求一篇感人的英文故事

　　Words from the Heart

　　Most people need to hear those "three little words" I love you Once in a while, they hear them just in time

　　I met Connie the day she was admitted to the hospice1 ward, where I worked as a volunteer Her husband, Bill, stood nervously nearby as she was transferred from the gurney2 to the hospital bed Although Connie was in the final stages of her fight against cancer, she was alert and cheerful We got her settled in I finished marking her name on all the hospital supplies she would be using, then asked if she needed anything

　　"Oh, yes," she said, "would you please show me how to use the TV I enjoy the soaps so much and I don't want to get behind on what's happening" Connie was a romantic She loved soap operas, romance novels and movies with a good love story As we became acquainted, she confided how frustrating it was to be married 32 years to a man who often called her "a silly woman"

　　"Oh, I know Bill loves me," she said, "but he has never been one to say he loves me, or send cards to me" She sighed and looked out the window at the trees in the courtyard "I'd give anything if he'd say ‘I love you,' but it's just not in his nature"

　　Bill visited Connie every day In the beginning, he sat next to the bed while she watched the soaps Later, when she began sleeping more, he paced up and down the hallway outside her room Soon, when she no longer watched television and had fewer waking moments, I began spending more of my volunteer time with Bill

　　He talked about having worked as a carpenter and how he liked to go fishing He and Connie had no children, but they'd been enjoying retirement by traveling, until Connie got sick Bill could not express his feelings about the fact that his wife was dying

　　One day, over coffee in the cafeteria, I got him on the subject of women and how we need romance in our lives; how we love to get sentimental1 cards and love letters

　　"Do you tell Connie you love her" I asked (knowing his answer), and he looked at me as if I was crazy

　　"I don't have to," he said "She knows I do!"

　　"I'm sure she knows," I said, reaching over and touching his hands rough, carpenter's hands that were gripping the cup as if it were the only thing he had to hang onto "but she needs to hear it, Bill She needs to hear what she has meant to you all these years Please think about it"

　　We walked back to Connie's room Bill disappeared inside, and I left to visit another patient Later, I saw Bill sitting by the bed He was holding Connie's hand as she slept The date was February 12

　　Two days later I walked down the hospice ward at noon There stood Bill, leaning up against the wall in the hallway, staring at the floor I already knew from the head nurse that Connie had died at 11 AM

　　When Bill saw me, he allowed himself to come into my arms for a long time His face was wet with tears and he was trembling Finally, he leaned back against the wall and took a deep breath

　　"I have to say something," he said "I have to say how good I feel about telling her" He stopped to blow his nose "I thought a lot about what you said, and this morning I told her how much I loved her and loved being married to her You shoulda2 seen her smile!"

　　I went into the room to say my own good�bye to Connie There, on the bedside table, was a large Valentine card from Bill You know, the sentimental kind that says, "To my wonderful wife I love you"

　　说出心里话

　　大多数人需要听到那“三个小字”——我爱你。有时他们就会在最需要的时候听到。

　　我在康尼住进收容所病房的那天见到了她。我在那儿当义工。把她从轮床抬上病床时，她的丈夫比尔焦虑不安地站在旁边。虽然康尼处于和癌症搏斗的晚期，但她仍然神智清醒，精神愉快。我们把她安顿好。我在医院提供给她使用的所有用品上标上她的名字，然后问她是否需要什么。

　　“啊，是的，”她说，“请告诉我怎么用电视好吗？我非常喜欢肥皂剧，想随时跟上进展情况。”康尼是个浪漫的人。她酷爱肥皂剧、浪漫小说和讲述美好爱情故事的**。随着我们越来越熟，她向我吐露说，跟一个经常叫她“傻女人”的男人生活了32年有多么沮丧。

　　“唉，我知道比尔爱我，”她说道，“可是他从来不说他爱我，也不给我寄贺卡。”她叹了口气，朝窗外庭院里的树望去。“如果他说声‘我爱你’，我愿意付出一切，可这根本不是他的性格。”

　　比尔每天都来探望康尼。一开始，康尼看肥皂剧，他就坐在床旁。后来，她睡的时候多了，比尔就在屋外走廊里踱来踱去。不久，康尼不再看电视了，醒的时候也少了，我开始花更多的义工时间和比尔在一起。

