A frail¹ old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and a four-year-old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred², and his step faltered³. The family ate together nightly at the dinner table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating rather difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass often milk spilled on the tablecloth⁴.

有一位风烛残年的老人，他和儿子、儿媳还有四岁的小孙子生活在一起。老人的双手颤抖，眼睛昏花，步履也已蹒跚。晚上一家人围在一起吃饭，老人颤抖的手和昏花的眼睛让吃饭成了件很困难的事儿：豆子从他的勺子里掉出来，滚到地板上；拿杯子时牛奶洒在桌布上。

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated⁵ with the mess. So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner at the dinner table. Since grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.

这一切让儿子和儿媳感到反感。于是，这对夫妻在角落里给老人单独摆了张桌子。爷爷一个人孤单地吃饭，其他人在另外一张餐桌上享受着晚餐。爷爷已经打碎了一两只盘子，于是他的饭碗被换成了一个木碗。

Sometimes when the family glanced in grandfather's direction, he had a tear in his eye as he ate alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old son watched it all in silence.

有时候，向爷爷的那个方向看一眼，就会发现爷爷独自吃饭时，眼里含着泪花。更有甚者，如果爷爷把叉子掉在地上或者弄洒了食物，夫妻二人抛给老人的话语一定是尖刻的警告。四岁的孙子在一旁静静地看着发生的一切。

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps⁶ on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, “What are you making?” Just as sweetly, the boy responded, “Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and mama to eat your food from when I grow up.” The four-year-old son smiled and went back to work. The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table.

一天晚上晚餐前，父亲发现儿子正在地板上玩木屑。他亲切地问孩子：“你在做什么？”儿子同样亲切地回答：“哦，我在给你和妈妈做小碗，等我长大了给你们用。”四岁的孩子笑了笑，然后继续做他的小碗。夫妻二人愣住了。两个人沉默无语，眼泪流满了脸颊。尽管两个人都没有说话，但是他们都知道应该怎么做。那晚，丈夫拉着爷爷的手，温和地重新让他回到了家庭饭桌旁。

For the remainder⁷ of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled. Children are remarkably⁸ perceptive⁹. Their eyes always observe, their ears always listen, and their minds always process the messages they absorb. If they see us patiently provide a happy home atmosphere for family members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives. The wise parent realizes that every day is being laid for the child's future.

在老人的余生里，每一顿饭都是和家人一起吃。不知出于什么原因，当叉子掉在地上，牛奶被弄洒，桌布被弄脏的时候，丈夫和妻子都不再像原来那样在意。孩子有着惊人的洞察力。他们的眼睛在观察，他们的耳朵在倾听，他们的头脑在处理着他们接收的信息。如果他们看见我们耐心地为家庭成员提供一个快乐的家的氛围，那么他就会在今后的生活中模仿这种态度。明智的家长知道每一天都在为孩子的将来打基础。