Many years ago, a baby boy came into this world. But unfortunately, he didn't come with a cry, which was a big problem from the medical point of view. The doctor, tough and quick, turned the baby upside¹ down and slapped² his bottom sharply³. The baby cried, and he survived. At that moment, the father yelled⁴ at the doctor, "Why did you hit my baby?" He did not realize that the doctor had saved the baby's life. The baby cried and cried, and the father smiled and silently⁶ cried as well. He held the baby in his arms and did not allow the doctor to touch the baby anymore...

很多年前，一个男婴来到了这个世界。但遗憾的是他没有“呱呱落地”，从医学角度来说，这是一个很大的问题！好在医生现场反应很快，也很强悍，一下子把男婴倒提起来，对着屁股一阵狂打。男婴终于哭了，脱离了生命危险。当时在场的孩子父亲不干了，对着医生吼道，“你为什么打我的孩子啊？”他并没有意识到医生救了这孩子的命。男婴不停地哭，这位父亲面带微笑，高兴地默默流泪。他紧紧地把婴儿抱在怀里，再也没有让医生碰一下这个孩子……Contest chair, ladies and gentlemen, that baby was me, and that man was my dad. Whenever my mom told people this story, I would always laugh aloud, and my dad would just shake his head and smile quietly.

大会主持人，女士们先生们，那个婴儿就是我，那个男的就是我老爸。每当妈告诉别人这个故事时，我总会放声大笑，而老爸则会一边摇头一边默默地微笑。

Dad never tried to hug or kiss me when I was a child. And of course, he never said "I love you" to me, either. Maybe it's a Chinese cultural thing, or maybe that's the way my dad was. But whenever I felt defeated, sad or lonely, dad was always there. Dad was a man of few words, but I always liked to talk to him, and I could always feel a very special connection to him.

我小的时候爸从来不抱我，从来不亲我，当然他也从来不说“我爱你”这三个字。也许这是中国文化的问题，也许爸就是这种人。但每当我受挫、伤心或孤独无助时，爸总会在默默地关心我。老爸话不多，但我总喜欢有什么话都给他说，同是我也总是能感到和老爸之间那种无法言喻的特殊关系。

As I got older, I had a huge crush⁷ on a girl. She was tall and beautiful, with long hair. One day, I walked up to her and blurted⁸ out, "you are so beautiful baby. I love you so much. Please be my wife!" She was afraid and ran away with tears in her eyes. She told my teacher, and my teacher was so angry that she made me stay after school, and called my dad to take me home. My first love was over, and that year I was 7 years old.

等我大一些的时候我疯狂爱上了一个女孩子。她又高又漂亮，还有一头长发。终于有一天，我忍不住了，走到她面前，很快地说道，“亲爱的，你太漂亮了！我太爱你了！做我老婆吧！”没想到她吓坏了，抹着眼泪跑掉了，然后就告诉了老师。老师当时非常生气，放学后没让我回家，并给老爸打电话，让他过来领人。我的初恋就这样夭折了，那年我七岁……On the way home, dad was very quiet. It seemed that nothing had happened. Finally I broke the silence and asked him, "Daddy, did I do something wrong?" Dad paused⁹ for a while as he always did and said quietly, "Son, you did nothing wrong, except that it's too early for you to pursue¹⁰ girls." "Daddy, do you think I could marry a tall and beautiful girl with long hair when I grow up?" I asked. Dad gave me one of his rare¹¹ laughs and said, "Of course you could. You are so handsome! Just like your handsome father." For the first time, I realized that dad had a sense of humor¹², although he was always quiet.

回家路上老爸非常沉默，好像什么事都没发生。最后我打破了沉默，问道，“爸爸，我做错什么了吗？”和往常一样，老爸沉默了一下，轻轻地说到，“儿子，你没做错什么，只是你这个年龄追女孩子有点早。”“爸爸，你觉得我长大能娶一个又高又漂亮，头发很长的老婆吗？”我又问道。老爸听了很难得地大笑了一下，说道，“当然能了！你那么帅，跟你老爸一样帅！”我第一次感到，老爸虽然话不多，但还是有些幽默感的。

When I was in high school, dad retired¹³ and set up a food stand on the street near my school. Dad was very good at making fried¹⁴ noodles, and a lot of people liked his noodles. Every day when I finished school, my classmates and I would pass his food stand. But I really hated talking to dad in front of his food stand, because I did not want my classmates to know that my dad was selling noodles on the street!

等到我上高中的时候老爸退休了，在离我学校不远的街边摆起了面摊儿。老爸很擅长做炒面，当时很多人都很喜欢他做的面。每天放学回家，我和我的同学们都要路过爸的面摊。但那时候我真得很讨厌站在他摊前和他说话，因为我实在不想让我的同学知道我有一个在大街上摆摊的老爸。

One night, I couldn't stand it any more and shouted, "Dad, could you stop selling your stupid noodles? I don't need a father who sells noodles on the street!" At that moment, dad was shocked. He tried to say something but didn't. When he turned his head away, something happened that I had never seen and would never forget for the rest of my life. His eyes were filled with tears and sadness. It was the first time that I saw dad crying. My mom later told me that dad was selling noodles to save money for my college education. I was such an idiot¹⁵, and even today I still feel guilty¹⁶ for that night.

一天晚上我再也忍不住了，朝老爸吼道，“你能不能不再去卖面条？我不需要一个只会在大街上卖面条的父亲！”在那一刻爸惊呆了，他想要说些什么，但最终没有说。当他扭过头的时候，我发现他的眼里含着泪水和哀伤。我从未见过老爸这个样子。妈后来告诉我，老爸摆摊卖面条是在为我上大学攒学费。我太蠢了！即使今天，我仍然为那天晚上的所作所为而感到内疚。

Time really flies. I finished college and then left my home city. For the past ten years, whenever I've visited home, dad was always there meeting me and seeing me off quietly at the railway station. Whenever he saw me off, he never tried to hug me or touch me, although I always expected a father's hug. When I was away from home, dad never wrote or called me, but he always pushed my mom to call me. Whenever mom was calling me, dad would sit beside her with a list of questions. He would instruct mom to talk to me for him. That's the way dad is, and that's how dad shows his love to me.

时间飞逝，我念完了大学，后来又离开了我所在的城市。在过去的十年中，每当我回老家，老爸总会默默地在火车站迎我然后再送我。每当他在车站送我时，他从来不会和拥别，也从来不会碰我一下，虽然我总是期待他能抱我一下。当我远在他乡时，老爸从来不会给我写信，也从来不给我打电话。但他总是会催妈给我打电话。每当妈给我打电话时，老爸就会坐在她身边，准备好一些问题，然后让妈帮他传话。

I was married three years ago. Dad was very happy for me. And now he likes to tell people that his daughter-in-law is tall and beautiful, with long hair...

三年前我结婚了，老爸很为我感到高兴。现在他喜欢告诉别人，他的儿媳妇又高又漂亮，还有一头长发……Dad is still quiet, but I still feel a connection. Ladies and gentlemen, when a connection is deep and powerful¹⁷, it lives in a place far beyond words, and it becomes something special—"a silent⁵ father's love."老爸话仍然不多，但我仍然能感到和他之间的那种特殊的密切关系。女士们先生们，当这种关系变得如此深厚和强烈时，它会根植于某处，再也无法用语言表达；它会变成一种特殊的情感：一种无言的父爱。