作者介紹: 特蕾莎修女(Mother Teresa,1910-1997)，印度著名的慈善家，印度天主教仁愛傳教會創始人，在世界範圍內建立了一個龐大的慈善機構網，贏得了國際社會的廣泛尊敬。1979年被授予諾貝爾和平獎。本文所選即好在領取該獎項時的演講辭，語言簡潔質樸而感人至深。諾貝爾獎領獎台上響起的聲音往往都是文采飛揚、熱烈、激昂。而特雷莎修女的演說樸實無華，其所舉事例聽來似平凡之至，然而其中所蘊含的偉大而神聖的愛感人至深。平凡中孕育偉大，真情才能動人。我們作文時，要善於從自己所熟知的平凡中發掘偉大，以真情來打動讀者。
The poor are very wonderful people. One evening we went out and we picked up four people from the street. And one of them was in a most terrible condition，and I told the sisters: You take care of the other three. I take care of this one who looked worse. So I did for her all that my love can do. I put her in bed, and there was such a beautiful smile on her face. She took hold of my hand as she said just the words “thank you” and she died. I could not help but examine my conscience[良心]before her and I asked what would I say if I was in her place. And my answer was very simple. I would have tried to draw a little attention to myself. I would have said I am hungry, that I am dying, I am cold, I am in pain, or something, but she gave me much more-she gave me her grateful love. And she died with a smile on her face. As did that man whom we picked up from the drain[陰溝、下水道], half eaten with worms, and we brought him to the home. “I have lived like an animal in the street, but I am going to die like an angel, loved and cared for.” And it was so wonderful to see the greatness of that man who could speak like that, who could die like that without blaming anybody, without cursing anybody, without comparing anything. Like an angel-this is the greatness of our people. And that is why we believe what Jesus had said: I was hungry, I was naked, I was homeless, I was unwanted, unloved, uncared for, and you did it to me.
窮人是非常了不起的人。一天晚上，我們外出，從街上帶回了四個人，其中一個生命岌岌可危。於是我告訴修女們說：“你們照料其他三個，這個瀕危的人就由我來照顧了。”就這樣，我為她做了我的愛所能做的一切。我將她放在床上，看到她的臉上綻露出如此美麗的微笑。她握著我的手，只說了句“謝謝您”就死了。我情不自禁地在她面前審視起自己的良知來。我問自己，如果我是她的話，會說些什麼呢？答案很簡單，我會儘量引起旁人對我的關注，我會說我飢餓難忍，冷得發抖，奄奄一息，痛苦不堪，諸如此類的話。但是她給我的卻更多更多――她給了我她的感激之情。她死時臉上卻帶著微笑。我們從排水道帶回的那個男子也是如此。當時，他幾乎全身都快被蟲子吃掉了，我們把他帶回了家。“在街上，我一直像個動物一樣地活著，但我將像個天使一樣地死去，有人愛，有人關心。”真是太好了，我看到了他的偉大之處，他竟能說出那樣的話。他那樣地死去，不責怪任何人，不詛咒任何人，無欲無求。像天使一樣――這便是我們的人民的偉大之所在。因此我們相信耶穌所說的話――我飢腸轆轆――我衣不蔽體――我無家可歸――我不為人所要，不為人所愛，也不為人所關心――然而，你卻為我做了這一切。
I believe that we are not real social workers. We may be doing social work in the eyes of the people, but we are really contemplatives[修行者、沉思冥想的人] in the heart of the world. For we are touching the body of Christ twenty-four hours…And I think that in our family we don’t need bombs and guns, to destroy, to bring peace, just get together, love one another, bring that peace, that joy, that strength of presence of each other in the home. And we will be able to overcome all the evil that is in the world.
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