　　他谈到他一直是个木工，他多么喜欢钓鱼。他和康尼没有孩子，但他们四处旅游，享受着退休生活，直到康尼得病。对他妻子病危这一事实，比尔无法表达他的感受。

　　一天，在自助餐厅喝咖啡时，我设法和比尔谈起女人这个话题，谈到生活中我们多么需要浪漫，多想收到充满柔情蜜意的卡片和情书。

　　“你跟康尼说你爱她吗？”我明知故问。他瞧着我，就好像我有神经病。

　　“我没有必要说，”他说道。“她知道我爱她！”

　　“我肯定她知道，”我说。我伸出手，触摸着他那双木工粗糙的手。这双手紧握着杯子，似乎它是他需要依附的惟一东西——“可是她需要听到它，比尔。她需要听到所有这些年来她对你意味什么。请你考虑考虑。”

　　我们走回康尼的房间。比尔进了屋，我走开去看望另一个病人。后来，我看见比尔坐在床边。康尼入睡了，他握着她的一只手。那天是2月12日。

　　两天后的中午时分，我顺着收容所病房过道向前走着。比尔站在那里，靠着墙，凝视着地面。护士长已经告诉我，康尼在上午11点故去了。

　　比尔看见我后，让我拥抱了他许久。他满脸泪水，浑身颤抖。最后，他向后靠在墙上，深深地吸了一口气。

　　“我有话非说不可，”他说道。“我得说，对她说出来，感觉真是好极了。”他停下来擤鼻子。“你说的话我想了很多；今天早上我对她说我多么爱她……我多么珍惜和她结为夫妻。你真该看看她的笑容！”

　　我走进康尼的房间，亲自去和她告别 。我看见，床头桌上放着一张比尔给她的大大的情人节贺卡——就是那种充满柔情蜜意的贺卡，上面写着：“给我出色的妻子……我爱你。”

The passengers on the bus watched sympathetically as the attractive young woman with the white cane made her way carefully up the steps She paid the driver and, using her hands to feel the location of the seats, walked down the aisle and found the seat he'd told her was empty Then she settled in, placed her briefcase on her lap and rested her cane against her leg

It had been a year since Susan, 34, became blind Due to a medical misdiagnosis she had been rendered sightless, and she was suddenly thrown into a world of darkness, anger, frustration and self pity And all she had to cling to was her husband, Mark

Mark was an Air Force officer and he loved Susan with all his heart When she first lost her sight, he watched her sink into despair and was determined to help his wife gain the strength and confidence she needed to become independent again

Finally, Susan felt ready to return to her job, but how would she get there She used to take the bus, but was now too frightened to get around the city by herself Mark volunteered to drive her to work each day, even though they worked at opposite ends of the city

At first, this comforted Susan, and fulfilled Mark's need to protect his sightless wife who was so insecure about performing the slightest task Soon, however, Mark realized the arrangement wasn't working Susan is going to have to start taking the bus again, he admitted to himself But she was still so fragile, so angry - how would she react

Just as he predicted, Susan was horrified at the idea of taking the bus again "I'm blind!", she responded bitterly "How am I supposed to know where I am going I feel like you're abandoning me"

Mark's heart broke to hear these words, but he knew what had to be done He

promised Susan that each morning and evening he would ride the bus with her, for as long as it took, until she got the hang of it

And that is exactly what happened For two solid weeks, Mark, military uniform and all, accompanied Susan to and from work each day He taught her how to rely on her other senses, specifically her hearing, to determine where she was and how to adapt her new environment He helped her befriend the bus drivers who could watch out for her, and save her a seat

Finally, Susan decided that she was ready to try the trip on her own Monday morning arrived, and before she left, she threw her arms around Mark, her temporary bus riding companion, her husband, and her best friend Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his loyalty, his patience, and his love She said good-bye, and for the first time, they went their separate ways

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Each day on her own went perfectly, and Susan had never felt better She was doing it! She was going to work all by herself

On Friday morning, Susan took the bus to work as usual As she was paying the fare to exit the bus, the driver said, "Boy, I sure do envy you"

