老人

An Old Woman

到扶贫医院打针，途经商店门口，一位衣衫褴褛的老人，手中攥着两元钱，以求助的目光望着来往的人群。她的脸因风吹日晒、食不果腹而显得暗淡无光，在厚重灰尘的覆盖下，一双饥饿的眼睛无神地四处张望着。

On my way to get a shot at the Hospital for Aiding the Poor, I saw in front of a store an old woman clad in rags. She looked pleadingly at passersby while holding tightly two-yuan bills in her hand. Her face, beaten up by the bitter elements and stricken by an empty stomach, was pale and ashen; her eyes, covered with heavy layers of dust, hungrily searched here and there.

这是一个风和日暖的好天气，人们都忙着采办自己的物品，挂念自己的修行，老人的存在早已消失于他们的境界之中。他们从老人满是污垢的裙子上踏过，连瞅她一眼的念头也没有在心中划过。

The day was sunny and pleasant; people were preoccupied by shopping lists or their own practice. They were completely oblivious to the existence of this old woman and trampled mindlessly over her already filthy skirt. No one cast a single eye toward her.

一个小时后，当我打完针再次经过这里，刚才的场景仍然持续地上演着，我掏出身上仅有的十元钱，放在她手里，我分明看到莹莹的泪光在她眼中闪烁。我不忍与她对视，逃也似的走开，留下双手合十、口中喃喃有词的老人。

In another hour when I was done at the hospital, I walked by the same spot and saw that the same drama continued on. I took out the only 10 yuan bill I had and placed it in her hand. Her eyes began to fill with tears, but I could not bear to look into them and fled hurriedly, leaving behind me an old figure murmuring something with palms pressed together.

看着周围漫不经心的人们，我多想说一句：善待这位老人吧！若干年以后，我们终将迈入风烛残年，何不现在就多做一些换位思考呢？

Seeing the insensitive crowds passing around, how I wished I could say a few words to them: “Be nice to this old lady! Don’t you know that in a number of years, we will also become old and drag out our remaining years in misery? Why not try to put ourselves in her shoes now?”

回到家中，背越发疼痛，不知刚才那位老人现在怎样？她明天的一日三餐又将如何应付 呢？唉！

Returning home, my back pain worsened. I thought about the old lady: What is happening to her now? How is she going to manage her meals tomorrow? Alas!

壬午年六月初五　　
2002年7月15日 　

5th of June, Year of RenWu
July 15, 2002