English Original
The board meeting had come to an end. Bob stood up, jostled the table, and spilled his coffee over his notes. "How embarrassing. I'm getting so clumsy in my old age."
Everyone laughed, and soon we were all sharing stories of our most embarrassing moments. It came around to Frank, who had been sitting quietly. Someone said, "Come on, Frank. Tell us yours."
Frank smiled and began his story. "I grew up in San Pedro. My dad was a fisherman who loved the sea. He had his own boat, but making a living was hard. He worked tirelessly, staying out until he caught enough to feed not just our family, but also his parents and siblings."
"I wish you could have met him," Frank continued. "He was a big, strong man from hauling nets and battling the waves. He always smelled of the ocean. He wore an old canvas foul-weather coat, bibbed overalls, and a rain hat pulled low. No matter how much my mother washed them, they retained the scent of salt and fish."
Frank's voice softened. "On bad weather days, he'd drive me to school in his ancient fishing truck. It was older than he was, wheezing and rattling down the road. You could hear it for blocks. As we approached the school, I'd sink into my seat, wishing to vanish. He'd often screech to a halt, the truck belching smoke right in front of the school, where it seemed everyone was watching. Then he'd lean over, give me a big kiss on the cheek, and tell me to be a good boy. I was twelve, and it was mortifying."
He paused. "I remember the day I decided I was too old for a goodbye kiss. We stopped at school, and he smiled as usual, leaning in. I put up my hand and said, 'No, Dad.' It was the first time I'd spoken to him like that. His face showed surprise.
"'Dad, I'm too old for a goodbye kiss. I'm too old for any kiss,' I said.
"My father looked at me for a long time, his eyes filling with tears—something I'd never seen before. He turned to look out the windshield. 'You're right,' he said quietly. 'You are a big boy... a man. I won't kiss you anymore.'"
Frank's expression grew distant, his eyes glistening. "Not long after that, my dad went out to sea and never returned. It was a day most boats stayed in port, but he had a large family to feed. They found his boat adrift, nets half in the water. He must have been caught in a gale, trying to save his gear."
Tears streamed down Frank's cheeks. "Guys, you don't know what I'd give to have my dad kiss me just once more on the cheek... to feel his rough face, smell the ocean on him, feel his arm around my neck. I wish I had been a man then. If I had, I would never have told him I was too old for a goodbye kiss."
中文翻译
董事会会议结束了。鲍勃站起来时撞到了桌子，咖啡洒在了他的笔记上。“真尴尬。我年纪大了，越来越笨拙了。”
大家都笑了，很快我们开始分享各自最尴尬的时刻。轮到一直安静坐着的弗兰克了。有人说：“来吧，弗兰克，说说你的。”
弗兰克笑了笑，开始讲述他的故事。“我在圣佩德罗长大。我父亲是个热爱大海的渔夫。他有自己的船，但谋生很艰难。他不知疲倦地工作，直到捕到足够的鱼，不仅要养活我们家，还要养活他的父母和兄弟姐妹。”
“真希望你们能见见他，”弗兰克继续说。“他是个高大强壮的人，是拉网和与海浪搏斗练就的。他身上总带着海洋的气息。他穿着一件旧的帆布防雨外套、带护胸的工装裤，戴着一顶拉得很低的雨帽。无论我母亲怎么洗，那些衣服都保留着盐和鱼的味道。”
弗兰克的声音柔和下来。“天气不好的时候，他会用他那辆古老的捕鱼卡车送我去学校。那车比他还老，在路上呼哧呼哧、嘎吱作响，几个街区外都能听见。快到学校时，我会缩进座位里，希望自己消失。他常常会猛踩刹车，卡车在学校正前方喷出一股浓烟，而那里似乎所有人都在看着。然后他会俯过身，在我脸颊上重重一吻，告诉我要做个好孩子。我当时十二岁，觉得这太丢人了。”
他停顿了一下。“我记得那天，我认定自己已经长大，不再需要告别吻了。我们在学校停下，他像往常一样微笑着俯身过来。我抬起手说：‘不，爸爸。’那是我第一次那样跟他说话。他脸上露出惊讶的表情。
“‘爸爸，我已经大了，不需要告别吻了。我大了，什么吻都不需要了，’我说。
“我父亲久久地看着我，眼里涌上了泪水——这是我从未见过的。他转过头看向挡风玻璃外。‘你说得对，’他轻声说。‘你是个大男孩了……一个男人了。我不会再吻你了。’”
弗兰克的神情变得遥远，眼中闪着泪光。“那之后不久，我父亲出海就再也没回来。那天大多数船都留在港口，但他有一大家子要养活。人们发现他的船漂着，渔网一半在水里。他一定是遇到了大风，试图抢救他的渔具。”
泪水从弗兰克的脸颊滑落。“伙计们，你们不知道我愿付出什么，只求我父亲能再吻我脸颊一次……感受他粗糙的脸，闻到他身上的海的味道，感受他的手臂搂着我的脖子。我真希望我当时是个真正的男人。如果我是，我绝不会告诉他我长大了，不再需要告别吻了。”