Susan wasn't sure if the driver was speaking to her or not After all, who on earth would ever envy a blind woman who had struggled just to find the courage to live for the past year Curious, she asked the driver, "Why do you say that you envy me"

The driver responded, "It must feel good to be taken care of and protected like you are"

Susan had no idea what the driver was talking about, and again asked, "What do you mean"

The driver answered, "You know, every morning for the past week, a fine looking gentleman in a military uniform has been standing across the corner watching you as you get off the bus He makes sure you cross the street safely and he watches until you enter your office building Then he blows you a kiss, gives you a little salute and walks away You are one lucky lady"

Tears of happiness poured down Susan's cheeks For although she couldn't physically see him, she had always felt Mark's presence She was lucky, so lucky, for he had given her a gift more powerful than sight, a gift she didn't need to see to believe - the gift of love that can bring light where there is darkness

不知符合要求不？

1}love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you

我爱你，不是因为你是一个怎样的人，而是因为我喜欢与你在一起时的感觉。

2) No man or woman is worth your tears, and the one who is, won‘t make you cry

没有人值得你流泪，值得让你这么做的人不会让你哭泣。

3) The worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside them knowing you can‘t have them

失去某人，最糟糕的莫过于，他近在身旁，却犹如远在天边。

4) Never frown, even when you are sad, because you never know who is falling in love with your smile

纵然伤心，也不要愁眉不展，因为你不知是谁会爱上你的笑容。

5) To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world

对于世界而言，你是一个人；但是对于某个人，你是他的整个世界。

6) Don‘t waste your time on a man/woman, who isn‘t willing to waste their time on you

不要为那些不愿在你身上花费时间的人而浪费你的时间。

7) Just because someone doesn‘t love you the way you want them to, doesn‘t mean they don‘t love you with all they have

爱你的人如果没有按你所希望的方式来爱你，那并不代表他们没有全心全意地爱你。

8) Don‘t try so hard, the best things come when you least expect them to

不要着急，最好的总会在最不经意的时候出现。

9) Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people before meeting the right one, so that when we finally meet the person, we will know how to be grateful

