精美英文欣赏:57美分建成的教堂(上)（在线收听）

A church built with 57 cents - Anonymous

57美分建成的教堂 匿名

A sobbing little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it "was too crowded."I can't go to Sunday school," she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by.

一个小女孩被拦在一座小教堂外面，“因为里面“太拥挤了，他们不让我进星期日学校（在美国，星期日学校是指在星期天对儿童进行宗教教育的学校）。”小女孩向一位路过的牧师哭诉道。

Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and,taking her by the hand,took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday school class.The child was so happy that they found room for her, that she went to bed that night thinking of the children who have no place to worship Jesus.

见她蓬头垢面、衣衫褴褛的样子，牧师便猜出她为何被拒之门外了。于是，牧师牵着她的小手，把她带进教堂，在星期日学校的教室里给她找到了一个位置，小女孩非常高兴。　

Some two years later, this child lay dead in one of the poor tenement buildings and the parents called for the kindhearted pastor, who had befriended their daughter, to handle the final arrangements.As her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpled purse was found which seemed to have been rummaged from some trash dump.

两年后，小女孩在一间破旧的贫民屋里离开了人世。她的父母把那位曾经善待他们女儿的好心牧师请过来料理后事。当他们挪动可怜的小女孩的遗体时，从她身上突然滑落了一个皱巴巴的、破烂不堪的、像是从垃圾堆里翻出来的红色小钱包。

Inside was found 57 cents and a note scribbled in childish handwriting which read, "This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday School.

钱包里共有57美分，还有一张小纸条，上面用歪歪扭扭的小孩字迹写道：“这些钱用来扩建小教堂，这样更多的小朋友就能够上星期日学校了。”

For two years she had saved for this offering of love.When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do.Carrying this note and the cracked, red pocketbook to the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion.

小女孩花了两年的时间来积攒这份爱！牧师泪流满面地看完这张纸条，立刻意识到自己该做些什么。他把这张小纸条和红色钱包带到教堂的讲坛，向众人讲述这个充满了无私的爱与宗教虔诚的感人故事。