老人

　　An Old Woman

　　到扶貧醫院打針，途經商店門口，一位衣衫褴褛的老人，手中攥著兩元錢，以求助的目光望著來往的人群。她的臉因風吹日曬、食不果腹而顯得暗淡無光，在厚重灰塵的覆蓋下，一雙饑餓的眼睛無神地四處張望著。

　　On my way to get a shot at the Hospital for Aiding the Poor, I saw in front of a store an old woman clad in rags. She looked pleadingly at passersby while holding tightly two-yuan bills in her hand. Her face, beaten up by the bitter elements and stricken by an empty stomach, was pale and ashen; her eyes, covered with heavy layers of dust, hungrily searched here and there.

　　這是一個風和日暖的好天氣，人們都忙著采辦自己的物品，挂念自己的修行，老人的存在早已消失于他們的境界之中。他們從老人滿是汙垢的裙子上踏過，連瞅她一眼的念頭也沒有在心中劃過。

　　The day was sunny and pleasant; people were preoccupied by shopping lists or their own practice. They were completely oblivious to the existence of this old woman and trampled mindlessly over her already filthy skirt. No one cast a single eye toward her.

　　一個小時後，當我打完針再次經過這裏，剛才的場景仍然持續地上演著，我掏出身上僅有的十元錢，放在她手裏，我分明看到瑩瑩的淚光在她眼中閃爍。我不忍與她對視，逃也似的走開，留下雙手合十、口中喃喃有詞的老人。

　　In another hour when I was done at the hospital, I walked by the same spot and saw that the same drama continued on. I took out the only 10 yuan bill I had and placed it in her hand. Her eyes began to fill with tears, but I could not bear to look into them and fled hurriedly, leaving behind me an old figure murmuring something with palms pressed together.

　　看著周圍漫不經心的人們，我多想說一句：善待這位老人吧！若幹年以後，我們終將邁入風燭殘年，何不現在就多做一些換位思考呢？

　　Seeing the insensitive crowds passing around, how I wished I could say a few words to them: “Be nice to this old lady! Don”t you know that in a number of years, we will also become old and drag out our remaining years in misery

　　 Why not try to put ourselves in her shoes now

　　”

　　回到家中，背越發疼痛，不知剛才那位老人現在怎樣？她明天的一日叁餐又將如何應付 呢？唉！

　　Returning home, my back pain worsened. I thought about the old lady: What is happening to her now

　　 How is she going to manage her meals tomorrow

　　 Alas!

　　壬午年六月初五　　

　　2002年7月15日 　

　　5th of June, Year of RenWu

　　July 15, 2002