在遇到梦中人之前，上天也许会安排我们先遇到别的人；在我们终于遇见心仪的人时，便应当心存感激。

10) Don‘t cry because it is over, smile because it happened

不要因为结束而哭泣，微笑吧，为你的曾经拥有。

苹果树的故事（中英文版） A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree A little boy loved to come and play around it every day He climbed to the tree top, ate the apples, and took a nap under the shadow He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him Time went byThe little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree One day, the boy came back to the tree and looked sad “Come and play with me,” the tree asked the boy “I am no longer a kid, I don’t play around trees anymore” The boy replied, “I want toys I need money to buy them”“Sorry, but I don’t have moneybut you can pick all my apples and sell them So, you will have money” The boy was so excited He picked all the apples on the tree and left happily The boy didn’t come back after he picked the apples The tree was sad One day, the boy returned and the tree was so excited “Come and play with me” The tree said “I don’t have time to play I have to work for my family We need a house for shelter Can you help me”“Sorry, but I don’t have a house But you can cut off my branches to build your house” So the boy cut all the branches of the tree and left happily The tree was glad to see him happy but the boy didn’t appear since then The tree was again lonely and sad One hot summer day, the boy returned and the tree was delighted “Come and play with me!” the tree said “I am sad and getting old I want to go sailing to relax myself Can you give me a boat”“Use my trunk to build the boat You can sail and be happy” So the boy cut the tree trunk to make a boat He went sailing and did not show up for a long time Finally, the boy returned after he left for so many years “Sorry, my boy But I don’t have anything for you anymore No more apples for you” the tree said “I don’t have teeth to bite” The boy replied “No more trunk for you to climb on”“I am too old for that now” the boy said “I really want to give you somethingthe only thing left is my dying roots” The tree said with tears “I don’t need much now, just a place to rest I am tired after all these years” The boy replied “Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest Come here, please sit down with me and have a rest” The boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears 很久以前有一棵苹果树。一个小男孩每天都喜欢来到树旁玩耍。他爬到树顶，吃苹果，在树荫里打盹……他爱这棵树，树也爱和他一起玩。 随着时间的流逝，小男孩长大了。他不再到树旁玩耍了。 一天，男孩回到树旁，看起来很悲伤。“来和我玩吧！”树说。 “我不再是小孩了，我不会再到树下玩耍了。”男孩答到，“我想要玩具，我需要钱来买。” “很遗憾，我没有钱……但是你可以采摘我的所有苹果拿去卖。这样你就有钱了。”男孩很兴奋。他摘掉树上所有的苹果，然后高兴地离开了。自从那以后男孩没有回来。树很伤心。 一天，男孩回来了，树非常兴奋。“来和我玩吧。”树说。“我没有时间玩。我得为我的家庭工作。我们需要一个房子来遮风挡雨，你能帮我吗？”很遗憾，我没有房子。但是，你可以砍下我的树枝来建房。“因此，男孩砍下所有的树枝，高高兴兴地离开了。 看到他高兴，树也很高兴。但是，自从那时起男孩没再出现，树有孤独，伤心起来。 突然，在一个夏日，男孩回到树旁，树很高兴。“来和我玩吧！”树说。 “我很伤心，我开始老了。我想去航海放松自己。你能不能给我一条船？”“用我的树干去造一条船，你就能航海了，你会高兴的。”于是，男孩砍倒树干去造船。他航海去了，很长一段时间未露面。 许多年后男孩终于回来了。“很遗憾，我的孩子，我再也没有任何东西可以给你了。没有苹果给你……”树说。“我没有牙齿啃。”男孩答到。“没有树干供你爬。”“现在我老了，爬不上去了。”男孩说。“我真的想把一切都给你……我唯一剩下的东西是快要死去的树墩。”树含着眼泪说。“现在，我不需要什么东西，只需要一个地方来休息。经过了这些年我太累了。”男孩答到。“太好了！老树墩就是倚着休息的最好地方。过来，和我一起坐下休息吧。”男孩坐下了，树很高兴，含泪而笑…… This is a story of everyone The tree is our parent When we were young, we loved to play with Mom and Dad When we grow up, we leave them, and only come to them when we need something or when we are in trouble No matter what, parents will always be there and give everything they could to make you happy You may think that the boy is cruel to the tree but that's how all of us are treating our parents 这是一个发生在每一个人身上的故事。那棵树就像我们的父母。我们小的时候，喜欢和爸爸妈妈玩……长大后，便离开他们，只有在我们需要父母亲，或是遇到了困难的时候，才会回去找他们。尽管如此，父母却总是有求必应，为了我们的幸福，无私地奉献自己的一切。你也许觉得那个男孩很残忍，但我们何尝不是这样呢？

呃，再短的我也找不到……浪漫的话很难三言两语说完的，凑活一下，自己缩一缩吧

The Romance of a Busy Broker证券经纪人的浪漫故事

Pitcher, confidential clerk in the office of Harvey Maxwell, broker, allowed a look of mild interest and surprise to visit his usually expressionless countenance when his employer briskly entered at half past nine in company with his young lady stenographer With a snappy Good-morning, Pitcher, Maxwell dashed at his desk as though he were intending to leap over it, and then plunged into the great heap of letters and telegrams waiting there for him

The young lady had been Maxwell's stenographer for a year She was beautiful in a way that was decidedly unstenographic She forewent the pomp of the alluring pompadour She wore no chains, bracelets or lockets She had not the air of being about to accept an invitation to luncheon Her dress was grey and plain, but it fitted her figure with fidelity and discretion In her neat black turban hat was the gold-green wing of a macaw On this morning she was softly and shyly radiant Her eyes were dreamily bright, her cheeks genuine peachblow, her expression a happy one, tinged with reminiscence

Pitcher, still mildly curious, noticed a difference in her ways this morning Instead of going straight into the adjoining room, where her desk was, she lingered, slightly irresolute, in the outer office Once she moved over by Maxwell's desk, near enough for him to be aware of her presence

The machine sitting at that desk was no longer a man; it was a busy New York broker, moved by buzzing wheels and uncoiling springs

Well--what is it Anything asked Maxwell sharply His opened mail lay like a bank of stage snow on his crowded desk His keen grey eye, impersonal and brusque, flashed upon her half impatiently

