在孤兒院唱歌 Singing in the Orphan Asylum

在孤兒院唱歌

FEW children in Utah have ever heard of an orphan asylum, and it is likely to be a long while before they will see one here, because in our domestic system there are always relatives to take care of those who lose one or both parents. It is, in one sense, a melancholy sight to see a large building, and know that it is an institution of that kind ; it is sad to go through its rooms, and know that all those bright, youthful beings, formed to love and to be loved, are passing days and months in a life that lacks its most needful blessing, family ties. A sense of loneliness, restraint, and longing seems to pervade the whole. They may outgrow the heart-hunger, and go on without it, but that life lacks its best part after all.

在猶他州，很少有孩子聽說過孤兒院，他們可能要過很長一段時間才能在這里見到孤兒院，因為在我們的家庭制度中，那些失去父母一方或雙親的人總是有親戚照顧的。從某種意義上說，看到一幢大樓，知道它是那種機構，是一種令人傷感的景象;令人難過的是，當你走進它的房間，你會發(fā)現(xiàn)，所有那些為愛和被愛而生的聰明、年輕的生命，在缺少最需要的祝福——家庭紐帶的生命中，日復一日、月復一月地流逝。一種孤獨、克制和渴望的感覺似乎彌漫了整個世界。他們長大后也許會擺脫內(nèi)心的渴望，不再需要它，但生活畢竟缺少它最好的部分。

Again it is a great blessing that the homeless can be gathered in where shelter, warmth, food, clothing, instruction, and guardianship are all provided. All honor and blessing to those noble and gentle spirits that take a mission upon themselves to care for the helpless. There must be a great deal of love and patience in their hearts.

再次，無家可歸的人能夠聚集在一個提供庇護、溫暖、食物、衣服、指導和監(jiān)護的地方，這是一個巨大的祝福。所有的榮譽和祝福都屬于那些高尚而溫柔的靈魂，他們肩負著照顧無助者的使命。他們的心里一定充滿了愛和耐心。

When I was a little girl, my mother took me with her to visit the Protestant Orphan Asylum in San Francisco. She was one of the founders and directors. The sixty orphans were seated as in school, and a program entertainment was given to show what they had been learning. Articles made by both sexes were shown.

當我還是個小女孩的時候，我媽媽帶我去舊金山的新教孤兒收容所。她是創(chuàng)始人和董事之一。這60名孤兒像在學校一樣坐在座位上，并舉行了一個節(jié)目娛樂節(jié)目來展示他們所學到的東西。展示了男女制作的物品。

I remember above all others there a girl who sat in a large chair, in which, it was said, she passed day and night. Some dreadful affliction had made her a cripple, and her hair was all gone, so that she wore a soft silk cap over the bandages on her suffering head, and she could not use her hands; but they said she was so good and patient they all loved her, and tried to cheer her sad life.

我記得那兒有一個女孩，她坐在一張大椅子上，據(jù)說她日日夜夜都坐在那張椅子上。一場可怕的災難使她變成了一個瘸子，她的頭發(fā)也全沒了，因此她頭上纏著繃帶，戴著一頂柔軟的絲質(zhì)帽子。但是他們說她是那么的善良和耐心，他們都愛她，并試圖為她悲傷的生活加油。

While we were there, they sang a song about a poor mother alone in the dark with her dying son, while across the street was a mansion brilliantly lighted, where dancing and feasting went on. It was called "The Watcher." O children, think of it!

我們在那里的時候，他們唱了一首關于一個貧窮的母親和她垂死的兒子在黑暗中獨自一人的歌，而街對面是一座燈火輝煌的大廈，那里正在舉行舞會和宴會。它被稱為“觀察者”。啊，孩子們，想想看!

I have known of a case where the only light in the sick room, was from the fire-place. This seemed hard enough. I often went to the asylum, but those visits were all sad recollections. One dear little boy was told that an uncle was coming to take him to his grandparents. He was so sweetly hopeful about it, and the others all thought him so fortunate; but the ship encountered a storm, and the good uncle was drowned. When the news of this second calamity came, no one was willing at first to bear the sad tidings to the ^dear boy. After some months a reliable friend was found who could take him to his own relatives, and that friend was a good old sea captain, going home. Not a woman was on board the ship, but a letter from the "old folks" proved that he reached there all right.

我曾聽說過一個案例，病房里唯一的光亮來自壁爐。這似乎已經(jīng)夠難的了。我經(jīng)常去精神病院，但那些探訪都是悲傷的回憶。一個可愛的小男孩聽說叔叔要帶他去爺爺奶奶家。他對這件事充滿了甜蜜的希望，其他人都認為他很幸運。但是船遇到了暴風雨，好心的叔叔淹死了。當?shù)诙螢碾y的消息傳來時，起初沒有人愿意把這個不幸的消息告訴親愛的孩子。幾個月后，一個可靠的朋友找到了，他可以帶他去見自己的親戚，這個朋友是一個很好的老船長，要回家了。船上沒有一個女人，但是“老人家”寫來的一封信證明他做得很好。

Strange to say, no one ever claimed any of the rest, for whole families had been destroyed by the cholera, with the exception of these few children. It must be very sad for any person to feel that he stands alone upon the earth, the last of his family.

奇怪的是，除了這幾個孩子之外，沒有人認領其他的孩子，因為除了這幾個孩子以外，所有的家庭都被霍亂給毀了。對于任何一個人來說，自己孤獨地站在地球上——作為家庭的最后一個成員——一定是非常悲傷的。