English Original
Wrinkles of confusion rippled across Holly's forehead as she unwrapped the gift from her best friend, Susan.
"I...I thought you could use it for something." Susan's stammered explanation did nothing to help us understand why a twelve-by-eighteen-inch dark blue carpet remnant was being presented as a birthday gift.
My heart went out to our daughter. Starting out at a new school during her freshman year had been a difficult adjustment. Until she met Susan, Holly had experienced little success making new friends.
The murmured "thanks" was barely audible as Holly tried valiantly not to allow her disappointment to show. She laid the piece of carpet on the kitchen counter, and the two girls headed outside to play.
The next morning, my heart wrenched as I lifted the lid of the trash can and saw Susan's carpet among the discarded items. Hesitating only a moment, I reached in and plucked it from the debris. After brushing it off, I tucked it away in the hall closet.
Nearly three weeks passed without mention of Susan. Then, Holly announced an invitation to visit Susan's home and meet her foster mom, Glenda.
We drove to a small farmhouse. Glenda, a tall, angular woman, greeted us amidst a house full of rescued cats and clutter. Susan proudly showed us her sparsely but neatly furnished room. A tarnished picture frame held photos of her long-separated family.
As the girls talked, Glenda and I shared coffee. Her eyes glowed with fondness for Susan, but turned pensive when briefly mentioning the girl's past. I came to respect this generous-hearted woman.
On the drive home, Holly was quiet but tense. As soon as we stopped, she rushed to the trash can, peered inside, and her shoulders slumped. After putting the car away, I went to the closet.
"Is this what you were looking for?" I placed the piece of carpet on the table before her.
"Thanks, Mom." A tear or two slipped from her eye and splashed onto the dark blue remnant that, as if by magic, had become the most precious birthday present in the whole world.
中文翻译
当霍莉拆开她最好的朋友苏珊送的礼物时，困惑的皱纹在她额头上漾开。
“我……我想你也许能用它做点什么。”苏珊结结巴巴的解释，丝毫没能帮助我们理解，为什么一块12x18英寸的深蓝色地毯边角料会被当作生日礼物。
我为我们的女儿感到心疼。高中第一年转学对她来说是一次艰难的适应。在遇到苏珊之前，霍莉在结交新朋友方面几乎毫无进展。
霍莉勇敢地试图掩饰自己的失望，低声说出的“谢谢”几乎听不见。她把那块地毯放在厨房台面上，两个女孩就到外面去玩了。
第二天早上，当我掀开垃圾桶盖，看到苏珊的地毯躺在其他被丢弃的物品中时，我的心揪紧了。我只犹豫了片刻，便伸手将它从杂物中捡了出来。轻轻刷了刷后，我把它收进了门厅的壁橱里。
将近三个星期过去了，我们再也没有提起苏珊的名字。后来，霍莉宣布她受邀去苏珊家做客，并见见她的养母格伦达。
我们开车来到一座小农舍。格伦达，一位高大瘦削的妇人，在一间满是收养的猫和杂物的房子里迎接了我们。苏珊自豪地带我们参观了她那简陋但整洁的房间。一个失去光泽的相框里装着她早已分离的家人的照片。
女孩们聊天时，格伦达和我一起喝了咖啡。谈起苏珊时，她眼中闪烁着温暖的光芒，但简短提及女孩的过去时，她的表情变得沉思起来。我开始尊敬这位慷慨热心的女人。
回家的路上，霍莉很安静，但身体紧绷。车一停稳，她就冲向垃圾桶，朝里张望，随后肩膀耷拉下来。停好车后，我走向壁橱。
“你是在找这个吗？”我把那块地毯放在她面前的桌子上。
“谢谢，妈妈。”一两滴泪水从她眼中滑落，溅在那块深蓝色的边角料上——它仿佛被施了魔法，已然成为全世界最珍贵的生日礼物。