Passing through the Atlanta airport one morning, I caught one of those trains that take travelers from the main terminal to their boarding gates. Free, sterile and impersonal, the trains run back and forth all day long. Not many people consider them fun, but on this Saturday I heard laughter.
At the front of the first car – looking out the window at the track that lay ahead – were a man and his son.
We had just stopped to let off passengers, and the doors wee closing again. “Here we go! Hold on to me tight!” the father said. The boy,
I know we’re supposed to avoid making racial distinctions these days, so I hope no one will mind if I mention that most people on the train were white, dressed for business trips or vacations – and that the father and son were black, dressed in clothes that were just
“Look out there!” the father said to his son. “See that pilot? I bet he’s walking to his plane.” The son craned his neck to look.
As I got off, I remembered some thing I’d wanted to buy in the terminal. I was early for my flight, so I decided to go back.
I did – and just as I was
“I want to ride some more!”
“More?” the father said, mock-exasperated but clearly pleased. “You’re not tired?”
“This is fun!” his son said.
“All right,” the father replied, and when a door opened we all got on.
There are parents who can afford to send their children to Europe or Disneyland, and the children turn out rotten. There are parents who live in million-dollar houses and give their children cars and swimming pools, yet something goes wrong. Rich and poor, black and white, so much goes wrong so often.
“Where are all these people going, Daddy?” the son asked.
“All over the world,” came the reply. The other people in the air port wee leaving for distant destinations or arriving at the ends of their journeys. The father and son, though, were just riding this shuttle together, making it exciting, sharing each other’s company.
So many troubles in this country – crime, the murderous soullessness that seems to be taking over the lives of many young people, the lowering of educational standards, the increase in vile obscenities in public, the disappearance of simple civility. So many questions
The answer is so simple: parents who care enough to spend time, and to pay attention and to try their best. It doesn’t cost a cent, yet it is the most valuable thing in the world.
The train picked up speed, and the father pointed something out, and the boy laughed again, and the answer is so simple.
父亲、儿子与答案（美） 鲍勃•格林
一天早晨去亚特兰大机场，我看见一辆列车载载着旅客从航空集散站抵达登记处。这类免费列车每天单调、无味地往返其间，没人觉得有趣。但这个周六我却听到了笑声。
在头节车厢的最前面，坐着一个男人和他的儿子。他们正透过窗户观赏着一直往前延伸的铁道。
我们停下来等候旅客下车，之后，车门关上了。“走吧。拉紧我！”父亲说。儿子大约5岁吧，一路喜不自禁。
车上坐的多半是衣冠楚楚，或公差或度假的白人，只有这对黑人父子穿着朴素简单。我知道如今我们不该种族歧视，我希望我这样描述没人介意。
“快看！”父亲对儿子说：“看见那位飞行员了吗？我敢肯定是去开飞机的。”儿子伸长脖子看。
下了车后我突然想起还得在航空集散站买点东西。离起飞时间还早，于是我决定再乘车回去。
正准备上车的时候，我看到那对父子也来了。我意识到他们不是来乘飞机的，而是特意来坐区间列车的。
“我还想再坐一会儿！”
“再坐一会儿！”父亲嗔怪模仿着儿子的语调，“你还不累？”
“真好玩！”儿子说。
“好吧，”父亲说。车门开了，我们都上了车。
我们很多父母有能力送孩子去欧洲，去狄斯尼乐园，可孩子还是堕落了。很多父母住豪华别墅，孩子有车有游泳池，可孩子还是学坏了。富人、穷人，黑人、白人，那么多人都轻易学坏了。
“爸爸，这些人去哪？”儿子问。
“世界各地。”父亲回答。机场来来往往的人流或准备远行，或刚刚归来。这对父子却在乘坐区间列车，享受着父子间的亲情与陪伴。
我们正面临许多问题：犯罪、越来越多的年轻人变得冷漠无情、文化水平下降、公共场合卑劣猥亵上升、起码的礼貌丧失，等等。我们有那么多的问题要处理。而这里。这位父亲却很在意花上一天陪伴儿子，并在这样一个星期六的早上，提出这个计划。
其实答案很简单：父母愿意花时间，愿意关注，愿意尽心尽职。这不要花一分钱，可这却是世间无价之宝。
火车加速了。父亲指着窗外说着什么，儿子直乐。是的，答案就是这么简单。Bob Greene
相关单词：sterile
sterile解释：adj.不毛的，不孕的，无菌的，枯燥的，贫瘠的
sterile例句：
This top fits over the bottle and keeps the teat sterile.这个盖子严实地盖在奶瓶上，保持奶嘴无菌。
The farmers turned the sterile land into high fields.农民们把不毛之地变成了高产田。
相关单词：impersonal
impersonal解释：adj.无个人感情的，与个人无关的，非人称的
impersonal例句：
Even his children found him strangely distant and impersonal.他的孩子们也认为他跟其他人很疏远，没有人情味。
His manner seemed rather stiff and impersonal.他的态度似乎很生硬冷淡。
相关单词：forth
forth解释：adv.向前；向外，往外
forth例句：
The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
相关单词：sheer
sheer解释：adj.绝对的，全然的，峻峭的；v.躲开，躲避，使...避开； adv.完全，全然，峻峭
sheer例句：
He achieved his aim by sheer strength of will.他纯粹靠意志力达到了目的。
I guess It'sheer waste of time arguing
相关单词：decided
decided解释：adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
decided例句：
This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
相关单词：vile
vile解释：adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的
vile例句：
Who could have carried out such a vile attack?会是谁发起这么卑鄙的攻击呢？
Her talk was full of vile curses.她的话里充满着恶毒的咒骂。
相关单词：disappearance
disappearance解释：n.消失，消散，失踪
disappearance例句：
He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。
相关单词：pointed
pointed解释：adj.尖的，直截了当的
pointed例句：
He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
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