Hoài niệm Tây Ninh: A Big Impression- Dan Clark ( Một cảm xúc lớn- Nguyên Trần dịch )

Thứ Tư, 18 tháng 4, 2018

A Big Impression- Dan Clark ( Một cảm xúc lớn- Nguyên Trần dịch )

A Big Impression

That best portion of a good man’s life his little nameless unremembered acts of kindness and love.

William Wordsworth

Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus. Finally there was only one family between us and the ticket counter. This family made a big impression on me. There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12. You could tell they didn't have a lot of money. Their clothes were not expensive, but they were clean. The children were well behaved. all of them standing in line, two by two behind their parents, holding hands. They were excitedly jabbering about the clowns, elephants and other acts they would see that night. One coulds sense they had never been to circus before. It Promised to be highlighted of their young lives.
My father and mother were at the head of the pack standing proud as could be. The mother was holding her husbands hand, looking up at him as if to say,"You are my knight in shining armor." He was smiling and basking in pride looking at her as if to reply,"You got that right."
The ticket lady asked the father how many tickets he wanted . He proudly responded, " please let me buy eight children tickets and two adult tickets so i can take my family to the circus."
The ticket lady quoted the price.
The man's wife let go of his hand. her head dropped, The mans lips began to quiver. The father leaned a little closer and asked, " How much did you say."
The ticket lady quoted the price again.
The man didnt have enough money.
How was he supposed to turn and tell his eight kids around that he didnt have enough money to take them to circus.
Seeing what was going on, my dad put his hand into his pocket, Pulled out a $20 bill and dropped it on the ground.(We were not wealthy in any sense of the word!)
My father reached down, picked up the bill, tapped the man on the shoulder and said,"Excuse me sir this fell out of your pocket."
The man knew what was going on. He wasnt begging for a handout but certainly appreciated the help in desperate, heart breaknig embrassing situation. He looked straight into my dad's eyes took my dads hands in both of his squezzed tightly onto the 420 bill, and with his lip quivering and a tear streaming down his cheek, he replied, " Thank you, thank you sir. This means a lot to me and my family."
My father and i went back to our car and drove home. We didnt go to the circus that night, but we didnt go without.
Dan Clark

Bản dịch của Nguyên Trần
Một cảm xúc lớn

Việc tốt nhất trong cuộc đời của một con người cao thượng là hành động đáng nhớ nhỏ nhoi kín đáo nhưng tràn đầy lòng tử tế và tình thương.
William Wordsworth
Có một lần khi tôi còn bé, cha tôi và tôi đứng xếp hàng mua vé xem hát xiệc. Sau cùng rồi thì chỉ có một gia đình đứng giữa chúng tôi và quày bán vé. Gia đình nầy đã gây ấn tượng mạnh đối với tôi. Họ có tám đứa con và tất cả có lẽ dưới 12 tuổi. Bạn có thể nghĩ rằng họ không có nhiều tiền qua những bộ quần áo họ không đắc tiền nhưng sac̣h sẽ. Đám trẻ thật ngoan ngoản, tất cả chúng đứng xếp hàng từng cặp tay nắm tay ngay sau lưng ba mẹ. Họ đều phấn khích nhôn nhao bàn tán về những chú hề, những con voi và những màn trình diễn khác mà họ sẽ xem trong đêm nay. Họ có thể cảm nhận rằng họ chưa hề tới rạp xiếc trước đây. Những buổi xem xiếc như vậy hứa hẹn sẽ làm nổi bật cuộc sống trẻ trung của họ.

Hai cha mẹ dẫn đầu toán trong niềm kiêu hãnh tự nhiên. Bà mẹ nắm lấy tay người cha vừa nhìn ông dường như nói rằng: “ Anh là hiệp sĩ của em trong bộ giáp sáng chói”. Ông mỉm cười lộ nét hãnh diện vừa nhìn lại bà hình như trả lời: “Em nói đúng đó”.

Người phụ nữ bán vé hỏi người cha muốn mua bao nhiêu vé. Ông dõng dạc trả lời: “ Xin vui lòng cho tôi mua tám vé trẻ em và hai vé người lớn để tôi có thể đưa nguyên gia đình xem xiếc”.

Cô bán vé nói giá.

Bà vợ bỗng buông tay chồng ra gục đầu xuống trong khi đôi môi ông ta bắt đầu run lên. Ông chồm người tới gần hơn và hỏi: “Cô nói bao nhiêu?”.

Cô gái lập lại giá vé lần nữa.

Người đàn ông không có đủ tiền. Nhưng làm thế nào mà ông ta có thể quay lại nói với bầy con là mình không đủ tiền để dẫn chúng vào xem xiếc.

Ba tôi nhìn thấy và biết ngay chuyện gì đang xảy ra nên cho tay vào túi lấy ra một tờ 20 đô la và kín đáo bỏ rơi xuống đất. (Nói chung thì chúng tôi đâu có giàu có gì trên đời nầy).

Ba tôi cúi xuống nhặt tờ giấy bạc lên rồi vỗ vai người đàn ông và nói: “ Xin lỗi thưa ông! Ông đã đánh rơi 20$ nầy từ túi của ông”
Người đàn ông biết rõ việc gì đang xảy ra. Ông ta không trông mong một tờ bạc rơi nhưng chắc chắn trọng ơn người giúp mình trong cơn tuyệt vọng, tim ông ta đập nhanh trong tình huống lúng túng. Ông nhìn thẳng vào mắt Ba tôi đồng thời dùng hai tay còn đang cầm tờ giấy bạc 20$ siết chặt hai tay Ba tôi. Với đôi môi run run và giọt nước mắt lăn dài trên gò má, ông ta nhỏ nhẹ: “ Cám ơn! Cám ơn Ngài! Ngài đã làm một nghĩa cử lớn cho tôi và gia đình tôi”.
Ba tôi và tôi trở lại xe và lái về nhà. Chúng tôi không xem xiếc đêm đó mà không một chút hối tiếc.
Dan Clark

(Hoa Huỳnh chuyển)