Nothing, answered the stenographer, moving away with a little smile

Mr Pitcher, she said to the confidential clerk, did Mr Maxwell say anything yesterday about engaging another stenographer

He did, answered Pitcher He told me to get another one I notified the agency yesterday afternoon to send over a few samples this morning It's 945 o'clock, and not a single picture hat or piece of pineapple chewing gum has showed up yet

I will do the work as usual, then, said the young lady, until some one comes to fill the place And she went to her desk at once and hung the black turban hat with the gold-green macaw wing in its accustomed place

He who has been denied the spectacle of a busy Manhattan broker during a rush of business is handicapped for the profession of anthropology The poet sings of the crowded hour of glorious life The broker's hour is not only crowded, but the minutes and seconds are hanging to all the straps and packing both front and rear platforms

And this day was Harvey Maxwell's busy day The ticker began to reel out jerkily its fitful coils of tape, the desk telephone had a chronic attack of buzzing Men began to throng into the office and call at him over the railing, jovially, sharply, viciously, excitedly Messenger boys ran in and out with messages and telegrams The clerks in the office jumped about like sailors during a storm Even Pitcher's face relaxed into something resembling animation

On the Exchange there were hurricanes and landslides and snowstorms and glaciers and volcanoes, and those elemental disturbances were reproduced in miniature in the broker's offices Maxwell shoved his chair against the wall and transacted business after the manner of a toe dancer He jumped from ticker to 'phone, from desk to door with the trained agility of a harlequin

In the midst of this growing and important stress the broker became suddenly aware of a high-rolled fringe of golden hair under a nodding canopy of velvet and ostrich tips, an imitation sealskin sacque and a string of beads as large as hickory nuts, ending near the floor with a silver heart There was a self-possessed young lady connected with these accessories; and Pitcher was there to construe her

Lady from the Stenographer's Agency to see about the position, said Pitcher

Maxwell turned half around, with his hands full of papers and ticker tape

What position he asked, with a frown

Position of stenographer, said Pitcher You told me yesterday to call them up and have one sent over this morning

You are losing your mind, Pitcher, said Maxwell Why should I have given you any such instructions Miss Leslie has given perfect satisfaction during the year she has been here The place is hers as long as she chooses to retain it There's no place open here, madam Countermand that order with the agency, Pitcher, and don't bring any more of 'em in here

The silver heart left the office, swinging and banging itself independently against the office furniture as it indignantly departed Pitcher seized a moment to remark to the bookkeeper that the old man seemed to get more absent-minded and forgetful every day of the world

The rush and pace of business grew fiercer and faster On the floor they were pounding half a dozen stocks in which Maxwell's customers were heavy investors Orders to buy and sell were coming and going as swift as the flight of swallows Some of his own holdings were imperilled, and the man was working like some high-geared, delicate, strong machine--strung to full tension, going at full speed, accurate, never hesitating, with the proper word and decision and act ready and prompt as clockwork Stocks and bonds, loans and mortgages, margins and securities--here was a world of finance, and there was no room in it for the human world or the world of nature

When the luncheon hour drew near there came a slight lull in the uproar

Maxwell stood by his desk with his hands full of telegrams and memoranda, with a fountain pen over his right ear and his hair hanging in disorderly strings over his forehead His window was open, for the beloved janitress Spring had turned on a little warmth through the waking registers of the earth

And through the window came a wandering--perhaps a lost--odour--a delicate, sweet odour of lilac that fixed the broker for a moment immovable For this odour belonged to Miss Leslie; it was her own, and hers only

The odour brought her vividly, almost tangibly before him The world of finance dwindled suddenly to a speck And she was in the next room--twenty steps away

By George, I'll do it now, said Maxwell, half aloud I'll ask her now I wonder I didn't do it long ago

He dashed into the inner office with the haste of a short trying to cover He charged upon the desk of the stenographer

She looked up at him with a smile A soft pink crept over her cheek, and her eyes were kind and frank Maxwell leaned one elbow on her desk He still clutched fluttering papers with both hands and the pen was above his ear

Miss Leslie, he began hurriedly, I have but a moment to spare I want to say something in that moment Will you he my wife I haven't had time to make love to you in the ordinary way, but I really do love you Talk quick, please--those fellows are clubbing the stuffing out of Union Pacific

