Just What I've Always Wanted
總能讓爸爸高興的禮物
No matter how humble the contents of a package, Dad always took care to appreciate the time and thought that went into selecting a store-bought gift or the skill that went into making one. When we were young and had no money to buy Dad gifts, we often relied on imagination to make up for a shortage of shopping funds. Dad beamed with pleasure upon opening a coin pouch made at summer camp, a note redeemable for washing and waxing his car, or a homemade card with a message of a prayer said in his honor.
不管我們送的包裹裡的東西有多不起眼，爸爸總是注意表示讚賞，感謝我們在挑選和購買那些禮物時所花費的時間和心思，或者讚歎我們在製作禮物的過程中所用到的技能。我們小時候沒錢給爸爸買禮物，經常要靠想象力來彌補購物資金的不足。那時，我們送給爸爸的東西有夏令營時自己做的零錢包，一張許諾為他洗車和給汽車上蠟的字條，或者一張寫著祝他好運的自制卡片。爸爸收到這些東西時， 總是笑容滿面。
But even when our buying power increased through money from odd jobs and baby-sitting, we sometimes ran short on imagination. Still, Dad made our bland gifts seem like dreams come true. When he opened a plain white shirt just like the ones he wore to work, he would appear delightfully jolted as if he'd never seen anything like it. He'd pull the shirt out of the bag reverently and comment on its features. "Oh, this is really nice," he'd say, pointing out the button-down collar or extra-long shirttail. Then he'd carefully remove the packaging and try it on. "It's exactly what I needed," he'd say several times in between praising the quality of workmanship and tidiness of the fabric. All the while, we watched, wallowing in the pleasure of pleasing Dad.
後來，儘管通過打零工和替別人看孩子我們的購買力有所增強，但有時我們卻缺乏創意。即便如此，爸爸仍讓我們覺得我們乏味的禮物是他夢寐以求的。當他打開一件和他穿著去上班的那些差不多一樣的普通白襯衫時，他高興的樣子讓你覺得他好像從來沒有見過類似的東西似的。他會虔誠地將那件襯衫從袋子裡取出來，評論一番。“噢，這個真不錯。”他會指著縫有紐扣的領尖或者加長的襯衣下襬說。然後，他會小心翼翼地拆開包裝並試穿。他一會兒讚揚其精細的做工，一會兒讚揚其布料的整潔，其間還會說上好多遍“這正是我需要的”。而在這個過程中，我們一直注視著，沉醉在取悅爸爸的快樂之中。
Over the years, we gave Dad a full closet of shirts—plaid flannels for the cold, short-sleeved knits for golf, and long-sleeved Oxford shirts for church and work. We gave him miles of ties. We gave him implements of leisure such as golf balls and gloves and fishing poles, and things to nurture hobbies like tools for woodworking and gardening.
在過去的數年裡，我們送給爸爸的襯衣足足有一壁櫥那麼多——天冷時穿的格子圖案的法蘭絨襯衣，打高爾夫球時穿的短袖襯衣，去教堂和上班時穿的長袖牛津布襯衣。我們送給他的領帶連起來有數英里長。我們送給他的娛樂工具有高爾夫球、手套和釣魚竿，還有培養各類興趣和愛好的物品，比如木工和園藝的工具。
If the color or size wasn't perfect, or if his toolbox already held in triplicate the tool we gave him, Dad didn't let on . He made us feel so good about our gifts that Father's Day became an occasion we all looked forward to.
如果顏色或尺寸不是他稱心的，或者我們又送了一件他工具箱裡已有了三件的工具，爸爸也不會表露出不悅。他讓我們覺得我們送給他的禮物非常好，以至於父親節成了一個我們全都期待的日子。
I suspect Dad was always more comfortable with giving gifts than receiving them. I figure that's what made him so good at appreciating our simple gifts--his ever-present awareness that every gift that comes to you brings an opportunity to give one back in the form of gratitude.
我猜送禮物比收禮物更讓爸爸舒服。我想那正是讓他善於欣賞我們的簡單禮物的原因——他一直都知道，每次收到禮物我們都有機會用“表示感激”這種方式回饋對方。
Dad's manner of receiving even the most mediocre of presents was a simple but enduring gift for our family. Although he is no longer with us, his gift lives on in our memories.
爸爸收禮的態度，即使是收到最普通的禮物的態度，是我們家裡一份樸素而持久的禮物。雖然他已經不在了，但他的禮物依然活在我們的記憶中。
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