Language of the Heart心的语言

林芬

Soapy is my rabbit. When people first touch him， they are surprised at how soft his fur is. I have noticed that he seems to make everyone who meets him a little softer， too.

索比是我养的兔子。当人们触摸它时，都很惊讶它的毛发竟然如此柔软。我发现它似乎能让每个遇到它的人也变得温柔起来。

One day， Soapy and I visited a shelter for women who had been abused1 by their husbands. None of the women or their children smiled at me， and they appeared uninterested in Soapys cage. One little girl didnt even raise her eyes. Workers at the shelter told me that she had been there for over a month and had not spoken for the entire time. Nothing they had tried took effect.

一天，索比和我前往一个避难所去看望那些被丈夫虐待的妇女。那里的妇女和孩子没有一个人对我们笑脸相迎，他们似乎对索比的笼子也毫无兴致。一个小女孩甚至都没有抬眼看一下。避难所的工作人员告诉我这个女孩已经在这里住了一个多月了，这段时间一句话都没有说过。他们尝试了很多办法，都没有用。

Spreading a blanket2 on the floor， I opened Soapys cage and told the group that Soapy would come to talk to them if they sat on the blanket. Several of the children did this， including the silent girl. In a short time， Soapy appeared and slowly hopped3 from one child to another. After touching Soapy， the children sighed softly or smiled. Soapy continued hopping， and the children and their mothers gradually4 began to talk about Soapy.

我在地板上铺了一条毯子，然后打开索比的笼子，告诉他们如果他们可以坐在地毯上的话，索比会过来跟他说说话。有几个孩子坐过来了，也包括那个一声不吭的小女孩。不一会儿，索比出来了，慢慢地从一个孩子跳到另外一个孩子。摸了摸索比之后，孩子们轻轻地叹了口气，或相视而笑。索比继续跳来跳去，而孩子们和他们的妈妈渐渐地开始谈论索比。

Finally， Soapy hopped towards the silent girl. She sat tensely5， just staring. Soapy stopped before her and quietly laid his chin6 on her knee. I was surprised， because Soapy hardly ever did that. The girl slowly leaned7 towards him. When her face was within inches8 of his， she carefully reached out， circled him with her arms， and whispered to him softly. When she released9 her hug， I saw a smile on her face.

最后索比跳向了那个沉默的小女孩。她紧张兮兮地坐在那里，眼睛直勾勾地盯着索比。索比停在她的面前，悄悄地把下巴放在她的膝盖上。我很是惊讶，要知道索比几乎不会有这样的举动。小女孩慢慢地把身子靠向它。当小女孩的脸离它的脸近在咫尺时，她小心翼翼地伸出双臂，用手臂环绕着它，在它耳边轻声细语。当她再次放松环抱，我看到她舒展笑颜。

Soapy， in his cloud of soft， warm fur had touched something deep in the child， something that had died from too much hard experience. His innocence10 and trust appeared to make those same qualities start to grow in her. Many times， I have seen how a lovely animal can heal where words have no effect. It seems that the language of the heart is simple after all.

索比那如白云般柔软温暖的毛已触动到这个孩子心里深处的某个东西，而这个东西因为过去种种的痛苦经历而死去。它的天真和信任似乎能让这些品质在她心里重新生根发芽。很多次，我都亲眼看到一只可爱的动物如何治愈言语治愈不了的伤口。看来，心的语言才是简单纯粹的。