A gray sweater hung limply on Tommy’s empty desk, a reminder of the dejected boy who had just followed his classmates from our third-grade room. Soon Tommy’s parents, who had recently separated, would arrive for a conference on his failing schoolwork and disruptive behavior. Neither parent knew that I had summoned the other.

一件灰色毛衣无力地躺在汤米空空的桌子上，垂头丧气的男孩刚跟着他的同学走出了三年级班的教室门。汤米刚分居不久的父母会过来开个关于他们儿子功课差以及行为反常的会议。双方父母都不知道我叫了对方。

Tommy, an only child, had always been happy, cooperative and an excellent student. How could I convince his father and mother that his recent failing grades represented a broken-hearted child’s reaction to his adored parents’ separation and pending divorce?

汤米是一名独子，他曾经是一个快乐、乐于合作、杰出的学生。我该怎样让他们的父母相信他最近成绩差是因为这个心碎的小男孩这样做是对他钟爱的父母分居和申请离婚所做出的回应？

Tommy’s mother entered and took one of the chairs I had placed near my desk. Soon the father arrived. Good! At least they were concerned enough to be prompt. A look of surprise and irritation passed between them, and then they pointedly ignored each other.

汤米的母亲进来了然后把我旁边的凳子搬了过去。没多久他的父亲也到了。很好！至少他们还是很关心他的。他们一副惊愕又愤怒的神情，然后很自觉地无视了对方。

As I gave a detailed account of Tommy’s behavior and schoolwork, I prayed for the right words to bring these two people together, to help them see what they were doing to their son. But somehow the words wouldn’t come. Perhaps if they saw one of his smudged, carelessly done papers.

当我把汤米的详细行为和功课给他们的时候，我希望我能说些话让他们能够团结起来，让他们看看他们都对他们的儿子都做了些什么。但是不知怎么的这话就是说不出来。大概可能是他们会看见这草草做完脏兮兮的试卷的原因吧。

I found a crumpled tear-stained sheet stuffed in the back of his desk, an English paper. Writing covered both sides – not the assignment, but a single sentence scribbled over and over.

我发现他桌子后面都塞满了揉成一团、带撕痕的纸，一张英语试卷。字写满了两边 – 不像是作业，而是重复的一句话。

Silently I smoothed it out and gave it to Tommy’s mother. She read it and then without a word handed it to her husband. He frowned. Then his face softened. He studied the scrawled words for what seemed an eternity.

我静静地抚平试卷然后给了汤姆的母亲。她看了然后把它给了她的丈夫。他皱起眉头，然后他的脸放松了下来。他研究了许久这潦草写的字。

At last he folded the paper carefully, placed it in his pocket, and reached for his wife’s outstretched hand. She wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled up at him. My own eyes were brimming, but neither seemed to notice. He helped her with her coat and they left together.

最后他小心地折好试卷，把它放到他的口袋里，握着她妻子摊开的手。她擦着眼泪对着他笑。我的眼里有泪光，不过没有人注意到。他帮她穿上衣服然后一起离开了。 

In his own way God had given me the words to reunite that family. He had guided me to the sheet of yellow copy paper covered with the anguished outpouring of a small boy’s troubled heart.

上帝以他的方式赋予我言语让这家庭破镜重圆。他引导我到黄色的复印纸上，那纸写满了一个内心苦恼小男孩的痛苦情感。 

The words were, ”Dear Mother… Dear Daddy… I love you… I love you… I love you.”

那些话语是，“亲爱的妈妈。。。亲爱的爸爸。。。我爱你们。。。我爱你们。。。我爱你们。”