Oh, what are you talking about exclaimed the young lady She rose to her feet and gazed upon him, round-eyed

Don't you understand said Maxwell, restively I want you to marry me I love you, Miss Leslie I wanted to tell you, and I snatched a minute when things had slackened up a bit They're calling me for the 'phone now Tell 'em to wait a minute, Pitcher Won't you, Miss Leslie

The stenographer acted very queerly At first she seemed overcome with amazement; then tears flowed from her wondering eyes; and then she smiled sunnily through them, and one of her arms slid tenderly about the broker's neck

I know now, she said, softly It's this old business that has driven everything else out of your head for the time I was frightened at first Don't you remember, Harvey We were married last evening at 8 o'clock in the Little Church Around the Corner

证券经纪人哈维·马克斯韦尔于九点半在年轻女速记员陪同下步履轻快地来到办公室。机要秘书皮彻那通常毫无表情的面孔不禁露出一丝好奇和诧异。马克斯韦尔只随口道了声“早上好”，便径直奔向办公桌，匆忙得好像想一步跨过桌面，随后就一头扎进一大堆等着他处理的信件和电报。

年轻女郎给马克斯韦尔当速记员已经有一年。她异常秀美动人，绝非速记员草草几笔所能简单描述。她不愿采用华丽诱人的庞巴杜式发型，不戴项链、手镯或鸡心。她脸上没有随时准备受邀外出进餐的神气。她的灰色衣服素净朴实，但却生动勾勒出她的身材而不失典雅。她那顶精巧的黑色无边帽上插了根艳绿色金刚鹦鹉毛。今天早上，她春风飘逸，温柔而羞涩。她的眼睛流波瞑瞑，双颊桃红妖娆，满面乐融，又略带一丝回味。

好奇之余，皮彻发现今天她的举止也有点儿异样。她没有直接到放有她办公桌的里间办公室去，而是滞留在外间办公室，有点儿拿不定主意似的。她慢慢蹭到马克斯韦尔桌边，离他很近，足以让他意识到她的存在。

坐在办公桌前的他已经不再是个常人，而是一个繁忙的纽约证券经纪人，一架完全受嗡嗡作响的轮子和张开的弹簧所驱动的机器。

“嘿，怎么啦？有事？”马克斯韦尔问，语气尖刻。那些拆开的邮件堆了满满一桌，就像演戏用的假雪。他那锐利的灰蓝色眼睛，毫无人情味儿，严厉粗暴，不耐烦地盯着她。

“没什么，”速记员回答说，然后微笑着走开了。

“皮彻先生，”她问机要秘书，“马克斯韦尔先生昨天提没提过另外雇一名速记员的事？”

“提过，”皮彻说。“他吩咐我另外找一个。昨天下午我已通知职业介绍所，让他们今天上午送几个来面试。现在已经九点四十五了，可还没有哪个戴阔边帽或嚼波萝口香糖的人露面哩。”

“那我还是照常工作好啦，”年轻女郎说，“等有人替补再说。”说完她马上走到自己的办公桌边，在老地方挂起那顶插有金刚鹦鹉毛的黑色无边帽。

谁无缘目睹曼哈顿经纪人在生意高峰时刻那股紧张劲儿，谁搞人类学研究就有极大缺陷。有诗人赞颂“绚丽生活中的拥挤时辰”。证券经纪人不仅时辰拥挤，他的分分秒秒都是挤得满满当当的，像是前后站台都挤满乘客的车厢里的拉手吊带，每根都被拉得紧绷绷的。

今天又正是哈维·马克斯韦尔的大忙天。行情收录器的滚轴开始瑟瑟卷动，忽停忽动地吐出卷纸，桌上的电话像害了慢性病似的响个不停。人们开始涌入办公室，隔着扶手栏杆朝他大喊大叫，有的欣喜若狂，有的横眉竖眼，有的恶意满怀，有的激动不已。信童拿着信件和电报跑进跑出。办公室的职员们忙得跳来跳去，就像与风暴搏斗的水手。连皮彻的脸也舒张开来，显得生机勃勃。

