The Sociology Class
一堂社會學(xué)課

I have recently completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology and the last project of the term was called “Smile”.

不久前我取得了我的大學(xué)學(xué)位。我上的最后一堂課是社會學(xué)，學(xué)期的最后一次作業(yè)是“微笑”。

The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions. Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's, one crisp March morning. We were waiting to be served, when suddenly everyone around us began to back away. As I turned around to see what was happening I smelled a horrible “dirty body” smell...and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men.

老師讓全體同學(xué)走出課堂對三個人“微笑”，并且記錄下人們的反應(yīng)。不久，在一個明媚的三月的早晨，我和丈夫、小兒子一起去麥當勞吃早餐。就在我們等候點餐的時候，突然我周圍的人開始向后退去。當我轉(zhuǎn)過身來想要看看發(fā)生了什么事，我聞到一股難聞的“骯臟的身體”的味道——就在我的身后站著兩個可憐的無家可歸的人。

As I looked down at the blue�瞖yed gentleman, close to me, he was “smiling”. He said “Good day” as he counted the few coins he had been clutching. The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally deficient and the blue�瞖yed gentle man was his protector.

我低下頭看了看站在我身旁的這位藍眼睛先生，發(fā)現(xiàn)他正在對我“微笑”。他一邊對我說“早上好”，一邊數(shù)著手里一直攥著的幾枚硬幣。另一個人站在他的身后，手到處亂抓。我意識到這個人智力上有缺陷，而這位藍眼睛先生是他的保護人。

All he ordered was coffee because that was all they could afford to sit in the restaurant and warm up. Then I felt a strong compulsion to reach out and to embrace the blue�瞖yed man. That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me...judging my every action.

他只要了一杯咖啡，因為他們只能負擔(dān)起一杯咖啡——為了能在餐館里面坐一坐，取一下暖。我感到一種強烈的想要伸出雙臂擁抱這位藍眼睛先生的沖動。就在這時我注意到餐館里所有的眼睛都在注視著我——想要看清我的每一個舉動。

I smiled and asked for two more breakfast. I put the tray on the table where the two men were seated and laid my hand on the blue�瞖yed gentleman's cold hand. He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, “Thank you.” I leaned over, began to hold his hand and said, “God is here working through me to give you hope.”

我微笑著又點了兩份早餐。我把托盤放在那兩個人的桌子上并把我的手放在那位藍眼睛先生冰冷的手上。他抬頭看著我，眼里含著淚，對我說了聲謝謝。我俯下身去，握著他的手說，“上帝希望通過我給你帶來希望。”

When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, “That is why God gave you to me, Honey...to give me hope.”

當我坐下來的時候，我的丈夫微笑著對我說，“親愛的，上帝之所以讓你來到我身邊，就是為了給我?guī)�來希望�！?br />
I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand. I turned in “my project” and we shared the story in the class...It is then that I knew that we, as human beings share this need to heal people and be healed.

在最后一課的那個晚上，我?guī)е�我的這個故事，回到了學(xué)校。我交上“作業(yè)”，并在課堂上分享了這個故事。就是在那時我明白我們?nèi)祟愋枰獛椭鷦e人，同時也需要別人的幫助。

In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my husband, son, instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom. I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn—Unconditional Acceptance!

我用自己的方式感動了那天在麥當勞的人，感動了我的丈夫、兒子、老師，感動了每一個在課堂上分享這個故事的人。我畢業(yè)了，并且學(xué)到了所學(xué)課程中最重要的一課，那就是“無條件的接納”!