English Original
Forty-three years seems like a long time to remember the name of a mere acquaintance. I have forgotten the name of an old lady who was a customer on my paper route when I was twelve. Yet it seems like yesterday that she taught me a lesson in forgiveness I hope to pass on someday.
On a mindless Saturday afternoon, a friend and I were throwing rocks onto the roof of her house from a secluded spot in her backyard. We wanted to see how the rocks rolled off the edge like missiles or falling comets.
I found a perfectly smooth rock and threw it. It slipped from my hand and headed straight for a small window on her back porch. At the sound of breaking glass, we ran faster than any of our "missiles."
I was too scared of getting caught that first night to think about the old lady. A few days later, when sure I hadn't been discovered, guilt set in. She still greeted me with a smile when I delivered her paper, but I could no longer act comfortably around her.
I decided to save my paper delivery money. In three weeks, I had seven dollars, which I thought would cover the cost of her window. I put the money in an envelope with a note apologizing and hoping it would pay for the repair.
I waited until dark, sneaked up to her house, and slipped the envelope through her letter slot. My soul felt redeemed, and I couldn't wait to look her in the eyes again.
The next day, I handed her the paper and returned her warm smile. She thanked me and said, "Here, I have something for you." It was a bag of cookies. I thanked her and began eating them on my route.
After several cookies, I felt an envelope and pulled it out. When I opened it, I was stunned. Inside were the seven dollars and a short note: "I'm proud of you."
中文翻译
四十三年，要记住一个仅仅是相识的人的名字，似乎太久了。我已经忘了那位老太太的名字，她是我十二岁送报时的一位客户。然而，她给我上的那堂关于宽恕的课，仿佛就在昨天，我希望有朝一日能将此传递下去。
在一个无所事事的周六下午，我和一个朋友从她家后院一个僻静的角落往她的屋顶扔石头。我们想看看石头如何像导弹或坠落的彗星一样从屋顶边缘滚落。
我找到一块极其光滑的石头扔了出去。它从我手中滑脱，径直飞向她后门廊的一扇小窗户。听到玻璃破碎的声音，我们跑得比任何“导弹”都快。
事发当晚，我太害怕被抓，无暇顾及那位老太太。几天后，当我确信自己没被发现时，内疚感开始涌现。我送报时，她依然对我微笑，但我却无法再在她面前表现得自在了。
我决定攒下送报的钱。三周后，我有了七美元，我觉得这够赔她的窗户了。我把钱和一张便条放进信封，便条上道了歉，并希望这七美元能支付修理费。
等到天黑，我溜到她家，把信封从门缝塞了进去。我的灵魂感到被救赎了，迫不及待地想再次直视她的眼睛。
第二天，我把报纸递给她，并回应了她温暖的微笑。她谢过我后说：“来，我有点东西给你。”那是一袋饼干。我道了谢，继续送报时便开始吃饼干。
吃了几块后，我摸到一个信封，便把它拿了出来。打开信封时，我惊呆了。里面是那七美元和一张简短的纸条，上面写着：“我为你感到骄傲。”