He was driving home one evening, on a two-lane1 country road. Work, in this small Midwestern community2, was almost as slow as his beat-up3 Pontiac. But he never quit looking. Ever since the factory closed, he'd been unemployed, and with winter raging on, the chill4 had finally hit home.
It was a lonely road. Not very many people had a reason to be on it, unless they were leaving. Most of his friends had already left. They had families to feed and dreams to fulfill. But he stayed on. After all, this was where he buried his mother and father. He was born here and knew the country. He could go down this road blind, and tell you what was on either side, and with his headlights5 not working, what came in handy6.
It was starting to get dark and light snow flurries7 were coming down. He'd better get a move on. You know, he almost didn't see the old lady, stranded8 on the side of the road. But even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up9 in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering10 when he approached her. Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn't look safe, he looked poor and hungry.
He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was that chill which only fear can put in you. He said, “I'm here to help you ma'am. Why don't you wait in the car where it's warm? By the way, my name is Bryan.”
Well, all she had was a flat tire11, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack12, skinning13 his knuckles14 a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt. As he was tightening up the lug nuts15, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn't thank him enough for coming to her aid. Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk.
She asked him how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She had already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about the money. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him16 to act any other way. He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance17 he needed, and Bryan added “...and think of me.”
He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight18.
A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg19 of her trip home.
It was a dingy20 looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps21. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The cash register22 was like the telephone of an out-of-work actor...it didn't ring much. Her waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn't erase23. The lady noticed that the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant24, but she never let the strain25 and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan.
After the lady finished her meal, and the waitress went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, the lady slipped right out of the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. She wondered where the lady could be, then she noticed another $400 andsomething written on a napkin26. There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote. It said:
“You don't owe me anything, I have been there too. Somebody once helped ME out the way I'm helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.”
Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through27 another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard. She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, “Everything's going to be all right; I love you, Bryan.”
一天傍晚，他开车回家，行使在一条双车道的乡间公路上。对这个美国中西部的小社区来说，工作节奏慢得就像他这辆破旧的庞蒂克汽车一样。但他从来没有放弃希望。自从工厂倒闭后，他就失业了，随着冬天的逼近，终于感受到一股刺骨的寒意。
这是一条偏僻的公路。有理由走这条路的人并不多，除非他们要离开此地。他的大多数朋友都走了。他们或者要养家糊口或者要去实现自己的梦想。但是他留了下来。毕竟，这里是他父母长眠的地方。他出生在这里，也了解这片土地。这条路他闭着眼睛都会走，闭着眼睛也可以说出公路两边都有些什么，虽然他的前车灯坏了，他也能知道前方会出现什么。
天开始黑了，还下起了小阵雪。对他来说，最好继续赶路。瞧，他几乎没有看见有个老太太束手无策地等在路边。即使是在这样暗淡的天色里，他也能看得出来她需要帮助。于是他把车停在她的梅塞德奔驰车前，下了车，走近她。那辆庞蒂克还在轰轰隆隆地响。虽然他脸上挂着微笑，她还是有些担心。因为一个小时左右了，没有一个人停下车来帮助她。他会伤害她吗？他看上去又瘦又饿，一副不可靠的样子。
看得出来，站在寒风里的她有点害怕。他知道她的感受。只有恐惧感才会带来那种寒意。他说：“夫人，我是来帮您的。您为什么不呆在车上等呢？里面不是暖和些吗？对了，我叫布莱恩。”
其实，她的问题只不过是轮胎瘪了，但对一个老太太来说，运气够惨的。布莱恩钻进车底，寻找地方放置千斤顶，有两次，他擦伤了关节部位的皮肤。不一会儿，他就把轮胎换好了。但他还是付出了代价：全身脏兮兮，双手也有些疼。他正在拧紧螺母时，老太太摇下车窗开始和他聊了起来。她告诉他自己来自圣·路易斯，只是路过此地而已。对他的帮助，老太太感激不尽。布莱恩一边微笑一边为她关上后备箱。
她问他该付多少钱。价钱多少对她来说不是问题。要是他不停车帮忙的话，她设想过种种糟糕的可能。但布莱恩丝毫没有考虑钱的问题。这点忙对他而言算不了什么。这是在帮助一个需要帮助的人。天知道过去曾经有多少人帮过他呢！他一辈子就是在助人和受助中这么过来的，从来没想过要换一种为人处世之道。他告诉老太太如果真要回报他，下次看到有人需要帮助时，她也可以为这个人提供他所需要的帮助，布莱恩还加了一句：“……然后想想我。”
他一直等到老太太发动引擎开走汽车才离开。这是一个寒冷、阴沉的日子，但开车回家的感觉真好，汽车随即消失在黄昏里。
话说老太太开车行驶几英里，看到一家小餐馆。她走进去想胡乱弄点东西吃，驱走寒意，然后开车赶最后一段路回家。
这是一家看上去有点邋遢的餐馆，餐馆外面有两个老式气油泵。这里的环境对她来说显得十分陌生。收银机就像一个失业演员的破电话……经常不响铃。伺候老太太的女招待走过来，拿来一条干净毛巾为她擦拭淋湿的头发。她脸上挂着甜甜的微笑，是那种哪怕站上一整天也不会消失的微笑。老太太注意到女招待有差不多8个月的身孕了，但她丝毫没有因为紧张和疼痛改变自己的态度。老太太禁不住想：一个几乎一无所有的人何以能够给一个陌生人这么多关爱？这时，她想到了布莱恩。
吃完饭，女招待去柜台为她的百元大钞找零钱，老太太闪身出了门外。女招待回来时，老太太已不见踪影。她觉得奇怪：老太太究竟去了哪里？这时，她看到另外400美元和一张餐巾纸，上面写着几句话。看完老太太的留言，她双眼湿润了。上面写着：
“你不欠我什么，我也曾经有过你的经历。后来有人帮了我，就像我现在帮你一样。如果你真要回报我，不妨这么做：让这支爱心接力棒从你手中传下去。”
虽然，有那么多桌子要清理，那么多糖罐要装满，那么多客人要服务，但是女招待又坚持了一天。那天晚上她下班回到家，爬上床后还在想那些钱和老太太写的那些话。老太太怎么知道自己和丈夫多么需要那些钱？小宝宝下个月就要出世了，日子马上就要紧张了。她知道丈夫为此很着急，丈夫躺在身边睡着了，她给了他温柔的一吻，轻轻地说：“一切都会好起来的；我爱你，布莱恩。”
1． lane [lein] n． 车道
2． community n． 社区
3． beat－up adj． 破旧的，破烂的
4． chill n． 寒冷，寒气
5． headlight n． (汽车)前灯
6． handy adj． 手边的；近便的
7． flurry n． 小阵雪，小阵雨
8． strand v． 使处于困境，使束手无策
9． pull up 停车
10． sputter v． 爆响着熄掉
11． flat tire 瘪轮胎
12． jack n． 千斤顶
13． skin [skin] v． 擦破皮肤
14． knuckle n． 指（关）节
15． lug nuts 突起的螺母
16． it occurred to sb. 想到
17． assistance n． 帮助
18． twilight n． 暮色；黄昏
19． leg [leg] n． 一段（旅程）
20． dingy adj． 邋遢的
21． gas pump 燃气泵
22． cash register 收银机
23． erase v． 抹去，除去
24． pregnant adj． 怀孕的
25． strain [strein] n． 过劳
26． napkin 餐巾
27． make through 完成