It was the first day of Spring here
此时此地正是初春

but it didn’t feel like it.
却感觉不到春天的暖意

The Coronavirus Pandemic was sweeping the globe
疫情横扫全球

and everywhere
每个地方

there were feelings of uncertainty, fear,
都弥散着彷徨，恐惧

loneliness
孤独

and even despair.
甚至绝望的感觉

“Social Distancing”
群体间疏离

had become the new norm.
成为新的常规

Here
在这里

the schools had been closed,
学校已经暂时关闭

the restaurant dining rooms shut,
餐厅堂食亦关门了

and people had been told to work from home
人们被要求在家办公

whenever they could.
只要具备此种条件

Even the sheltered workshop where my oldest son worked
即便是那件我大儿子经营的庇护工场

had been closed
也被迫息业

until further notice.
等待进一步的通知

People had made a run on the stores
人们都去商店里扫荡

and large areas of the shelves were bare.
大片区域里货架上空空如也

On the news
新闻里

the numbers of sick and dead continued to rise.
患病和死亡人数不断增加

It felt like
让人感觉

there was a weight on the souls of everyone in the world.
世界上每个人心头都有千钧重负

My own family was staying at home
我自己一家人也宅在家中

as much as possible
除非迫不得已出门

and as I looked out my window
当我看向窗外

I wondered
我想着

how long this crisis would last.
这场危机会持续多久？

It was then, however,
然而，恰在这时

that I saw something
我看见一样东西

that lifted that weight off of my soul,
心头的重负似乎减轻了一些

made my face smile,
我脸上现出微笑

and made my heart feel happy again.
心中又快乐起来

On the street below my house
家门外的街道上

there was an old friend of mine
站着我的一位老友

from high school
我们自高中起就认识

who was a teacher there now.
他现在已经是那里的一个教师了

With him
在他身旁

was my younger son’s former aide
是我小儿子的辅导员

from the high school as well.
也是高中的时候认识的

They were delivering the school lunches
他们正在分发学校里的午餐

door to door
挨家挨户

to the hungry children who were stuck at home.
给那些困在家里忍饥挨饿的孩子们

Watching them
看着他们

made me think of something
我想起一句话

In the bad times.
在困难的时候

Always look for the helpers.”
一定要寻求帮助

I have no doubt
我毫不怀疑

this crisis will pass
这场危机一定会过去

as all the crisis before it have.
一如它之前所有的危机

But it is our choice
但我们可以选择

on whether it brings out the best in us
表现出最好的人性

or the worst in us.
或最恶毒的一面

Let it bring out the best in you.
让它激发最好的你吧

Use it to strengthen your faith.
让它坚定你的信吧

Use it to free yourself from fear.
利用它，从你的恐惧中挣脱

Use it to grow kinder,
让它助你变得更加善良

more giving,
更慷慨

and more loving.
更富有爱心

Become a helper to all those in need
成为每个需要帮助的人的救助者