证券交易所里风云变幻，飓风、山崩、雪暴、冰川、火山瞬息交替；这些自然力的剧动以微观形式在经纪人办公室中再现。马克斯韦尔把椅子掀到墙边，如踢跶舞演员般敏捷地处理业务，时而从自动收录器跳向电话，时而从桌前跳到门口，其灵活不亚于受过专门训练的滑稽丑角。

经纪人全神致力于这堆越来越多但又十分重要的事务之中，这时他突然注意到一头高高卷起的金发，上面是顶微微抖动的鹅绒帽和鸵毛羽饰；一件人造海豹皮短大衣，一串大如山核桃的珠子垂近地板，尾端还吊了一个银鸡心。这一大套装饰物与一个沉着镇定的年轻女子相关联。皮彻正准备引荐她，替她作解释。

“这位**从速记员介绍所来，说招聘的事。”

马克斯韦尔侧过身子，手上捏了一把文件和行情纸带。

“招聘什么？”他皱起眉头问。

“速记员，”皮彻说。“昨天你叫我打电话，让他们今天上午送一个过来。”

“你搞糊涂了吧？”马克斯韦尔说。“我干吗给你下这个命令？莱丝丽这一年工作表现十全十美。只要她愿意，这份工作就是她的。**，这儿没有空缺。皮彻，通知事务所，取消要人申请，叫他们别再送人过来。”

银鸡心离开了办公室。一路上她愤愤不平，大摇大摆，把桌椅沙发碰得乒乒乓乓。皮彻忙中偷闲给簿记员说，“老太爷”一天比一天心不在焉，多事健忘。

业务处理越来越紧张，节奏越来越快。在交易所马克斯韦尔的顾客投资巨额的六七种股票正在暴跌。收进和抛出的单据来来去去，疾如燕飞。有些他本人持有的股票也处于危险之中。经纪人工作起来就像一架高速运转、精密复杂、强壮有力的机器——绷紧到最大限度，运转至最快速度，精确无误，坚决果断，措词贴切而决策恰当，行动时机的选择如时钟般准确无误。股票，证券，贷款，抵押，保证金，债券——这是一个金融世界，人际感情或自然本性在这里毫无落脚之地。

午餐时间逐渐临近，喧嚣之中慢慢出现片刻暂息。

马克斯韦尔站在办公桌边，手上捏满了电报和备忘录，右耳上夹了支钢笔，几撮头发零乱地披在脑门上。窗户敞开着，因为亲爱的女门房——春——已经打开苏醒大地的暖气管，送来一丝暖意。

通过窗户飘来一丝悠悠——也许是失散——的香气。这是紫丁香幽微、甜美的芳菲。刹那间，经纪人给怔住了。因为这香气属于莱丝丽**；

这是她本人的气息，她独有的气息。

芳香在他心中唤出她的容貌，栩栩如生，几乎伸手可及。

金融世界转瞬间缩成一点。而她就在隔壁房间，仅二十步之遥。

“天哪，我现在就得去，”马克斯韦尔压低嗓子说。“我现在就去跟她说。怎么我没早点儿想起？”

他箭步冲进里间办公室，像个卖空头的人急于补足那样急不可耐。他对直冲向速记员的办公桌。

她抬起头，笑盈盈地看着他，服上泛出淡淡红晕，眼睛里闪动着温柔和坦率。马克斯韦尔一支胳膊撑在桌上，手上依然握满了文件，耳朵上还夹着那支钢笔。

“莱丝丽**，”他仓仓促促地说，“我只能呆一小会儿，趁这个时候给你说件事。你愿意做我的妻子吗？我没时间以常人的方式向你求爱，但我确确实实爱你。请快回答我。那些人又在抢购太平洋联合公司的股票罗。”

“喔，你在说什么呀？”年轻女郎惊诧不已。她站起身，直愣愣地看着他，眼睛瞪得圆圆的。

“你不懂？”马克斯韦尔倔头倔脑地说。“我要你嫁给我。我爱你，莱丝丽**。我早就想告诉你，手头的事情稍微松些后，我才瞅空过来。又有人在打电话找我。皮彻，叫他们等一下。答应我吗，莱丝丽**？”

