关爱老人在于平时 Caring for the old is usually
Each and every year, during Chongyang Festival, citizens of China celebrate the elders in their families and communities. It’s a special tradition which is rooted in the deep value that Chinese culture places on honouring their elders.
每年在重阳节，中国人民会在家里或者社区和他们的老人一起庆祝，这是一种扎根在中国传统敬老文化价值观的特殊传统。
Sadly, many of our aging population are seniors without sons, daughters or grandchildren to visit. While they may have great friends, they no doubt miss the tender and loving relationships unique to families. To fill this void, many volunteers turned up on October 28 at nursing homes around the country in order to spend time with the residents. In some cases, they performed humble gestures of kindness, such as combing their hair or washing their feet.
但是令人沮丧的是，许多上了年纪的人们都是没有儿子、女儿甚至是孙子来探望的。也许他们有很好的朋友们，但是毫无疑问他们都是缺少血缘和爱的特殊家庭。为了填补这一空白，全国各地的志愿者在10月28日出现在敬老院与这些老人相伴。在这些情况下，他们表现地十分谦卑与善良，比如帮他们梳头、洗脚。
While the kind acts were appreciated, one embarrassing story out of Anhui province raised a valuable question. Reportedly, one old gentleman had his feet washed seven times during the day by different volunteers. Is this genuinely caring for the elderly? Many of the residents at the home said that those gestures do not make them feel cared for at all. Their family members or community volunteers may drop by for a few hours of token time, but soon they disappear back into their busy lives.
虽然这种行为值得赞赏，但是发生在安徽的一个令人尴尬的故事提出了一个有价值的问题。据报道，一位老人在一天内七次被不同的志愿者洗脚。这就是所谓的照顾老人吗？许多在家的居民说这些行为并没有让他们感到受到照顾。他们的家人和社区志愿者也许会出现在象征性的几小时中，但是不久之后他们便消失在忙碌的生活中。
There is nothing we can give that is more valuable or appreciated than our time. While you may feel like there is barely enough time to care for your many responsibilities, might it be possible to spare just a moment as you walk home from school to sit with a senior who lives in your community? Just five minutes is not going to prevent you from getting your homework done, but it may totally change a day of loneliness into a day of joy for one old man or woman. Do you live far from your grandparents? Why not pick up the phone and let them know you’re thinking of them? Or maybe you could remind them of the “good old days” and mail them a short letter. Imagine their surprise and joy!
也许我们不能抽出比我们自己更多的有价值或值得赞赏的时间，然而当你感觉到你没有足够的时间去贡献许多责任时，也许你从家走到学校你可以抽出一点时间和住在你们小区的老人一起坐一会，仅仅五分钟不会妨碍你完成作业，但是也许会让一位老人从一天的孤独变成一天的快乐。你和你的祖父母住的很远吗？为何不拿起电话，让他们知道你的想法呢？或者你可以帮他们回忆起过去的“好日子”，寄给他们一封简短的信，想象一下他们的惊讶和喜悦！
We live in a complicated and busy world, but kindness and caring is still a very simple thing.
我们生活在一个复杂而又忙碌的世界，但是善良和爱心却仍然是一件很简单的事。
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