一生中最好的老師 The Best Teacher In My Life

There is a story from many years ago of a primary school teacher. Her name was Mrs. Thompson. And as she stood in front of the 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked her students and said that she loved them all the same.

這個故事說的是多年前一名叫湯普森夫人的小學老師，在開學第一天的時候，她站在五年級全班學生面前，對孩子們撒了一個謊。像大多數老師一樣，她看着同學們，說她會一視同仁地愛他們每一個人。

But that was impossible because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

但這是不可能的，因爲前排座位上就坐着個萎靡不振的小男孩，他叫特迪·斯托達德。

pson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he didn’t play well with the other children, his clothes were messy and constantly need a bath. And ,Teddy could be unpleasant.

湯普森夫人去年就開始留意特迪，發覺他不大和其他孩子一起玩耍，衣衫不整，身上總是很髒，而且，特迪還不討人喜歡。

It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in making his papers with a broud red pen, making bold Xs and then putting a “F” at the top of his papers. At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to relieve each child’s past records and she put Teddy’s off until last.

湯普森夫人甚至喜歡上用粗紅筆在特迪的考卷上打上些大大的叉，並在卷子上方寫個大大的“F”。湯普森夫人執教的學校要求老師閱覽每個孩子的檔案，她把特迪的放在最後纔看。

However, when she relieved his file, she was in a surprise, Teddy’s first grade teacher wrote,” Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners…he is a joy to be around.”

可是，她翻閱特迪的檔案時，不禁大吃一驚。特迪一年級老師的評語是：“特迪是一個聰明的孩子，笑口常開，作業工整，禮貌待人……與他在一起很開心。”

His second grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates. But he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle.”

二年級老師的評語是：“特迪是個優秀的學生，同學們都很喜歡他。但是，他母親得了絕症，他很苦惱，家裏生活肯定也很艱難。”

His third grade teacher wrote, “His mother’s death has been hard on him. He tried to do his best but his father doesn’t show much interest in him, and his home life will steps aren’t taken.”

他三年級老師的評語是：“他母親去世對他打擊很大。儘管他試圖努力表現，但他父親不大理會，家庭問題失控加劇。”

Teddy’s fourth grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is withdrawn and doesn’t show much interest in school. He doesn’t have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class.”

他四年級老師的評語是：“特迪性格孤僻，有厭學情緒。他朋友不多，有時候上課睡覺。”

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful paper and tied with pretty ribbons, except for Teddy’s. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag.

看到這裏，湯普森夫人明白了問題所在，她爲自己感到羞愧。當同學們送給她聖誕禮物時，她更無地自容了。那些禮物都用漂亮的包裝紙包着，扎着美麗的綵帶，惟有特迪的例外。他的禮物是用雜貨袋上弄下來的厚厚的棕色紙粗陋地包着的。

pson opened it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children’s laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy stayed after school that day just long enough to say, “Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my mom used to.”

在一堆禮物中間，湯普森夫人拆開了特迪送的禮物。當她看到裏面放的是一串少了珠子的萊茵石手鐲，還有1/4瓶香水的時候，有些孩子開始笑出聲來。湯普森夫人制止了孩子們的嘲笑，並大聲讚歎手鐲是多麼漂亮。她戴上手鐲，還在手腕處噴了點兒香水。那天放學以後，特迪·斯托達德留下來對湯普森夫人說：“湯普森夫人，您今天身上的味道像我媽媽。”

After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On the very day, she quit teaching reading, and writing, and arithmetic. Instead she began to teach children how to be a man.

孩子們走後，她哭了至少一個小時。也從那天起，她不再單純教閱讀、寫作和算術，而是開始教孩子們如何做人。

pson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class.

湯普森夫人特別關注特迪。在她的悉心教導下，他的思維似乎變得敏捷起來。她越鼓勵他，他的反應就越快。到了年底，特迪已在全班名列前茅。

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

一年後，湯普森夫人發現門下有張特迪寫來的便條，說她仍然是他碰到的最好的老師。

Six years later went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

又過了6年，她又收到了特迪的短箋，說他以全班第三名的成績高中畢業，而她仍然是他遇見的最好的老師。

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that he would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. Then four more years past and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor’s degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer—the letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

又過了4年，她又收到特迪的來信，說他很快就要以優異的成績大學畢業。又一個4年，又來了一封信。這次他解釋到，拿到學士學位後，他繼續深造去了。他在這封信中說明，她依然是他一生中最好、最喜歡的老師。不過， 這次他的署名長了一點，信的落款是：西奧多·F·斯托達德醫學博士。

The story doesn’t end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he’d met his girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of yeas ago and he was wondering if pson might agree to sit in the place at the wedding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course Mrs. Thompson did.

故事並沒有就此結束。你瞧，那年春天，又來了一封信。特迪在信上說，他交了女友，倆人就要結婚了。他解釋說，他爸爸幾年前就去世了，所以他想知道在他們的婚禮上，湯普森夫人是否願意做在他母親的位子上。湯普森夫人當然願意了。

At the wedding ceremony,they hugged each other, and dard whispered in Mrs. Thompson’s ear, “Thank you pson for believing in me, thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference.”

婚禮上，他們互相擁抱，斯托達德博士對湯普森夫人耳語道：“湯普森夫人，謝謝您對我的信任，非常感謝您對我的重視，是您讓我明白了自己的價值。”

pson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, “Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn’t know how to teach until I met you.”

湯普森夫人熱淚盈眶，低聲答道：“特迪，你搞錯了。是你讓我明白自己可以有所作爲。在遇到你以後，我才知道怎樣教育孩子。”