The Wallet

 As I walked home one freezing day, I stumbled on a wallet someone had lost in the street. I picked it up and looked inside to find some identification so I could call the owner. But the wallet contained only three dollars and a crumpled letter that looked as if it had been in there for years. The envelope was worn and the only thing that was legible on it was the return address. I started to open the letter, hoping to find some clue. Then I saw the dateline -- 1924. The letter had been written almost sixty years earlier. It was written in a beautiful feminine handwriting, on powder－blue stationery with a little flower in the left－hand corner. It was a "Dear John"letter that told the recipient, whose name appeared to be Michael, that the writer could not see him any more because her mother forbade it. Even so, she wrote that she would always love him. It was signed Hannah.

钱夹

    一个寒冷的日子，我在回家的路上偶然发现了一个遗失的钱夹。我拾起它并试图找到一些可联系失主的身份证明。但是皮夹中只有３元钱和一封被弄皱的信，这封信看来好像已经放在钱夹里很多年了。信封已磨损，惟有寄信人的住址还清晰可辨。我打开信，希望找到一些线索。信的落款日期是１９２４年，差不多写于６０年前。信的隽秀笔迹出自女性之手，在淡蓝色信笺的左侧角落有一朵小花。这是一封"绝情信"，写给迈克尔的，发信人因她母亲的阻拦再不能见他。即便如此，她写道她仍会一直爱他。署名是汉娜。

It was a beautiful letter, but there was no way, except for the name Michael, to identify the owner. Maybe if I called information, the operator could find a phone listing for the address on the envelope. The operator suggested I speak with her supervisor, who hesitated for a moment, then said, "Well, there is a phone listing at that address, but I can't give you the number. " She said as a courtesy, she would call that number, explain my story and ask whoever answered if the person wanted her to connect me.

     这是一封精美的信，但是除了迈克尔的名字以外，没有其他办法确定皮夹的主人。或许询问信息台，话务员可以通过信封上的住址查到电话。话务员建议我和她的负责人说，那位负责人犹豫了一会儿，然后说："嗯，有那个住址的电话号码，但我不能给你。"她说出于礼貌，她可以打那个电话，说明我的情况后，看接电话的人是否愿意让她再与我联系。

I waited a few minutes and then the super－visor was back on the line. "I have a party who will speak with you. " I asked the woman on the other end of the line if she knew anyone by the name of Hannah. She gasped. " Oh! We bought this house from a family who had a daughter named Hannah. But that was thirty years ago!" "Would you know where that family could be located now？" I asked. "I remember that Hannah had to place her mother in a nursing home some years ago, "the woman said. "Maybe if you got in touch with them, they might be able to track down the daughter. "She gave me the name of the nursing home, and I called the number. The woman on the phone told me the old lady had passed away some years ago, but the nursing home did have a phone number for where the daughter might be living. I thanked the person at the nursing home and phoned the number she gave me. The woman who answered explained that Hannah herself was now living in a nursing home. This whole thing is stupid, I thought to myself. Why am I making such a big deal over finding the owner of a wallet that has only three dollars and a letter that is almost sixty years old？

    我等候了几分钟，然后那位负责人回到线上："有一位女士将会和你说。"我问电话另一端的女士，她是否认识一个叫汉娜的人。她吃惊地说："哦！我们从一户人家买来这栋房子，他们家的女儿叫汉娜。但已经是３０年前的事了！""你知道那户人家现在可能住在哪里吗？"我追问。"我记得汉娜数年以前将她的母亲送到一家养老院，"女人说，"如果你和他们联系，他们可能会找到她女儿。"她给了我养老院的名字，我拨通了电话。电话中的女人告诉我老妇人数年前就已经过世，但是养老院确实有个电话号码，老妇人的女儿可能住在那里。我谢过养老院的人并按她给我的号码去了电话。接电话的女人解释说现在汉娜自己也是住在一家养老院内。我想这整件事真是太傻了，为什么我费这么大的劲去找只有３美元和一封信的钱夹主人，而那封信差不多已有６０年了？

Nevertheless, I called the nursing home in which Hannah was supposed to be living, and the man who answered the phone told me , "Yes, Hannah is staying with us. "Even though it was already 10 P. M. , I asked if I could come by to see her. "Well, "he said hesitatingly, "if you want to take a chance, she might be in the day room watching television. "

    然而不管怎么样，我还是打电话给汉娜所在的养老院，接电话的男人告诉我，"是的，汉娜是和我们在一起。"即使已经是晚上１０点了，我还是问是否可以前去看她，那人犹豫地说："好吧，你可以试试运气，她可能在客厅里看电视。"

