To pay for his education, a poor boy used to sell goods from door to door. One day, the young boy found he was really hungry but had no money to buy any food. He decided¹ to ask for something to eat when he knocked on the front door of the next house.

为了支付学费，一个穷小子挨家挨户地卖东西。一天，穷小子觉得饿极了却没钱买任何吃的。当他敲响下一栋楼的第一扇门的时候，他决定要点吃的。

A beautiful young woman opened the door, and the boy lost his nerve. He simply asked for a drink of water, too embarrassed to ask for food. The young woman brought him a glass of milk, which the boy greedily drank.

一个漂亮女孩开了门，穷小子没了勇气。他只是要了点水，要吃的太让他难堪了。女孩给了他一杯牛奶，男孩儿贪婪地喝完了。

The boy asked her how much he owed, but she simply smiled and said her mother had taught her to be kind to others and never expect anything in return.

男孩儿问这需要多少钱，女孩微笑着说妈妈告诉她要与人为善，不求任何回报。

The young boy left the woman's home with a full tummy and a heart full of renewed strength to push on with his education and continue working hard. Just when he was ready to quit, the woman had instilled² in him newfound faith and fortitude³.

男孩儿带着饱饱的肚子和重新充满力量的心离开了女孩家，并继续坚持为了上学努力工作。就在他想要放弃的时候，女孩儿给了他重新开始的信心和勇气。

Years later, in a big city, renowned⁴ surgeon Dr. Howard Kelly was called to consult on a woman who was suffering from a rare disease. When the woman told him the name of the small town where she lived, Dr. Kelly felt a faint memory arise in his mind, and then suddenly recognition⁵ dawned on him. She was the woman who had given him the glass of milk many years ago.

几年后，在一个大城市里，著名的外科医生，霍尔德凯里医生被叫来商议一个身患罕见病的女人的治疗方案。当女人告诉他她生活过的小镇的名字的时候，凯里医生脑中浮现了一段模糊的记忆，然后一下子明白了。这个女人就是许多年前给他牛奶的那个女孩儿。

The doctor went on to provide the woman with the very best care and made sure she received special attention. In fact, it was his skills as a doctor that saved her life.

医生一直给女人最好的照顾而且保证了她得到特殊的关照。事实上，作为医生挽救她的生命是他的本能。

After a long and difficult hospitalization, the woman was finally ready for discharge home. The woman was worried it would take her years to settle her account with the hospital. Her serious illness and long hospital stay had produced a substantial⁶ bill. However, when she received the bill, she found that Dr. Kelly had paid the entire bill himself and written a small note for her.

经过很久很艰难的住院治疗，女人终于可以出院了。她很担心自己可能要花许多年去还清这笔医药费。她的病重程度和长期住院治疗一定是一笔大数目的账单。然而，当她拿到账单时，她发现凯里医生为她支付了全部医药费而且给她留了一个小纸条。

The note simply stated: Paid in full with a glass of milk.

纸条上只写了一句话：这是一杯牛奶的价钱。