Window 窗

 

Window

 

Here's a very thoughtful story which I have read and I would like to share with everyone.

Different people may have different interpretation of the story. Good or bad, is up to you to decide, I would prefer to consider it as an encouragement story...

"The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up!"

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window.

The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his room-mate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

 

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Then unexpectedly, a sinister thought entered his mind. Why should the other man alone experience all the pleasures of seeing everything while he himself never got to see anything? It didn't seem fair. At first thought the man felt ashamed. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and he found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window - that thought, and only that thought now controlled his life.

Late one night as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running in. In less than five minutes the coughing and choking stopped, along with that the sound of breathing. Now there was only silence-deathly silence.

The following morning the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take it away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Moral of the story: There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things you have that money can't buy.

窗

 

两个病重的男人，住在同一间医院病房，其中一个被允许每天下午坐在床上一个钟头，以便清理肺里的液体。他的床位於房中唯一的窗口旁边。另一位则需整天背躺在床上，两人时时交谈数个小时。他们谈各自的妻子，家庭，工作，从军的往事，渡假的地方。。。每一天下午，窗口旁的病人坐著时，总描述窗外所看到的一切给角落的病人听。在一个又一个小时里，角落床上病人的世界，被述说的窗外活动及色彩，变得更广阔及有生气。。。那窗面对著一个可爱的花园及湖， 鸭及鹅在湖上嬉戏，孩子们在玩著小船。在彩虹般颜色的花丛中，年轻的恋人手握著手在散步，巨大的老树点托著风景，在远处亦可看到美丽城市的一栋栋大厦。

当窗口旁的病人描述著景物时，躺在房角的病人，便关起双眼想像那优美的景色。在一个炎热的下午，窗边的病人描述著一群游行队的经过。虽然角落的病人听不见游行队的喧哗，他的脑海却浮现著那热闹的情景。当那位窗旁的伸士以非常吸引人的字眼述说著时，一个非常自私的念头突然拥进他的脑中：“为什麼只有他可独自欣赏窗外的景色，而我却什麼都看不见，太不公平了！”他起初为自己的想法感到羞耻，然而一天又一天的过去，失去欣赏越来越多的窗外的景色，使他的妒忌变成了愤恨，很快的使他心中怒火燃烧。他开始胡思乱想，无法入睡，他想：“我应该睡在窗旁边！”这思想不断地控制著他。

一个深夜，他躺著呆盯著天花板，听到窗口病人的咳嗽声，肺里的液体使窗口病人呼吸困难在昏暗的房间里，他看著窗口病人挣扎，摸索求救的按钮。他听著，动也不动地躺著，亦不按动床头的按钮，以招唤护士的到来。咳嗽声五分钟後停止，呼吸声亦停止，接著是死般的沉静。。。

第二天早上，护士提著洗澡水进房，当她看到窗口旁已死的病人时，她感到悲伤。当她把屍体移悼时，角落的病人马上要求把他的床位移到窗旁。护士离去後，他慢慢地，痛苦地撑起上身，想看看窗外的世界。“多高兴啊，终干可看到窗外的景物！”他想。他慢慢地转身，向窗外望出去，他看到的只是一道高墙！！！

他不禁责问护士，为何死去的病人能看到那麼多美好的东西，及说了那麼多给他听。

护士说：“他是盲的，他连墙也看不见！他也许只是想鼓励你！”