某天在报摊上翻阅《读者》，读到了这么一则故事：美国作家布鲁斯·菲勒被诊断出患有致命的癌症后，他最担心的事情不是自己来日无多，而是两个年幼的孪生女儿会因为他的去世而失去父爱，在成长过程中留下无法弥补的缺憾。为了让女儿能够健康快乐地成长，布鲁斯想出了一个别出心裁的主意：组建一个“父亲委员会”。这样，当布鲁斯去世后，这些“代理父亲”就能替代布鲁斯履行父亲的职责，陪他的孪生女儿们玩耍、旅游，或者教她们学习诗歌、音乐……布鲁斯已经将他的故事写成了新书The Council of Dads: My Daughters, My Illness, and the Men Who Could Be Me（《父亲委员会》），好莱坞也计划将这一感人的故事拍成电影……读完之后，小编很是感动，于是决定找来这本书，和读者们分享。
因篇幅所限，这里仅选摘了该书的第一章——布鲁斯写给他那六位好友的一封信。据布鲁斯在访谈中透露，写好这封信之后，他逐一来到好友的家里，亲自读给对方听。这封情感真挚、饱含深沉父爱的“代理父亲招聘信”深深感动了那些好友们，他们全都含泪答应了布鲁斯的请求，于是“父亲委员会”得以成立。值得一提的是，尽管这个“父亲委员会”最终没能派上用场——在强大的父爱驱使下，布鲁斯努力配合治疗，用乐观的心态打破了医生的“死亡预言”，奇迹般地存活了下来——但它却会一直存在。
Bruce Feiler（布鲁斯·费勒，1964— ），生于乔治亚州的美籍犹太人，是美国颇有影响力的作家。居住在纽约的他兴趣广泛，极具冒险精神，曾跋涉一万多英里游历圣经遗迹，并据此创作出畅销一时的Walking the Bible（《圣地踪迹》）一书。该书还被拍摄成美国公共电视台的热门系列片。布鲁斯自幼接受正统的犹太教育，获得耶鲁大学学士、剑桥大学国际关系学硕士学位，其研究触角涉及宗教、日本文化、马戏团、乡村音乐等多个领域。他喜爱旅游，足迹遍布五大洲六十余国。
文字难度：★★☆
Dear—,
亲爱的——，
As you know, I have learned that I have a seven-inch cancerous 1)tumor in my left 2)femur. The afternoon I first heard the diagnosis I was standing on York Avenue in Manhattan. I sat on a 3)stoop, telephoned Linda, called my parents, and wept. I went to get some 4)crutches, stumbled home, lay down on my bed, and stared at the sky for several hours imagining all the ways my life would change.
如你所知，我已得知我左边股骨上长了一个七英寸大小的肿瘤。初次听到这个诊断结果的那个下午，我正站在曼哈顿的约克大街上。我在街旁的台阶坐下，给琳达打电话，又打给了我的父母，然后哭泣不止。我找了些东西充当拐杖，踉踉跄跄地走回家，躺在床上，连续几个小时盯着天空，想象着我的生活可能会产生的方方面面的变化。
Then Eden and Tybee came in, running and giggling and looking in the mirror. They began to do this dance they made up when they turned three a few months ago. Mixing 5)ring-around-the-rosy, ballet, and the 6)hokey-pokey, they twirled frantically in a circle, going faster and faster until they 7)tumbled onto the ground, laughing with all the glee in the world. As I watched them, I couldn't control myself. I 8)crumbled. I kept imagining all the walks I might not take with them, the ballet 9)recitals I might not see, the art projects I might not 10)mess up, the boyfriends I might not 11)scowl at, the aisles I might not walk down.
正在这时，艾登和泰碧进来了，一边跑，一边看着镜子咯咯地笑。她们准备开始跳她们几个月前刚满三岁时自己编排的舞蹈。里面混合了《玫瑰圈圈舞》、芭蕾舞和hokey-pokey摇摆舞，她们疯狂地转圈，越转越快，直到跌倒在地面上，大笑着，用尽了世上所有的欢乐。 看着她们，我难以自控，我崩溃了。我禁不住去想象着：以后不能再和她们一起去散步，不能看她们参加芭蕾舞表演，无法掺和跟她们一起做那些美术手工作业，无法怒视她们将来的男友们，还有，不能送她们走过婚礼的红地毯。
The next few days were a 12)tangle of tears and late-night conversations, doctor consultations, insurance negotiations, determination, hopes, and fears. I quickly determined I was looking at one of three options: The lost year, the lost limb, or the lost life.
接下来的几天夹杂着泪水、深夜倾诉、医生咨询、保险谈判、决心、希望和恐惧。我很快便下定决心要从以下三项中选择一个：失去年月，失去下肢，或者失去生命。
Through it all, I kept thinking I would be fine. Whatever happens, I have lived a full life. I have traveled the world. I have written ten books. I am at peace.
历经这一切之后，我一直认为我会好起来的。无论发生什么事，毕竟我曾度过一段完整的人生。我周游了世界各地，写了十本书。想及这些，我的心态便平和了下来。
I also thought Linda would be fine. She would experience a lot of pain and inconvenience, but in the end she would find a way to live a life of passion and joy.
我也认为琳达会好起来的。她会经历许多痛苦和不便，但最后，她会过上充满激情和快乐的生活。
But I kept coming back to Eden and Tybee and how difficult life might be for them. Would they wonder who I was? Would they wonder what I thought? Would they lack for my approval, my discipline, my love?
但我始终放不下艾登和泰碧，她们的生活将会多么艰难啊。她们会想知道我曾经是怎样一个人吗？她们会想知道我的想法吗？她们会缺乏我的认可、管教及爱吗？