳朵的人，但这个人是谁是个秘密。”

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    手术非常成功，一位新人出现在人们面前。他的才华尽情绽放，使得他成为一位天才人物，从中学到大学成功不断，风光无限。后来他结婚了，又进入了外交界。“但是我必须知道!”他竭力要求父亲告诉他，“是谁对我如此慷慨?我是永远报答不尽的。”

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    “我想你是报答不尽的，”父亲说，“但是协议是你不能知道……至少现在不能知道。”这深藏的秘密被岁月封存着，但那一天最终还是来临了……那是一个儿子经历的最黑暗的一天。他和父亲站在母亲的棺材前。慢慢地，轻轻地，父亲伸过一只手，撩起母亲厚厚的棕红色头发——母亲没有了外耳。

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    “母亲说她乐意永远不让人家剪她的头发，”他轻声说，“从没有人认为母亲不那么漂亮了，是不是?”

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     真正的美不在外表，而在内心。真正的爱不在让人知道做了什么，而在做了什么，却不为人知。