Bob Green（America）
本章内容导读
尽管这位父亲和他的儿子只是在一起乘坐区间列车，但是他们彼此陪伴，使得他们的行程异常精彩。
其实答案很简单：父母愿意为孩子花时间，愿意关注，愿意尽心尽力。
虽然这不需要花上一分钱，但却是世间最珍贵的东西。
Passing through the Atlanta airport one morning，I caught one of those trains that take travelers from the main terminal to their boarding gates.Free，sterile1 and impersonal，the trains run back and forth all day long.Not many people consider them fun，but on this Saturday I heard laughter.
At the front of the first car—looking out the window at the track that lay ahead—were a man and his son.We had just stopped to let off2 passengers，and the doors wee closing again.'Here we go！Hold on to me tight！'the father said.The boy，about five years old，made sounds of sheer3 delight.
I know we're supposed to avoid making racial distinctions these days，so I hope no one will mind if I mention that most people on the train were white，dressed for business trips or vacations—and that the father and son were black，dressed in clothes that were just about as inexpensive as you can buy.
'Look out there！'the father said to his son.'See that pilot？I bet he's walking to his plane.'The son craned4 his neck to look.
As I got off，I remembered some thing I'd wanted to buy in the terminal.I was early for my flight，so I decided to go back.
I did—and just as I was about to reboard the train for my gate，I saw that the man and his son had returned too.I realized then that they hadn't been heading for a flight，but had just been riding the shuttle.
'I want to ride some more！'
'More？'the father said，mock-exasperated5 but clearly pleased.'You’re not tired？'
'This is fun！'his son said.
'All right.'the father replied，and when a door opened we all got on.
There are parents who can afford to send their children to Europe or Disneyland，and the children turn out rotten.There are parents who live in million-dollar houses and give their children cars and swimming pools，yet something goes wrong.Rich and poor，black and white，so much goes wrong so often.
'Where are all these people going，Daddy？'the son asked.
'All over the world，'came the reply.The other people in the airport were leaving for distant destinations or arriving at the ends of their journeys.The father and son，though，were just riding this shuttle together，making it exciting，sharing each other's company.
So many troubles in this country—crime，the murderous soullessness that seems to be taking over the lives of many young people，the lowering of educational standards，the increase in vile6 obscenities in public，the disappearance of simple civility.So many questions about what to do.Here was a father who cared about spending the day with his son and who had come up with this plan on a Saturday morning.
The answer is so simple：parents who care enough to spend time，and to pay attention and to try their best.It doesn't cost a cent，yet it is the most valuable thing in the world.
The train picked up speed，and the father pointed something out，and the boy laughed again，and the answer is so simple.
（美）鲍勃·格林
一天早晨经过亚特兰大机场，我看见一辆列车满载着旅客从航空集散站抵达乘机登记处。这类免费列车每天单调、无味地往返其间，没有几个人会觉得有趣。但这个周六我却在这列车上听到了笑声。
在头节车厢的最前面，坐着一个男人和他的儿子。他们正透过窗户观赏着一直向前延伸的轨道。我们停下来等候旅客下车，紧接着，车门又关上了。“咱们走吧。拉紧我！”父亲说。小男孩大约5岁，一路喜不自禁。
我知道如今我们不该有种族歧视，所以我希望大家对我接下来的描述不要介意。车上坐的多半是白人，他们穿戴整齐，或是去出公差或是去度假的，只有这对父子是黑种人，穿着也很朴素、简单。
“快看那边！”父亲对儿子说：“看见那位飞行员了吗？我敢肯定他这是去开飞机的。”儿子伸长了脖子往外看。
下了车后，我突然想起还得在航空集散站买点东西。而且离飞机起飞时间还早，于是我决定再乘车回去。
我转回来正要准备上车的时候，我看到那对父子也回来了。我意识到他们不是来乘飞机的，而是专门来乘坐区间列车的。
“我还想再坐一会儿！”
“再坐一会儿？”父亲嗔怪道，故意模仿着儿子的语调，但听的出他很高兴。“你还不累吗？”
“这太好玩了！”儿子说。
“那好吧，”父亲说。车门开了，我们都上了车。
我们很多父母有能力送孩子去欧洲，去迪斯尼乐园玩，可孩子还是变得堕落了。很多父母住在豪华别墅里，孩子能有车乘，有游泳池去，可孩子还是学坏了。富人、穷人，黑人、白人，那么多人都轻易学坏了。
“爸爸，这些人都要去哪儿呀？”儿子问。
“去往世界各地。”父亲回答道。机场来来往往的人流或准备远行，或刚刚旅行归来。尽管这位父亲和他的儿子只是在一起乘坐区间列车，但是他们彼此陪伴，使得他们的行程异常精彩。
我们的社会正面临着许多问题：犯罪、越来越多的年轻人变得冷漠无情、文化水平下降、公共场合卑劣的猥亵行为增多、最基本的文明礼貌丧失，等等。我们有那么多的问题亟待处理。而这里，这位父亲却很在意花上一天的时间来陪伴自己的儿子，并在这样一个星期六的早上，提出这个计划。
其实答案很简单：父母愿意为孩子花时间，愿意关注，愿意尽心尽力。虽然这不需要花上一分钱，但却是世间最珍贵的东西。
火车加速了。父亲指着窗外什么东西，儿子又高兴地笑了起来。是的，答案就是这么简单。
生词与短语 New Words and Expressions
1.sterile adj.刻板的，缺乏新意
2.let off放过，宽恕；开（枪），放（炮等），排放（本文指车到站，乘客下车）
3.sheer adj.（complete）十足的
4.crane vt.伸长（脖子等）
5.exasperate vt.激怒
6.vile adj.极坏的，恶劣的；卑鄙的，邪恶的
妙语连珠：Beautiful Sentences
1）The boy，about five years old，made sounds of sheer delight.
小男孩大约5岁吧，一路喜不自禁。
2）It doesn't cost a cent，yet it is the most valuable thing in the world.
虽然这不需要花上一分钱，但却是世间最珍贵的东西。
心灵感悟：
Parents know that a caring attitude can not only save you a small fortune，but also even make you feel good about being tightfisted and offering more care than presents.
父母们知道，关心的态度不仅能帮你们省下一笔可观的钱，而且甚至能使你们感到无比欣慰，虽然花钱不多但是给予了孩子们胜过一切礼物的关怀。
