關愛老人在于平時 Caring for the old is usually
Each and every year, during Chongyang Festival, citizens of China celebrate the elders in their families and communities. It’s a special tradition which is rooted in the deep value that Chinese culture places on honouring their elders.
每年在重陽節，中國人民會在家里或者社區和他們的老人一起慶祝，這是一種扎根在中國傳統敬老文化價值觀的特殊傳統。
Sadly, many of our aging population are seniors without sons, daughters or grandchildren to visit. While they may have great friends, they no doubt miss the tender and loving relationships unique to families. To fill this void, many volunteers turned up on October 28 at nursing homes around the country in order to spend time with the residents. In some cases, they performed humble gestures of kindness, such as combing their hair or washing their feet.
但是令人沮喪的是，許多上了年紀的人們都是沒有兒子、女兒甚至是孫子來探望的。也許他們有很好的朋友們，但是毫無疑問他們都是缺少血緣和愛的特殊家庭。為了填補這一空白，全國各地的志愿者在10月28日出現在敬老院與這些老人相伴。在這些情況下，他們表現地十分謙卑與善良，比如幫他們梳頭、洗腳。
While the kind acts were appreciated, one embarrassing story out of Anhui province raised a valuable question. Reportedly, one old gentleman had his feet washed seven times during the day by different volunteers. Is this genuinely caring for the elderly? Many of the residents at the home said that those gestures do not make them feel cared for at all. Their family members or community volunteers may drop by for a few hours of token time, but soon they disappear back into their busy lives.
雖然這種行為值得贊賞，但是發生在安徽的一個令人尷尬的故事提出了一個有價值的問題。據報道，一位老人在一天內七次被不同的志愿者洗腳。這就是所謂的照顧老人嗎？許多在家的居民說這些行為并沒有讓他們感到受到照顧。他們的家人和社區志愿者也許會出現在象征性的幾小時中，但是不久之后他們便消失在忙碌的生活中。
There is nothing we can give that is more valuable or appreciated than our time. While you may feel like there is barely enough time to care for your many responsibilities, might it be possible to spare just a moment as you walk home from school to sit with a senior who lives in your community? Just five minutes is not going to prevent you from getting your homework done, but it may totally change a day of loneliness into a day of joy for one old man or woman. Do you live far from your grandparents? Why not pick up the phone and let them know you’re thinking of them? Or maybe you could remind them of the “good old days” and mail them a short letter. Imagine their surprise and joy!
也許我們不能抽出比我們自己更多的有價值或值得贊賞的時間，然而當你感覺到你沒有足夠的時間去貢獻許多責任時，也許你從家走到學校你可以抽出一點時間和住在你們小區的老人一起坐一會，僅僅五分鐘不會妨礙你完成作業，但是也許會讓一位老人從一天的孤獨變成一天的快樂。你和你的祖父母住的很遠嗎？為何不拿起電話，讓他們知道你的想法呢？或者你可以幫他們回憶起過去的“好日子”，寄給他們一封簡短的信，想象一下他們的驚訝和喜悅！
We live in a complicated and busy world, but kindness and caring is still a very simple thing.
我們生活在一個復雜而又忙碌的世界，但是善良和愛心卻仍然是一件很簡單的事。
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