57美分建成的教堂

李星玥

A sobbing little girl stood near a small church from which she had been turned away because it "was too crowded."I can't go to Sunday school," she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by.

一个小女孩被拦在一座小教堂外面，“因为里面“太拥挤了，他们不让我进星期日学校（在美国，星期日学校是指在星期天对儿童进行宗教教育的学校）。”小女孩向一位路过的牧师哭诉道。

Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and,taking her by the hand,took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday school class.The child was so happy that they found room for her, that she went to bed that night thinking of the children who have no place to worship Jesus.

见她蓬头垢面、衣衫褴褛的样子，牧师便猜出她为何被拒之门外了。于是，牧师牵着她的小手，把她带进教堂，在星期日学校的教室里给她找到了一个位置，小女孩非常高兴。　

Some two years later, this child lay dead in one of the poor tenement buildings and the parents called for the kindhearted pastor, who had befriended their daughter, to handle the final arrangements.As her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpled purse was found which seemed to have been rummaged from some trash dump.

两年后，小女孩在一间破旧的贫民屋里离开了人世。她的父母把那位曾经善待他们女儿的好心牧师请过来料理后事。当他们挪动可怜的小女孩的遗体时，从她身上突然滑落了一个皱巴巴的、破烂不堪的、像是从垃圾堆里翻出来的红色小钱包。

Inside was found 57 cents and a note scribbled in childish handwriting which read, "This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday School.

钱包里共有57美分，还有一张小纸条，上面用歪歪扭扭的小孩字迹写道：“这些钱用来扩建小教堂，这样更多的小朋友就能够上星期日学校了。”

For two years she had saved for this offering of love.When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do.Carrying this note and the cracked, red pocketbook to the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion.He challenged his deacons to get busy and raise enough money for the larger building.

小女孩花了两年的时间来积攒这份爱！牧师泪流满面地看完这张纸条，立刻意识到自己该做些什么。他把这张小纸条和红色钱包带到教堂的讲坛，向众人讲述这个充满了无私的爱与宗教虔诚的感人故事。牧师还向教堂的执事提议，通过募集资金来扩建这座小教堂。

But the story does not end there!

但是，故事并未就此结束……

A newspaper learned of the story and published it. It was read by a Realtor who offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands.When told that the church could not pay so much, he offered it for 57 cents. Church members made large donations. Checks came from far and wide.Within five years the little girl's gift had increased to $250,000.00--a huge sum for that time (near the! turn of the century).Her unselfish love had paid large dividend.

一家报社得知这一情况，将整个故事搬上了报纸。一个富裕的房地产商读到这篇文章后，把一块价值不菲的地皮以57美分的价格卖给了这个小教堂。教区的人们捐助了一大笔钱，馈赠的支票也从四面八方汇集而来。短短五年的时间，捐赠的数字已从当初小女孩的57美分增加到25万美元——这在20世纪初，可是一笔相当可观的财富！

When you are in the city of Philadelphia, look up Temple Baptist Church, with a seating capacity of 3,300 and Temple University,where hundreds of students are trained.Have a look, too, at the Good Samaritan Hospital and at a Sunday School building which houses hundreds of Sunday Schoolers, so that no child in the area will ever need to be left outside during Sunday school time.

现在，如果您到费城，请参观一下拥有3，300个座位的天普浸信会教堂（坦普尔大教堂），也不要忘了去看一看天普大学（坦普尔大学），成千上万的学生在那儿接受教育。同时，再到撒马利亚慈善医院瞧一瞧，以及扩建后的星期日学校，如今，教区的数百名活泼可爱的儿童都可以进入星期日学校，没人会被拒之门外。

In one of the rooms of this building may be seen the picture of the sweet face of the little girl whose 57 cents,so sacrificially saved, made such remarkable history. Alongside of it is a portrait of her kind pastor, Dr. Russel H. Conwell, author of the book, "Acres of Diamonds" A true story, which goes to show WHAT GOD, CAN DO WITH 57 cents.

星期日学校里面，有一个房间专门用来陈列这个小女孩的画像，画面上的小女孩是那么可爱，这个贫穷的小女孩用节俭下来的57美分创造了一段非同寻常的历史。画像旁边陈列着那位好心牧师的肖像，《万亩钻石》的作者——鲁塞·H·康威尔( Russell H. Conwell)博士。