I thanked him and drove over to the nursing home. The night nurse and a guard greeted me at the door. We went up to the third floor of the large building. In the day room, the nurse introduced me to Hannah. She was a sweet, silverhaired old－timer with a warm smile and a twinkle in her eyes. I told her about finding the wallet and showed her the letter. The second she saw the powder－blue envelope with that little flower on the left, she took a deep breath and said, "Young man, this letter was the last contact I ever had with Michael. "She looked away for a moment, deep in thought, and then said softly, "I loved him very much. But I was only sixteen at the time and my mother felt I was too young. Oh, he was so handsome. He looked like Sean Connery, the actor. "

    我谢过了他并开车到养老院。值夜班的护士和一个守卫在门口接待了我。我们上了大楼的三层。在客厅中，护士向汉娜介绍了我。她是一个和蔼的老人，满头银发，面带微笑，神采奕奕。我告诉她关于拾到钱夹的事并给她看了信。她看见左边有花的淡蓝色信封的一刻，深深地吸了一口气并说："年轻人，这封信是我和迈克尔的最后联系。"她把视线转向别处，陷入沉思，然后柔和地说："我非常爱他，但是我那时只有１６岁，我母亲觉得我年龄太小了。哦，他是如此英俊，看起来像演员肖恩·康纳利一样。"

"Yes, " she continued, "Michael Goldstein was a wonderful person. If you should find him, tell him I think of him often. And, " she hesitated for a moment, almost biting her lip, tears welled up in her eyes, "I never did marry. I guess no one ever matched up to Michael. . . "I thanked Hannah and said good－bye. I took the elevator to the first floor and as I stood by the door, the guard there asked, "Was the old lady able to help you？"I told him she had given me a lead. "At least I have a last name. But I think I'll let it go for a while. I spent almost the whole day trying to find the owner of this wallet. "I had taken out the wallet, which was a simple brown leather case with red lacing on the side. When the guard saw it, he said, "Hey, wait a minute! That's Mr. Goldstein's wallet. I'd know it anywhere with that bright red lacing. He 's always losing that wallet. I must have found it in the halls at least three times. "

    "是的"，她继续说，"迈克尔·戈尔茨坦是一个非常好的人。如果你能找到他，告诉他我时常想念他，且……"她犹豫了一会儿，几乎是咬着嘴唇，热泪盈眶，"我一直没有结婚，我想没有人比得上迈克尔……"我谢过汉娜并向她道别，乘电梯下到一楼，当我站到门口时，那门卫问："老人能帮助你吗？"我告诉他老太太已经给我线索，"至少我知道了姓氏，但我想我暂时放一阵子，因为我已花费了几乎一整天时间来找这个钱夹的主人。"我取出钱夹，那是个朴实无华褐色带红边的皮夹。当门卫看到它的时候，他说，"嗨，等一下！那是戈尔茨坦先生的皮夹。无论在何处，只要见到那鲜亮的红边，我就能认出来。他总是丢失那个皮夹，我曾在门厅中至少发现过３次。"

　"Who's Mr. Goldstein？"I asked, as my hand began to shake. "He 's one of the old－timers on the eighth floor. That's Mike Goldstein's wallet for sure. He must have lost it on one of his walks. "I thanked the guard and quickly ran back to the nurse's office. I told her what the guard had said. We went back to the elevator and got on. I prayed that Mr. Goldstein would be up.

    谁是戈尔茨坦先生？"我问，手开始颤抖。"他是８楼的一位老人，那肯定是迈克尔·戈尔茨坦的皮夹，他准是在散步时弄丢的。"我向门卫道了谢就很快跑回护士办公室，告诉她门卫说的话。我们乘电梯去楼上，我祈祷戈尔茨坦先生还没睡。

On the eighth floor, the floor nurse said, "I think he's still in the day room. He likes to read at night. He 's a darling old man. "We went to the only room that had any lights on, and there was a man reading a book. The nurse went over to him and asked if he had lost hiswallet. Mr. Goldstein looked up with surprise, put his hand in his back pocket and said, "Oh, it is missing. ""This kind gentleman found a wallet and we wondered if it could be yours. "I handed Mr. Goldstein the wallet, and the second he saw it, he smiled with relief and said, "Yes, that's it！ It must have dropped out of my pocket this afternoon. I want to give you a reward. "

