The Medal of Life 生命的奖牌

The Medal of Life-生命的奖牌

After giving a talk at a high school, 

一次，我在一所高中演讲完后，

I was asked to pay a visit to a special student.

被请求去见一个特殊的学生。

An illness had kept the boy home,

疾病迫使他只能待在家里，

but he had expressed an interest in meeting me,

然而，他渴望见我一面，

and it would mean a great deal to him.

这对他来说意义重大。

I agreed.

于是我同意了。

During the nine-mile drive to his home,

在去他家的这9英里车程中，

I found out something about Matthew.

我了解到一些关于马修的事情。

He had muscular dystrophy. 

他患了肌肉萎缩症。

When he was born,

当他一出生的时候，

the doctor told his parents that he would not live to see five,

医生就告诉他的父母他活不到五岁，

and then they were told he would not make it to ten.

后来他们又被告知这个孩子不可能活到十岁，

Now he was thirteen.

但是现在马修十三岁了，

He wanted to meet me because I was a gold-medal lifter,

他想见我是因为我是一个举重金牌获得者，

and I knew about overcoming obstacles and going for my dreams.

我懂得如何去克服困难和障碍去追寻梦想。

I spent over an hour talking to Matthew.

我和马修谈了一个多小时，

Never once did he complain or ask, “Why me?”

但是他一次也没有抱怨过，或埋怨说：“为什么我要得这个病。”

He spoke about winning and succeeding and going for his dreams.

他一直谈论着关于胜利和成功以及追求梦想的话题，

Obviously, he knew what he was talking about.

很显然，他知道自己在讨论什么，

He didn’t mention that his classmates had made fun of him because he was different.

他也没有提过，他的同学，因为他与众不同而取笑他。

He just talked about his hopes for the future,

他只是在诉说着关于对未来的憧憬，

and how one day he wanted to lift weights with me.

希望有一天他能我一起去举重。

When we finished talking,

我们谈话结束后，

I went to my briefcase and pulled out the first gold medal I won and put it around his neck.

我去公文包拿出，我第一次赢得的金奖牌，戴在他的脖子上，

I told him he was more of a winner and knew more about success and overcoming obstacles than I ever would.

我告诉他，他比一个冠军更厉害，他对成功了解的更多，克服了我从未面临的困难。

He looked at it for a moment, then took it off and handed it back to me.

他看了看这块金牌然后摘下它还给了我，

He said, You are a champion.

他说：“你是一个冠军，

You earned that medal.

是你赢得了这块奖牌，

Someday when I get to the Olympics and win my own medal,

有一天，我也会去参加奥林匹克，赢得属于我的奖牌，

I will show it to you.

我会展示给你看的。

Last summer I received a letter from Matthew’s parents telling me that Matthew had passed away.

去年夏天我收到了一封来自马修父母的来信，信中说道马修已经去世了。

They wanted me to have a letter he had written to me a few days before:

他们想让我看看一封马修前几天写的信：

Dear Rick,

亲爱的瑞克,

My mom said I should send you a thank-you letter for your talking with me.

我妈妈说我应该给你写一封信感谢你抽时间和我交谈，

I also want to let you know that the doctors tell me that I don’t have long to live anymore.

我想告诉你，医生说我活不了多久了，

But I still smile as much as I can.
但是，我仍然微笑着面对这一切。

I told you someday I was going to the Olympics and win a gold medal.

我曾经告诉过你，有一天，我会参加奥林匹克竞赛，赢得金牌，

But I know now I will never get to do that.

但是，我现在知道，我永远也不会去做这件事了，

But I know I’m a champion, and God knows that too.

不过，我知道我是一个冠军，上帝也知道我是，

When I get to Heaven, God will give me my medal and when you get there,

我到了天堂的时候，上帝会将那枚奖牌给我，当你今后来到天堂的时候，

I will show it to you.

我会展示给你看的。

Thank you for loving me.

谢谢你对我的爱

Your friend,

你的朋友

Matthew

马修