There is a story from many years ago of a primary school teacher. Her name was Mrs. Thompson.
有这么一个故事，讲的是多年前的一个小学老师。她的名字叫汤普森夫人。
And as she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie.
开学第一天，她站在五年级全班学生的面前，对孩子们撒了个谎。
Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same.
像大多数老师一样，她看着她的学生，说她对每个人的爱都会一样。
But that was impossible because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.
但这是不可能的，因为在前排就有一个名叫特迪·斯托达德的小男孩瘫坐在他的座位上。
Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he didn't play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath.
汤普森夫人一年前就在留意特迪，她发现他和其他孩子玩得不好，衣衫不整，身上也总是脏兮兮的。
And, Teddy could be unpleasant.
而且，特迪可能会令人不悦。
It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers.
老实说，汤普森夫人甚至喜欢用粗红笔在他的卷子上做记号，先是打上很多很粗的叉号，然后在卷子的顶端写个大大的“F”。
At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last.
汤普森夫人任教的学校要求她阅览每个孩子的档案，她把特迪的档案放到最后才看。
However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.
然而，当她看到他的档案时，她大吃一惊。
Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners. He is a joy to be around."
特迪一年级的老师写道：“特迪聪明伶俐，十分爱笑，作业工整，待人礼貌，与他相处是一种快乐。”
His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."
他二年级的老师写道：“特迪是一个优秀的学生，同学们都很喜欢他，但他很苦恼，因为他的母亲得了绝症，家里的生活肯定也很艰难。”
His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."
他三年级的老师写道：“他母亲去世让他很难过。他虽然在努力做到最好，但他的父亲并不关心他，如果不采取一些措施，他的家庭生活很快会影响到他。”
Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class."
特迪四年级的老师写道：“特迪性格孤僻，对学校不太感兴趣。他朋友不多，有时还上课睡觉。”
By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself.
这时，汤普森夫人意识问题所在，她为自己感到羞愧。
She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful paper and tied with pretty ribbons, except for Teddy's.
当学生们送她圣诞礼物时，她心里更难受了。这些礼物都用漂亮的包装纸包着，还系着好看的丝带，只有特迪的除外。
His present which was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag.
他的礼物是用从杂货袋上弄下来的棕色厚纸包的，样子很不好看。
Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents.
在一堆礼物中间，汤普森夫人费了好大功夫才把它打开。
Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one quarter full of perfume.
当她看到里面是一串少了些石头的莱茵石手镯和一瓶只剩四分之一的香水时，一些孩子笑了起来。
But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist.
但她却惊呼手镯多么地漂亮，还戴上了它，并在手腕上擦了些香水，这让孩子们的笑声停止了。
Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my mom used to."
那天放学后，特迪·斯托达德留下来对汤普森夫人说：“汤普森夫人，今天你身上的味道就和我妈妈以前的一样。”
After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, and writing, and arithmetic. Instead she began to teach children.
孩子们离开后，她哭了至少一个小时。也从那天起，她不再只是教阅读、写作和算术，而是开始教育孩子。