   到了８楼，楼层护士说："我想他在客厅中，他喜欢晚上看书，他是一个可爱的老人。"我们走进惟一亮灯的房间，一位老人正在看书。护士走过去问他是否遗失了钱夹。戈尔茨坦先生惊奇地抬起头，手摸向他背后的口袋，"哦，它是不见了！""这位好心的先生拾到了一个钱夹，我们想它可能是你的。"我将钱夹递给了戈尔茨坦先生，他看见钱夹时，松了一口气，笑了，并说："是的，就是它！一定是今天下午从我的口袋里掉出来的。我要酬谢你。"

　"No, thank you, "I said. "But I have to tell you something. I read the letter in the hope of finding out who owned the wallet. "The smile on his face suddenly disappeared. "You read that letter？""Not only did I read it, I think I know where Hannah is. "

 He suddenly grew pale. "Hannah？You know where she is？How is she？Is she still as pretty as she was？Please, please tell me, " he begged. "She's fine. . . just as pretty as when you knew her, " I said softly.

   "不，谢谢您，"我说。"我必须告诉你一件事，为了找到钱夹的主人，我看了里面的信。"他脸上的微笑突然消失，"你看了那封信？""我不仅看了信，还知道汉娜在哪里。"

   他脸色突然变得苍白，"汉娜？你知道她在哪儿？她还好吗？她还是那么漂亮吗？请快告诉我。"他请求说。"她很好……就和你当初认识她时一样漂亮。"我柔和地说。

The old man smiled with anticipation and asked, "Could you tell me where she is？I want to call her tomorrow. "He grabbed my hand and said, "You know something, mister？I was so in love with that girl that when that letter came, my life literally ended. I never married. I guess I've always loved her. "

 "Michael, " I said, "come with me. "We took the elevator down to the third floor. The hallways were darkened and only one or two little night lights lit our way to the day room, where Hannah was sitting alone, watching the television.

   露出期待的微笑，问："你可以告诉我她在哪儿吗？我想明天打电话给她。"他抓着我的手继续说："你知道吗，先生？我是那么地爱着那个女孩，以致于收到那封信时，我的生命就结束了，我一直未娶，因为我始终爱着她!"

 "迈克尔，"我说，"跟我来!"我们乘电梯到三楼，走廊很昏暗，只有一两个小夜灯照着我们到客厅，汉娜正独自坐在那儿看电视!

The nurse walked over to her. "Hannah, "she said softly, pointing to Michael, who was waiting with me in the doorway. "Do you know this man？"She adjusted her glasses, looked for a moment, but didn't say a word.

Michael said softly, almost in a whisper, "Hannah, it's Michael. Do you remember me？"She gasped. "Michael! I don't believe it! Michael! It's you! My Michael!"He walked slowly toward her, and they embraced. The nurse and I left with tears streaming down our faces. "See, "I said. "See how the good Lord works! If it's meant to be, it will be. "

   走到她跟前!迈克尔和我等候在门口，护士指着迈克尔轻声说："汉娜，你认识这个男人吗？"她扶了扶眼镜，看了一会儿，但沉默不语!

    迈克尔轻轻地，几乎在耳语："汉娜，我是迈克尔!你还记得我吗？"她一下激动起来："迈克尔！我不敢相信！迈克尔！是你！我的迈克尔！"他慢慢走向她，两人拥抱在一起!护士和我泪流满面地走开了!"看，"我说，"上帝的安排!如果事情注定要这样，那就一定会这样!"

About three weeks later, I got a call at my office from the nursing home. "Can you break away on Sunday to attend a wedding？Michael and Hannah are going to tie the knot!"

  It was a beautiful wedding, with all the people at the nursing home dressed up to join in the celebration. Hannah wore a light beige dressand looked beautiful. Michael wore a dark blue suit and stood tall. They made me their best man. The hospital gave them their own room, and if you ever wanted to see a seventy-six-year-old bride and a seventy-nine-year-old groom acting like two teenagers, you had to see this couple. A perfect ending for a love affair that had lasted nearly sixty years.

   ３个星期后，我在办公室接到养老院打来的电话，"你能在星期日抽空参加一个婚礼吗？迈克尔和汉娜要喜结良缘了！"

   婚礼办得很热闹，养老院的所有人都盛妆打扮前来庆祝!汉娜穿着一件浅米色连衣裙，看起来很漂亮!迈克尔穿着深蓝色的西装，站得笔直!他们让我做男傧相!医院给了他们俩自己的房间，如果你要想看看７６岁的新娘和７９岁的新郎就像两个十几岁的年轻人，那你一定得来见见这对夫妇!一份持续了６０年的爱终于得到了完美的结局!By Arnold Fine （马静 摘译自Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul ）