文字难度：★★
Once again, I had run away and really do not know why. I would walk out the gate to go to school and then keep walking, and walking, and walking. I had just turned eleven years old the week before. It was almost dark; I was tired, scared, cold, and all alone. I had not eaten all day and was afraid to turn myself over to the police. I knew I would receive another beating once I returned to the Children’s Home Society in 1)Jacksonville, Florida. There was nothing for me to do, except keep on walking.
我又一次逃跑了，真的不知道为什么会这样。我走出门去上学，然后就一直不停地走。上个星期，我刚满11岁。天就要黑了，我又累又怕，感觉很冷，一个人孤零零的，一整天没吃过东西，很怕被抓进警察局。我知道一旦回到佛罗里达州杰克逊维尔儿童福利院，我肯定又要挨一顿打。除了不停地走，我没什么可做的。
As darkness fell, I made my way over to the city park located on Park Street. I entered the darkened area and sat down on one of the wooden benches hoping to avoid the police cars. It was cold and I began to shiver uncontrollably. All was quiet except for the passing cars in the distance.
天黑了，我走向位于公园街的城市公园。我走进一片漆黑的区域，为了躲开警车，我在其中一张长凳上坐了下来。天气很冷，我的身体不禁开始颤抖起来。四处静悄悄，只有远处路过的车辆发出的声响。
“Well, hello young man.” A voice came from behind me.
“喔，年轻人你好啊。”我身后传出一个声音。
I jumped, almost falling off the park bench. My heart was beating ninety miles per hour, and I could feel it thumping in the side of my neck. I 2)gasped and I could hardly catch my breath. I looked up and saw a woman standing behind me in the shadows.
我被吓得跳了起来，差点从公园长凳上摔下来。心跳狂奔至每小时90英里（约144.8千米），沿脖子一侧砰砰响跳。我喘息不止，几乎透不过气来。抬头往上看，只见一位太太站在我身后的暗处。
“You look cold,” she said.
“I’m cold. I’m real, real cold.” I continued to shiver.
“Here wrap this around you.”
I watched as she took off her shawl and wrapped it around my shoulders.
“But ain’t you gonna be cold now?”
“I’ll be ok.”
“Is there anything else you need?” she questioned.
“I sure could use some food.”
“Follow me,” she said.
“你看上去很冷。”她说。
“我很冷，真的真的感觉很冷。”我继续颤抖着。
“拿这个裹一下身体。”
我看见她解开披肩，把它裹在我的肩上。
“那你不就会冷了吗？”
“我没事的。”
“你还需要别的什么吗？”她问道。
“我很想要点吃的。”
“跟我来。”她说。
I walked with her about twenty feet, then she stopped under one of the park streetlights.
She held out her hand and said, “Here, you take this letter and give it to the store owner.”
I looked at her outstretched arm but saw nothing in her hand. “There’s nothing in your hand,” I told her.
“Roger, reach out and take the letter from my hand,” she replied.
Slowly I reached out, acting as though I was taking something from her hand.
我跟着她走了大概20英尺（约6.1米），然后她在其中一盏公园街灯下停了下来。
她伸出手说道：“你拿着这封信，把它给店家。”
我看着她伸出的手，但是没看见有什么东西在她手上。“你手上没东西。”我告诉她。
“罗杰，伸出手接过我手上的信。”她答道。
我慢慢伸出手，装着好像正从她手上拿过什么东西似的。
“Now close your thumb and finger and hold the paper tightly,” she instructed. I closed my thumb and finger as though I were grasping the letter.
“Take it to any store owner.”
“What do I say to them?”
“Nothing,” she replied.
“But what store do I go to?”
“It doesn’t matter,” she said, as she smiled.
I turned and began walking toward Five Points. Several blocks down the road, I came to a store with a woman sitting behind a counter. I opened the door, walked in, and stopped directly in front of her.
“Can I help you?” asked the woman.
I was hesitant to talk and had no idea what I should say. Very slowly I held out my hand toward her. I watched her face to see if she might think I was crazy or something.
“Is that for me?” she asked.
“Yes Ma’am.” I looked down at the floor.
