My morning started out normally.
我一如往常的开启新的早晨

I snoozed twice,
打了两次小盹

took care of my three cats,
照顾我的三只猫咪

hurried to complete chores
匆匆忙忙做完家务

while gulping down my coffee,
囫囵的喝下我的咖啡

and then raced out the door
然后匆忙出门

for my mid-morning appointment.
准备参加中午的会议

By the time I finished my appointment,
当我开完会的时候

I was starving.
已经饥肠辘辘

I stopped at Moe’s Southwest Grill
我在一家烤肉店门前驻足

to order a burrito
买了一只烤肉卷饼

to take home and eat while working.
想带回家去，一边工作一边吃

Since it was a little before noon,
这时已经将近正午时分

there was a line.
烤肉店里排起了长队

A woman,
我看到一个妇人

who I soon learned was Marcella,
很快我便得知她名叫Marcella

was paying at the register.
正在收银台前付款

She asked the woman behind her in line
她忽然转头对站在她后面的女人问

if she would like a drink
想要喝饮料吗

and then asked me.
然后又问我

We both said no,
我们都说不用

and must have looked confused,
那时我们一定都一脸疑惑

because she said,
因为那个女人随即说

‘I got you.’
我来吧

She proceeded to paid for both of our meals
然后她为我们两人的午餐付了钱

 – even though we were strangers.
虽然我们素未谋面

I asked Marcella why she did this,
我问Marcella为什么要这样做

and she shared that
她告诉我

someone once did something similar for her.
曾经有人也为她做过同样的事

The person asked that she pay it forward someday
那个人说，如果她想要回报，可以某天和他一眼为别人付账

and she was making good on her promise.
此时她正在履行自己的承诺

Before I left,
在我离开之前

she gave me a warm hug
她给了我一个温暖的拥抱

and asked only that
仅仅叮嘱我

I do an act of kindness for a stranger when I could.
当我能够的时候，为陌生人做一件善良的事情

I arrived home,
我回到家里

but instead of working through lunch,
却没有边吃边工作

I sat and reflected on her kindness.
我坐在那里，回忆着她的善举

It reminded me of two things:
这件事对我有两点提示

1. Focus on the good
多关注好的事物

Every time
每一次

I smile at a stranger
我对一个陌生人报之以微笑

who looks away like I’m not there,
对方却看向他处，似乎我根本不在那里

I hold a door open for someone
每一次，我为陌生人拉开了门

who doesn’t say thank you,
对方却没有半句道谢

or someone says something unkind to me,
或者有人对我说出不存善意的话

it chips away at my optimistic outlook.
我脸上乐观的神情就会被消磨一点

This was a reminder
这件事却在提醒我

to focus on positive interactions
多关注人与人之间积极的互动

instead of the negative ones.
而不是消极的互动

2. If you’re able to perform a simple act of kindness, do it.
如果你有能力做出一个小小的善举，那就去做吧

Marcella didn’t need to pay for my lunch.
Marcella本没有义务要请我吃午餐

But she did,
但她却这样做了

and it brightened my day.
这让我的一整天都明亮起来了

Not because I got to keep my $15,
并不是因为我节省了15美元

but because she was kind –
而是因为她如此善良

with no expectations of receiving anything in return.
却没有期望得到任何回报

She is a beautiful woman
她是一个面色姣好的女人

in the blue coat
穿着蓝色的外套

with the warm smile.
脸上挂着温暖的微笑

Her three co-workers,
她的三个同事

described her as an amazing person
都说她是一个特别好的人

and said they were a second family to one another.
说他们对彼此都亲如一家

They said she brightens up each day,
他们说，她总能照亮每一天

and I have no doubt that’s true.
我毫不怀疑，这一定是真的

As I promised her,
我对她许下了承诺

I plan on paying her kindness forward.
我预备用为别人买单的方式报答她的善意

Maybe, just maybe,
或许，仅仅是或许

I’ll make a small difference in someone else’s life,
我会在另一个人的人生中留下小小的印记

and the ripple effect will continue.
善意会继续如同涟漪一般传播出去

Because that’s what being human is all about
因为，生而为人，意义正在于此

– being kind
与人为善

– even to a stranger.
即使是对陌生人

Reminders that
这件事也提醒我

kindness and love exist can show up in the most unexpected places,
善良和爱可以在最意想不到的地方出现

even a Moe’s Southwest Grill.
即使是在一家小小的烤肉店里