A light drizzle was falling as my sister Jill and I ran out of the Methodist Church, eager to get home and play with the presents that Santa had left for us and our baby sister, Sharon. Across the street from the church was a Pan American gas station where the Greyhound bus stopped. It was closed for Christmas, but I noticed a family standing outside the locked door, huddled under the narrow overhang in an attempt to keep dry. I wondered briefly why they were there but then forgot about them as I raced to keep up with Jill.

　　天上下着毛毛细雨，我和姐姐吉尔跑出卫理公会教堂，满心只想着快点回到家玩圣诞老人给我们和小妹妹莎伦准备的礼物玩具。教堂的对面是泛美油站，灰狗长途汽车会在那里中途停站。因为是圣诞节，那天油站没开，不过我发现在紧锁的站门外站着一家人，他们挤在狭小的檐篷下，想尽量不被雨淋湿。我闪过一个疑问，他们为什么站在那里呢?但在我赶上吉尔的时候也就把这个疑团抛诸脑后了。

　　Once we got home, there was barely time to enjoy our presents. We had to go off to our grandparents' house for our annual Christmas dinner. As we drove down the highway through town, I noticed that the family was still there, standing outside the closed gas station.

　　回到家后其实根本没时间让我们尽情把玩礼物，因为我们马上又得去爷爷奶奶家共进一年一度的圣诞大餐。在开车经过刚才那条大路时，我看到那一家人仍然站在紧闭的油站门外。

　　My father was driving very slowly down the highway. The closer we got to the turnoff for my grandparents' house, the slower the car went. Suddenly, my father U-turned in the middle of the road and said, "I can't stand it!"

　　在那主干道上爸爸的车开得很慢。越接近去爷爷奶奶家的分岔路口，车子就越慢。突然，爸爸在半路中途来了个180度转弯，把车子原路驶回，他说："我实在不忍心!

　　"What?" asked my mother.

　　"什么?"妈妈问他。

　　"It's those people back there at the Pan Am, standing in the rain. They've got children. It's Christmas. I can't stand it."

　　"那几个在雨中站在泛美油站外的人。他们还带着小孩呢。圣诞节当前，我真的不忍心啊。"

　　When my father pulled into the service station, I saw that there were five of them: the parents and three children - two girls and a small boy.

　　爸爸把车开到油站旁停下，我看见那一家总共有5个人：父母俩和三个孩子--两个女孩跟一个小男孩。

　　My father rolled down his window. "Merry Christmas," he said.

　　爸爸摇下车窗对他们说："圣诞快乐!"

　　"Howdy," the man replied. He was very tall and had to stoop slightly to peer into the car. Jill, Sharon, and I stared at the children, and they stared back at us.

　　"你好，"那个男人回了一句。他长得很高，要稍微弯下腰来往我们车里瞧。我和吉尔、莎伦盯着那几个小孩，他们也瞪眼看着我们。

　　"You waiting on the bus?" my father asked.

　　"你们在等汽车吗?"爸爸问他们。

　　The man said that they were. They were going to Birmingham, where he had a brother and prospects of a job.

　　男人回答说是，他们准备去伯明翰，他有个哥哥在那边，而且期望能谋到一份工作。

　　"Well, that bus isn't going to come along for several hours, and you're getting wet standing here. Winborn's just a couple miles up the road. They've got a shed with a cover there, and some benches," my father said. "Why don't y'all get in the car and I'll run you up there."

　　"汽车起码要好几个小时后才到这里，站在这儿等车你们都会淋湿的。往前几英里就是温邦站，那儿有个棚屋，有地方避雨，还有些板凳。不如上车我送你们到那里吧。"

　　The man thought about it for a moment, and then he beckoned to his family. They climbed into the car. They had no luggage, only the clothes they were wearing.

　　男人想了一下然后示意他家人过来。他们钻进车里，除了身上穿着的衣服，他们没有任何行李。

　　Once they settled in, my father looked back over his shoulder and asked the children if Santa had found them yet. Three glum faces mutely gave him his answer.