速记员的神态叫人莫名其妙。起初，她好像惊愕万分；继而，泪水又涌出她迷惘的眼睛；其后，泪眼又发出欢笑的光芒；最后，她又柔情地搂住经纪人的脖子。

“现在我懂了，”她亲切地说。“是这生意让你忘记了一切。刚才我还吓了一大跳。哈维，不记得了吗？昨天晚上八点，我们已经在街上拐角处的小教堂结过婚了。”

Several years ago, a physician from southern France contacted me His granddaughter had taken ill with a disease that baffled the physicians there He called after reading several of my articles on disorders of the autonomic nervous system His granddaughter’s symptoms seemed to match those I had described, and he asked me if I could help I readily agreed, and for many months, I collaborated with the child’s French physicians by telephone and by fax, directing their diagnostic testing At last we came to a diagnosis, and I prescribed a course of therapy During the next several weeks, the child made a seemingly miraculous recovery Her grandparents expressed their heartfelt thanks and told me to let them know should I ever come to France

In the summer of 1996, I was invited to speak at a large international scientific meeting that was held in Nice, France I sent word to the physician I had helped years before Upon my arrival at the hotel, I received a message to contact him I called him and we arranged a night to meet for dinner

On the appointed day we met and then drove north to his home in the beautiful southern French countryside It was humbling to learn his home was older than the United States During the drive he told me that his wife had metastatic breast cancer and was not well, but she insisted upon meeting me When introduced to her, I saw that despite her severe illness, she was still a beautiful woman with a noble bearing

I was thereafter treated to one of the most wonderful meals I have ever eaten, complemented by the most exquisite of wines After dinner, we sat in a seventeenth-century salon, sipping cognac and chatting Our conversation must have seemed odd to the young man and woman who served us because it came out in a free-flowing mixture of English, French and Spanish After a time the woman asked, “My husband tells me you are Jewish, no” “Yes,” I said, “I am a Jew” They asked me to tell them about Judaism, especially the holidays I did my best to explain and was astounded by how little they knew of Judaism She seemed to be particularly interested in Hannukah

Once I had finished answering her questions, she suddenly looked me in the eye and said, “I have something I want to give to you” She disappeared and returned several moments later with a package wrapped in cloth She sat, her tired eyes looking into mine, and she began to speak slowly

“When I was a little girl of eight years, during the Second World War, the authorities came to our village to round up all the Jews My best friend at that time was a girl of my age named Jeanette One morning when I came to play, I saw her family being forced at gunpoint into a truck I ran home and told my mother what had happened and asked where Jeanette was going ‘Don’t worry,’ she said, ‘Jeanette will be back soon’ I ran back to Jeanette’s house only to find that she was gone and that the other villagers were looting her home of valuables, except for the Judaic items, which were thrown into the street As I approached, I saw an item from her house lying in the dirt I picked it up and recognized it as an object that Jeanette and her family would light around Christmas time In my little girl’s mind I said, ‘I will take this home and keep it for Jeanette, till she comes back,’ but she and her family never returned”

She paused and took a slow sip of brandy “Since that time I have kept it I hid it from my parents and didn’t tell a soul of its existence Indeed, over the last fifty years the only person who knew of it was my husband When I found out what really happened to the Jews, and how many of the people I knew had collaborated with the Nazis, I could not bear to look at it Yet I kept it, hidden, waiting for something, although I wasn’t sure what Now I know what I was waiting for it was you, a Jew, who helped cure our granddaughter, and it is to you I entrust this”

Her trembling hands set the package on my lap I slowly unwrapped the cloth from around it Inside was a menorah, but one unlike any I had seen before Made of solid brass, it had eight cups for holding oil and wicks and a ninth cup centered above the others It had a ring attached to the top, and the woman mentioned that she remembered that Jeanette’s family would hang it in the hallway of their home It looked quite old to me; later, several people told me that it is probably at least 100 years old As I held it and thought about what it represented, I began to cry All I could manage to say was a garbled “merci” As I left, her last words to me were “Il faudra voir la lumière encore une fois”— it should once again see light I later learned that she died less than one month after our meeting This Hannukah, the menorah will once again see light And as I and my family light it, we will say a special prayer in honor of those whose memories it represents We will not let its lights go out again