只是一个普通人
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作者: By Anonymous
A t first glance she looked like any other old woman， plodding along in the snow， alone， neglected， head bowed. People passing on the busy city sidewalk averted their eyes， lest sheremind themthatpain and suffering did not stop to celebrate Christmas.
A young couple， smiling， talking， laughing， arms loaded with Christmas presents， took no notice of the old woman. A mother with two small children hurried by， on their way to grandmother’s house. They took no notice. If these people had noticed， they would have seen that the old woman wore no shoes. Shewalkedbarefootintheiceandsnow.
With both hands the old woman gathered her worn button-less overcoat at the collar to keep out the wind. She stopped and stood bent and bowed at the bus stop. A red and bluescarfcoveringherhead，shewaitedforthedowntownbus.
A gentleman carrying an important looking briefcase waited near her， not too closely. After all， she could have somethingcontagious. A teenage girl also waited for the bus. She glancedrepeatedlyattheoldwoman’sfeet，butsaidnothing.
The bus arrived and the old woman slowly， painfully boarded. Shesaton thesideways seat just behind the driver. The gentlemanandtheteenagegirlhurriedtotherear.
A little boy pointed at the old woman.“Look， Mother， that old lady is barefoot.”The embarrassed mother slapped his hand down.“Don’t point at people， Andrew. It’s not polite to point.”Shelookedoutthewindow.
“She must have grown children，”a lady in a fur coat suggested.“Her children should be ashamed of themselves.”She felt morally superior， because she took good care of her mother.
A teacher seated near the middle of the bus steadied the bag of gifts on her lap.“Don’t we pay enough taxes to handle situationslikethis？”shesaidtoafriendseatedbesideher.
“People have to learn to save their money，”a well-dressed youngcollegemanadded.“Ifthatoldwomanhadsavedwhenshe wasyoung，shewouldn’tbesufferingnow.It’sherownfault.”
And all these people beamed with satisfaction that their acumenhaddeliveredsuchtrenchantanalysis.
But， a kind businessman felt offended by this murmuring detachment of his fellow citizens. He reached into his wallet and took out a crisp twenty-dollar bill. He strode proudly down the aisle and pressed the bill into the old woman’s unsteady， wrinkled hand.“Here， Madam， get yourself some shoes.”The old woman nodded her head in thanks. The businessman strode back to his seat， feeling pleased with himself， that he was a man ofaction. At the next stop， a young man boarded the bus. He wore a heavy blue jacket， a maroon scarf around his neck， and a gray woolen cap pulled down over his ears. A wire running under the cap and into his ear was connected to a Walkman. The young man jiggled his body in time to music only he heard. He paid his fare and plopped down on the sideways seat directly across from theoldwoman.
As the young man’s glance caught the old woman’s bare feet， hisjigglingstopped. He froze. His eyes went from her feet to his. He wore his expensive， new， brand-name sneakers. The young man bent down and began to untie his sneakers. He removed his impressive new sneakers. He removed his socks. He knelt down before the old woman.“Mother，”he said，“I see you have no shoes. Well， I have shoes.”Carefully， gently， he lifted the old woman’s crusty feet in his hands. He placed his socks and his fine sneakers on the old woman’s feet. The old womannoddedinthanks.
Just then the bus arrived at the next stop. The young man leftthebusandwalkedaway，barefootinthesnow.
The passengers crowded at the windows to watch him as he plodded barefoot through the snow.“Who is he？”one asked.“He must be a prophet，”said another.“He must be a saint，”someonesuggested.“Hemustbeanangel，”saidyetanother.But the little boy who had pointed， said，“No， Mother， I saw him clearly.Hewasonlyaman.”
乍一看，她只是个寻常老妪，在雪中踽踽独行。人们走过这繁忙的都市人行道，移开自己的目光，以免她提醒他们痛苦和不幸并没有因为圣诞节而停下脚步。
一对年轻的夫妇谈笑风生，抱着满怀的圣诞礼物，他们没有注意到那位老妇人。一位母亲领着两个小孩子，在前往孩子祖母家的路上匆匆走过，他们也没注意到老妇人。如果这些人注意一下，他们就会发现那个老妇人没有穿鞋，光着脚走在冰天雪地里。
她双手紧攥着没有纽扣、破旧不堪的外套衣领以抵御寒风。到了汽车站，她停了下来，弓腰驼背，红蓝相间的围巾裹在头上。她在等候去市中心的公交车。
一位绅士拿着一个看起来挺重要的公文包，在她边上等车，不敢靠得太近。毕竟，她可能会有某种传染病。一个十几岁模样的女孩也在等车，她看了好几次老妇人的脚，但没有吱声。
公交车来了，老妇人慢吞吞地、费劲地上了车，坐在司机身后靠边的座位上。绅士和女孩都冲到了车尾。
一个小男孩指着那个老妇人说：“快看呀，妈妈，那个老奶奶光着脚！”尴尬的母亲把他的手拍了下来：“不要指着别人，安德鲁，那样不礼貌。”接着她的目光投向了窗外。
“她肯定有成年的子女。”一位穿着皮大衣的女士说，“她的孩子们该为自己的行为感到羞耻。”她有一种道德优越感，因为她把自己的母亲照顾得很好。
一名老师坐在汽车的中部，扶着她膝上的礼物袋。“难道我们交的税还不够处理这种情况吗？”她对坐在她旁边的朋友说。
“人们应该学会存钱。”一个衣着得体的年轻大学生补充说，“如果她在年轻的时候存了钱，现在就不会受苦了，这是她自己的错。”
所有人都露出了满意的微笑，因为他们都发表了如此精辟的观点。
然而，这些同胞的喋喋不休与漠不关心引起了一位善良商人的反感。他从钱包里取出一张崭新的20美元钞票，走过过道，上前塞进老妇人颤巍巍、满是皱纹的手中。“拿着，夫人，给你自己买双鞋。”老妇人点点头作为答谢。商人大踏步地走回自己的座位，对自己十分满意，因为他不是一个光说不做的人。
到了下一站，一个年轻人上了车，他穿着一件厚重的蓝夹克，脖子上还围着一条绛紫色的围巾，灰色的羊毛帽罩住了耳朵。一根线从他的帽子下绕到耳朵里，与一个随身听连着，他的身体随着只有他自己能听到的音乐摇摆。付过车费后，他一屁股坐在一个靠过道的座位上，正好与老妇人斜对角。
当年轻人瞥见老妇人光着的双脚时，他身体立刻停止了晃动，一下子僵住了。他的目光从老妇人的脚移到了自己的脚上，他穿着一双崭新的、昂贵的名牌运动鞋。年轻人弯下腰，开始解他的鞋带。他脱掉了他抢眼的新鞋子，又脱掉了袜子，然后在老妇人面前跪了下来。“大妈，”他说，“我看见你没有鞋，那把我的鞋给你。”慢慢地，轻轻地，他双手抬起老妇人那长着厚茧的双脚，把自己的鞋袜给老妇人穿上。老妇人点点头表示感谢。
此时汽车又到了一站。年轻人下了车，光着脚走在雪地里。
乘客都涌到窗前，看他光脚艰难地在雪地里走远。“他是谁？”一个人问道。“他一定是一位先知。”一个人说。“他一定是个圣人。”另一个人说。“他一定是位天使。”又有一人说。但那个指过老妇人的小男孩说：“不，妈妈，我看得很清楚，他只是一个普通人。”
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