致9號桌的女士和您的孩子

向晨

I did not introduce myself to you. My name is Tony Posnanski. I have been a restaurant manager for fifteen years now. My day consists of making sure my restaurant runs well. That could mean washing dishes， cooking and sometimes even serving tables. I have also dealt with every guest complaint you can imagine.

我還沒有向你們介紹過我自己。我叫托尼·波斯南斯基。我做飯店經(jīng)理已經(jīng)十五年了。我每天的工作就是保證我的飯店運(yùn)作良好。這意味著我需要洗碗、烹飪，有時(shí)甚至還要接待顧客。同時(shí)，我還得處理所有你們能想象得到的顧客投訴。

A few weeks back you came into my restaurant. I was very busy that night. I was running around helping cook food in the kitchen. I was asked to talk to a table close to yours. I did and they said your child was being very loud. I heard some yelling while I was talking to that table. I heard a very loud beep from a young girl.

幾個(gè)星期前，你們來到我的飯店。那天晚上我很忙，在廚房東奔西跑地幫著烹飪。這時(shí)你們鄰桌的顧客叫我去談話，他們說您的孩子很吵。當(dāng)我與他們談話時(shí)，便聽到了一些叫喊聲，那是一個(gè)小女孩發(fā)出的很吵鬧的嗶嗶聲。

I started to walk to your table. You knew what I was going to ask. You saw the table I just spoke to pointing at you. I got to your table and you looked at me. You wanted the first word. You said，

我開始走向你們的桌子。您知道我是過來請您讓孩子安靜點(diǎn)的，因?yàn)楫?dāng)我和您的鄰桌談話時(shí)，您看見了他們指著你們。我來到您的桌前，您看著我，搶先說了話。您說：

“Do you know what it is like to have a child with autism？”

“您知道有一個(gè)患有自閉癥的小孩是怎樣的情形嗎？”

You were not rude when you asked the question. In fact， you were quite sincere1. Your daughter could not have been more than five years old. She was beautiful and looked scared that I was at the table. She looked like she thought she was in trouble.

您問這個(gè)問題時(shí)并不粗魯。事實(shí)上，您是如此地真誠。您的女兒應(yīng)該不超過5歲，她長得很漂亮?？匆娢艺驹谧琅裕坪鹾芎ε?，仿佛覺得自己有麻煩了。

In fifteen years I do not have a lot of memorable2 moments as a restaurant manager. I remember some guests who were mad that their burger was not the way they wanted it. I remember a woman who called corporate on me because she said I gave her a regular Coke instead of a Diet Coke. I remember having to keep people from drinking alcohol3 and I remember having to tell tables to have their child be quieter.

在這15年里，作為一個(gè)飯店經(jīng)理，我并沒有很多難忘的時(shí)刻。我只記得一些顧客因?yàn)闈h堡不是他們想要的那種而生氣；只記得一位女士打電話到公司投訴我，因?yàn)槲医o了她一杯普通的可樂，而不是健怡可樂；只記得我不得不阻止人們酗酒；以及我曾無奈地勸顧客請他們的孩子安靜一點(diǎn)。

However， I do remember everything about the day my son was born. How I cried when I heard him cry. How I stood there and told him I would do anything for him and be the best father possible. I remember the day I married my wife. How I cried and promised to be the best husband possible. I remember the day my daughter was born. I did not cry that day. I was just so relieved4 because I lost a child two years earlier.

然而，我卻記得兒子出生那天的一切。當(dāng)聽到他的哭聲時(shí)，我喜極而泣。我站在那里告訴他，我會(huì)為他做任何事情，會(huì)盡可能地做一個(gè)最棒的爸爸。我記得我與妻子結(jié)婚的那天，我流著淚，承諾著要努力做個(gè)最稱職丈夫。我還記得女兒出生的那天。那次我沒有哭泣。在她出生的兩年前我失去了我的兒子，而如今又重新?lián)碛幸粋€(gè)新生命使我終于感到了寬慰。

I know what I was supposed to5 say when I went to your table. I was supposed to politely tell you to please not have your daughter yell. I was supposed to offer to move you to another area. I was supposed to offend6 you by not offending you... I did not do any of that.

當(dāng)我走向您時(shí)，我很清楚自己應(yīng)該說些什么。我本應(yīng)該禮貌地請您讓您的女兒停止喊叫，或給你們提供另一個(gè)區(qū)域的桌子就座。我本應(yīng)該向您提出這些請求，用一種并不冒犯您的方式。 但是，我并沒那樣做。

Instead I just told you I hoped your meal was awesome7. I high fived8 your daughter and then I told you that your meal was on us tonight. It was only sixteen dollars. It meant more to me than that. I do not think the other guests I spoke to were happy about it. At that moment it did not matter to me.

取而代之的，是我告訴您，我希望你們能用餐愉快。我與您的女兒擊掌，然后跟您說今天的晚餐我請了。雖然只是16美元，但是這對于我的意義遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)不止這些。我想鄰桌的顧客聽到我說的話肯定會(huì)不高興，但是在那一刻，那些對我來說根本不重要了。

I did not know how you reacted. I had to leave to cook because the kitchen was not doing very good that night. When the server asked me why I bought the food I just said you did not enjoy your steak9. I did not tell anyone what you said to me. I was thankful you did say it to me though.

我不知道您后來作何反應(yīng)。我不得不離開去烹飪了，因?yàn)槟翘焱砩蠌N房那邊表現(xiàn)得不太好。當(dāng)服務(wù)員問我為何買單時(shí)，我只是說您不滿意那份牛排。我沒有告訴任何人您對我說過什么，但我真的很感激您對我說的那句話。

You asked me a question that I did not answer. The truth is I do not know what it is like to have a child with autism. I know what it is like to be a father. I know what it is like to be a husband. I know what it is like to not tell his wife how much he loves her enough. I know what it is like to want to spend more time with his children.

我當(dāng)時(shí)沒有回答您問我的問題，因?yàn)槭聦?shí)上我并不知道有一個(gè)患有自閉癥的孩子會(huì)是怎樣的情形?？晌抑雷鳛橐粋€(gè)父親和丈夫是怎樣的情形；我知道沒有告訴妻子自己有多么愛她是怎樣的感受；我也知道想花更多的時(shí)間去陪伴孩子是怎樣的心情。

You asked me the question right away. You have been through this before in other restaurants. I did not want to be like other managers for one moment. I did not want to tell you what you always heard.

當(dāng)時(shí)您立刻就問了我那個(gè)問題，我想您一定是以前在別的飯店里就經(jīng)歷過這種情況。在那一刻，我不愿意像其他經(jīng)理那樣，去說您經(jīng)常聽到的那些話。

Honestly， I wrote this to you and your beautiful daughter because I wanted to thank you both.

說實(shí)話，我給您和您的漂亮女兒寫這封信，是想感謝你們。

You have given me a great restaurant memory. One that I needed for the last fifteen years.

你們給了我一個(gè)很棒的飯店回憶，一個(gè)我需要用來度過下一個(gè)15年的記憶。

You also taught me a valuable lesson—Sometimes doing the right thing does not make everyone happy； just the people who need it the most.

你們也給我上了寶貴的一課。那就是：有時(shí)候，做一件正確的事并不能讓所有人都快樂，可是讓最需要得到幫助的人快樂，也就足夠了。

Sincerely，

Tony Posnanski

托尼·波斯南斯基謹(jǐn)上