A Sailor's Christmas Gift

by William J. Lederer



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The First Noel

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The Germans ordered wine for everyone. They delivered it themselves, hugging the other customers. One of the French families called for champagne, made the rounds, kissing each one of us on both cheeks. The owner of the restaurant started "The First Noel," and we all joined in, half of us crying. People crowded in from the street until many customers were standing. The walls shook as hands and feet kept time to the Christmas carols. The miserable evening in a shoddy restaurant ended up being the very best Christmas Eve we had ever experienced. Just because of a young sailor who had Christmas spirit in his soul, he released the love and joy that had been smothered within us by anger and disappointment. He gave us Christmas.
德國人請在場的每個人喝酒。人們自斟自飲，相互擁抱。那家法國人當中的一位要來了香檳---到每張桌上給人敬酒，并吻了每個人的雙頰。飯館老板帶頭唱起圣誕歌，我們大家都跟著唱，其中有半數人是含著眼淚唱的。 　　 人們絡繹不絕地從街上向餐館涌來，其中一些顧客由于沒有空位而只好站在那里。人們和著圣誕歌的節(jié)奏手舞足蹈，聲音震得餐廳的四壁陣陣發(fā)顫。 　　 沒想到在這家簡陋的小餐館里所度過的那個凄涼的夜晚，結果竟變成我們終生難忘的最最美好的圣誕之夜。這全虧那位靈魂中閃爍著圣誕精神的年輕海員。是他把我們由于憤懣和失望而被壓抑在內心深處的愛心和歡樂給引發(fā)出來的。他賜給了我們圣誕的歡樂。