哥哥的教诲

本文讲述了父亲早逝后，哥哥史蒂夫通过三件事教导“我”成长：鼓励“我”为打碎窗户主动担责，引导“我”归还捡到的钢笔以尊重他人财产，以及在“我”射杀麻雀后教育“我”敬畏生命。这些关于责任、诚信与尊重生命的价值观教诲，对“我”的成人之路产生了深远影响。

My elder brother Steve gave me important lessons in values that helped me grow into an adult after my father died when I was six years old.
在我六岁父亲去世后，哥哥史蒂夫教给了我重要的价值观，帮助我长大成人。

Steve taught me to face the results of my behavior.
史蒂夫教导我要勇于承担自己行为的后果。

Once when I returned in tears from a Saturday baseball game, it was Steve who asked me what happened.
有一次，我在周六的棒球赛后哭着回家，是史蒂夫问我发生了什么事。

When I told him that my baseball had flown through Mrs. Holt’s basement window, breaking the glass with a crash, Steve encouraged me to confess to her.
当我告诉他我的棒球飞进了霍尔特太太的地下室窗户，哗啦一声打碎了玻璃时，史蒂夫鼓励我去向她坦白。

I was supposed to play in the park down Fifth Street and not in the path between the buildings.
我本应该在第五街尽头的公园里打球，而不是在楼房之间的过道上玩。

Although my voice shook as I explained to Mrs. Holt, I offered to pay for the window from my pocket money.
虽然我在向霍尔特太太解释时声音都在颤抖，但我还是主动提出用零花钱赔偿窗户的损失。

I also learned from Steve that personal property is a sacred thing.
我还从史蒂夫那里学到，个人财产是神圣不可侵犯的。

After I found a shiny silver pen in my fifth-grade classroom, I wanted to keep it, but Steve explained that it might be important to the loser although it had little value.
当我在五年级教室里捡到一支闪亮的银色钢笔想据为己有时，史蒂夫告诉我，这支笔虽然不值什么钱，但对失主来说可能很重要。

He also reminded me of how sad I was when I lost the small dog my father made from a bit of cheap wood.
他还提醒我，当初弄丢了父亲用一小块廉价木头给我做的小狗时，我是多么伤心。

At last, I returned the pen to my teacher, Mrs. Davids.
最终，我把钢笔还给了我的老师戴维斯太太。

I still remembered the smell of her perfume as she patted me on the shoulder.
我至今仍记得她轻拍我肩膀时身上散发的香水味。

Yet of all the lessons Steve gave me, his respect for life is the most vivid in my mind.
然而，在史蒂夫给我的所有教诲中，他对生命的尊重是我记忆中最深刻的。

When I was twelve, I killed an old brown sparrow bird in the garden with a gun.
十二岁那年，我在花园里用枪打死了一只褐色的老麻雀。

Excited with my accuracy, I asked Steve to come from the house to take a look.
我为自己的枪法精准而兴奋不已，便叫史蒂夫从屋里出来看看。

I shall never forget the way he stood for a long moment and stared at the bird on the ground.
我永远忘不了他久久伫立、凝视着地上那只鸟的情景。

Then in a dead, quiet voice, he asked, “Did it hurt you first, Mark?”
然后，他用低沉而平静的声音问道：“马克，是它先伤害你了吗？”

I didn’t know what to answer.
我一时不知该如何回答。

He continued with his eyes firm, “Even if it hurts you first, you should think a long time and then decided whether you will kill it or not.”
他目光坚定地看着我继续说道：“即使它先伤害了你，你也应该深思熟虑之后，再决定是否要夺去它的生命。”

I really felt terrible then, but that moment stands out as the most important lesson my brother taught me.
当时我真的感到很难过，但那一刻成为了哥哥教给我的最重要的一课。