The Beauty1 of Difference 差异之美

“It is no longer safe here and you will have a new life in England，” Her parents said to Shirin before they sent her to aunts home. Little Shirin wanted to cry because she did not want to leave them and did not know her cousins at all. Also， she doesnt know what they were saying because they speak Farsi2.

“Im scared，” said Shirin. “How can you be scared？” asked her father. “Arent you the brave3 little girl who was never afraid when the bombs4 blow up in the city？” And Shirins mother said， “Soon your father and I will come to England， you can teach me some new words.” Shirin liked the idea of teaching her mother new words because Shirin thought that her mother was the smartest person in the whole world.

During the long flight to England， little Shirin tried to imagine5 what her new life would be like. “I can do this，” she told herself.

But when she arrived at the airport in London， it was not quite as she had imagined at all. The sky was a terrible grey colour and it was windy and raining. Shirin was very cold because of her sandals6. She felt everybody was looking at her as if she has a big head and three eyes.

The young girl was very disappointed7 in her new home. Shirin wanted to tell her aunt that she was very nervous8 about going to school and she was too tired to get up.

“There are lots of girls at school who like you， little one，” said her aunt. “I am sure you will make lots of friends today.”

In school， they did not want to make friends with the new girl. Because she was different from them and had dark skin and dark eyes. It was during lunch time， a young boy came to her and said， “My name is Stephen. Would you like to share9 some of my milkshake with me？”

Shirin thought that the milkshake looks good and eat some.

“Dont pay any attention10 to the others. Like me， we dont have much money and they always laugh at me because they say I am poor and have dirty clothes，” the boy said.

Shirin laughed because Stephen had a lovely smile.

Soon the two were lost in games. In the corner of the playground， they shared stories. Other children saw and they began to play round and join in with the games and the stories.

“It is okay to be different，” she told herself. Little Shirin was determined11 to make a new life for herself in England and make her parents very happy.

“這儿再也不安全了，你会在英格兰开始一段新生活的。”她的父母在准备送希琳去她舅妈家之前这样对她说。小希琳想哭，因为她不想离开爸爸妈妈，她也完全不认识那些表哥表姐们。而且她也不能理解他们说的话，因为她们说的是波斯语。

“我害怕。”希琳说。爸爸安慰道：“你怎么会害怕呢？你难道不是一个勇敢的小女孩吗？我们这座城市里炸弹爆炸时你都不怕。”妈妈又说：“不久之后，我和你爸爸就会来英格兰，到时候你就能教我一些新词语了。”希琳很喜欢这个想法，因为她觉得妈妈是这个世界上最聪明的人。

在去英格兰的漫长飞行中，小希琳想象着她的新生活会是什么样子。她告诉自己：“我能做到的。”

但是当她到达伦敦机场的时候，那里和她想象的完全不一样。天空灰蒙蒙的，刮着风还下着雨。希琳穿着凉拖鞋，所以觉得很冷。她感觉每个人都在看她，就好像她有一个大头和三只眼睛一样。

小女孩对自己的新家很失望。希琳想告诉舅妈她害怕去学校，而且她太累了起不来床。

舅妈对她说：“在学校里面，有很多像你一样的女孩，小家伙。我肯定，你今天一定会交到很多新朋友的。”

在学校里，他们都不想和这个女孩交朋友，因为她和他们不一样，她皮肤是黑色的，眼睛也是黑色的。在吃午餐的时候，一个小男孩走向她，说道：“我叫史蒂芬，你想要尝尝我的奶昔吗？”

希琳觉得这个奶昔看着还不错的样子，就吃了一点。

“不要在意别人的看法。就像我，我们家没有钱，所以他们就嘲笑我，说我很穷，穿的都是臟衣服。”男孩说。

希琳笑了，因为史蒂芬露出了一个可爱的微笑。

不久，这两个人就沉浸在了游戏之中。在操场的角落里，他们分享着自己的故事。一会儿，其他孩子也注意到了他们，于是开始聚集过来一起玩，加入了他们的游戏和故事中。

“与众不同也没关系的。”她告诉自己。小希琳决定，要在英格兰开始一段新生活，她还要让自己的父母开心。

（英语原文选自：worldstories.org）

【Notes】

1. beauty  n. 美;美丽;美人;美好的东西

2. Farsi  n. 波斯语

3. brave  adj. 勇敢的，无畏的

4. bomb  n. 炸弹

5. imagine  v. 想象;猜想

6. sandal  n. [服装] 凉鞋;[服装] 拖鞋

7. disappointed  adj. 失望的，沮丧的;受挫折的

8. nervous  adj. 紧张不安的

9. share  v. 分享，共用;分配;有同样的感情（或经历）

10. attention  n. 注意力;关心

11. determined  adj. 决定了的;坚决的