“现在，把拇指和其他手指合起来，握紧那封信。”她指示道。我合起拇指和手指，好像正在握紧那封信。
“把它拿给随便一个店家。”
“我要怎么跟他们说？”
“不需要说什么。”她答道。
“但我要去哪个商店呢？”
“没关系。”她笑着说。
我转过身，开始向五分街走去。沿着那条路走过几个小区，我来到一个商店，里面有个女人就坐在柜台后面。我打开门，走进去，径直走到她面前停了下来。
“要点什么吗？”那个女人问道。
我犹豫了一下没有说话，想不到该说什么。我慢慢向她伸出我的手，并看着她的脸，想知道她会不会觉得我是个疯子或者别的什么。
“那个是给我的吗？”她问道。
“是的，太太。”我看着地板。
She reached out and as her hand touched mine, I opened my tightly closed fingers and stood there waiting. She pulled back, smiled, and looked down at her hands.
她伸出手。当她的手碰到我的手时，我松开紧紧合着的手指，站在那里等着。她往后退了退，笑笑，向下看着自己的手。
She immediately turned and walked to the back of the store. I began to 3)inch toward the front door for fear she might be calling the police. Just as I made it to the front door, I stopped as I heard someone call my name. I turned around and saw the woman holding a paper plate.
她马上转过身，走到商店后面。因为害怕她也许正在打电话给警察，我开始向前门挪动。当我挪到前门时，听到有人叫我的名字，于是我停了下来，转过身，看见那位太太端着一个纸盘。
“Roger, here is something for you to eat.”
“How did you know my name?” I asked her.
“It was on the paper.”
“But there wasn’t any paper. I didn’t see any paper,” I told her.
She smiled and motioned for me to eat by twirling her finger in front of her mouth. Within two or three minutes, I had 4)downed the entire plate of food and several Coca Colas.
“Are you full?” she asked.
“Yes Ma’am.”
“Then it’s time for you to go.”
I turned to leave when I felt her hand on my shoulder.
“罗杰，这是给你吃的。”
“你怎么知道我的名字？”我问她。
“纸上写着呢。”
“但根本就没有纸。我没看见有什么纸。”我告诉她。
她笑了笑，用一根手指在嘴前旋转，比划着让我吃。两三分钟的时间，我就吃完整盘食物了，还喝了几瓶可口可乐。
“你饱了吗？”她问道。
“饱了，太太。”
“那么，你该走了。”
我转过身准备离开，这时感觉到她的手放在我肩上。
“Here, your paper. You almost forgot your letter,” she said, holding out her hand.
Again seeing nothing, I held out my hand and closed my thumb and finger as though I were taking something from her. Tightly grasping nothing more than air, I walked out into the street and headed back to the park. When I arrived, the old woman was sitting on the park bench. “Did you eat?” she asked.
“Yes Ma’am, and I had two Coca Colas too.”
“Good.”
“How do you do that magic?” I asked her.
“It isn’t magic.”
“But how does everyone know my name?”
“It is written in the letter.”
“Can I have the letter so I can be magic too?” I asked.
“这是你的信。你差点忘了。”她边说边伸出手。
我还是没看见任何东西。我伸出手，合上拇指和其他手指，好像从她那拿了些什么。除了空气，我没握到什么。我走上街，走回公园。到那里时，那个老太太正坐在公园的长凳上。 “你吃东西了吗？”她问道。
“吃了，太太，我还喝了两瓶可口可乐呢。”
“太好了。”
“你怎么懂那个魔法？”我问她。
“那不是魔法。”
“但每个人是怎么知道我的名字的？”
“信里写着啊。”
“我能拥有那封信吗？那样我就也有魔法了。”我问她。
She reached out, took my hand, and opened my tightly closed fingers. Whatever was being held between my fingers, she took and placed into her 5)apron pocket. “Would you help someone if they were hungry?” she asked me.
“Yes Ma’am.”
“Would you help someone if they were hurt, cold or scared?”
“Yes Ma’am. I would be their friend.”
“Roger, you are a very lucky little boy. You will never need the magic letter,” she responded.
She stood up, kissed me on the forehead, removed the shawl from my shoulders, and began walking down the sidewalk. I watched as she disappeared into the darkness.
她伸出手握着我的手，打开我紧紧合着的手指。她拿过我手上抓紧的东西，放进她工作裙的口袋里。“如果有人饥饿，你会帮助他们吗？”她问我。
“我会的，太太。”
“如果有人受伤，感觉寒冷或者恐惧，你会帮助他们吗？”
“我会，太太。我会成为他们的朋友。”
“罗杰，你是个很幸运的小男孩。你不再需要那封魔法信了。”她答道。
她站起来，吻了吻我的前额，拿走了我肩上的披肩，沿人行道走了。我目送着她渐渐消失在漆黑中。
