When the meager purchases had been placed into a plastic bag， something remarkable happened. Not a word had been spoken by her elderly friend， an old， tired hand slowly extended over the counter. The hand trembled， and then steadied. Roberta spread the plastic handles on the bag and gently slipped them over his wrist. The fingers that dangled into space were gnarled and spotted with the marks of age.
Roberta smiled larger.
She scooped up the other tired， old hand and in an instant， she was holding them both， gathered in front of her brown face. She warmed them. Top and bottom. Then sides. She reached and pulled the scarf that had flown nearly off his broad but stooped shoulders. She pulled it close around his neck. Still he said not a single word. He stood as if to cement the moment in his memory. It would have to last at least until the morrow. When he would once again shuffle through the cold， Roberta buttoned a button that had eluded the manipulation of the old hands. She looked him in the eyes and， with a slender finger， mockingly scolded him. “Now， Mr. Johnson. I want you to be very， careful.” She then paused ever so lightly for emphasis and added sincerely， “I need to see you in here tomorrow.”
With those last words ringing in his ears， the old man had his orders. He hesitated， and then turned， and one tired foot shuffling barely in front of the other， he moved slowly into the bitter Denver morning. I realized then that he had not come in search of a banana and a muffin. He had come in to get warm in his heart.
丹佛一个非常寒冷的早上。这样的天气，人们应该整天都呆在家里，应该是感冒了在家里休息，等妈妈端来一杯热汤，这天就应该这样度过。
而我得去丹佛大会中心给几百人作演讲，他们和我一样没感冒，不可能呆在家里等妈妈端来热汤，而是聚在大会中心，对于这寒冷的天气也只能是谈论一下而已。
我的无线麦克风需要电池，而我没有带。我确实需要一块电池，没有其他办法了，我只好竖起衣领，低着头，穿着夹皮鞋，向寒风中走去。
我在一个拐角处看到一个指示标，上面不远处有一个7-11便利店。假如我快点走，步子迈大，就能进到商店里，避开凛冽的风和干燥的空气。住在丹佛的人对城外的人开玩笑说，丹佛的冬季能让你感受到愉悦的寒冷。当他们的亲戚问他们住在海拔一英里的城市感觉如何时，他们回答说：“那是一种干燥的寒冷。”干燥，胡说八道。天气冷得足以让那只著名的黄铜制的猴子移动。
有两个人在7-11便利店里，站在柜台后面的人佩带着一个有她名字的胸牌，她叫罗伯塔。从她的表情可以判断，她大概还是希望呆在家里给她的小孩端热汤，并说上一些宽心的话，但现在她却在寒冷的几乎没有什么人的丹佛市区的一个小商店里服务。她就是灯塔，是那些在这样寒冷的日子里还在街上行走的人的避难所。
便利店里的另一个人是位高个子老人，他显然是来躲避寒冷的，但是，他好像在店里呆得很舒服，不想走出商店，再回到大风里，走在结冰的人行道上。我不禁想到他可能是疯了，也可能是迷路了。在这样冷的天气里出来逛7-11便利店，这人真是愚蠢。
我没有时间去理会这个失去理性的老人。我要买一个电池，几百名有重要事情做的重要人物在会议中心等着我呢。我来这儿是有目的的。
可是，这位老人在我之前来到柜台前，罗伯塔笑着，老人没说话。罗伯塔拿起他挑选的商品，把商品的价钱逐个输入计算器。老人在这么冷的天气里出来，就是为买几个松饼和香蕉，真不值得。
就为买松饼和香蕉，一个正常的人是会等到春天来临，街道恢复正常，逛街的时候顺便买的。而这位老人却没有这样做，他拖着衰弱的身体在这样寒冷的早晨出来，让人感觉好像是没有明天了。
可能真的没有明天了，他已经很老了。
当罗伯塔算出总额，老人把僵硬的、干枯的手伸进大衣兜里，摸出一个像老人一样老的装硬币的钱包。几个硬币和皱巴巴的一美元散落在柜台上，而罗伯塔收起这些钱就像拿到宝贝一样兴奋。
松饼和香蕉被装进塑料袋里后，接下来发生的事让我震惊了。老人没说话，他僵硬干枯的手慢慢地伸过柜台，他的手在颤抖，接着稳定下来。罗伯塔把塑料袋的手柄撑开，套在老人的手腕上，他伸在空中的手指长满了说明他年龄的瘤和斑点。
罗伯塔笑得更亲切了。
她握起老人另一只僵硬干枯的手，把老人的双手捧在她褐色的脸颊前，上下左右地暖和着老人的手。他的围巾几乎从他宽阔却弯曲的肩膀上掉下来了，她帮他围在脖子上，但他仍然没说话，他站在那儿，好像是在把刚刚发生的一切装进自己的记忆里，而这种记忆至少要持续到明天。当然，明天他还会冒着严寒来这儿。罗伯塔为他扣上了被他忽略的扣子，她看着他的眼睛，竖起一个纤细的手指，开玩笑地责怪他，“约翰逊先生，我希望你以后多注意哟。”接着为了强调，她稍稍停顿了一下，很认真地说：“我明天还要在这儿看到你。”
罗伯塔说的最后一句话在他耳边回响，他记下了叮嘱。犹豫了一下，转过身，他前脚紧挨着后脚，挪动着，向寒冷的丹佛的早晨走去。这时，我意识到他不是来买香蕉和松饼的，他来这儿，是为了获得心灵上的慰藉。
记忆填空
1. I had a speaking at the Denver Convention Center to a couple hundred other who， like me， were unable to the sniffles and stay home for Mom to bring us soup. ， we gathered at the convention center， unable to do more about the weather to talk about it.
2. When the meager purchases had been placed in to a plastic ， something remarkable happened. Not a had been spoken by her elderly friend， an old， tired hand extended over the counter.
佳句翻译
1. 住在丹佛的人对城外的人开玩笑说，丹佛的冬季能让你感受到愉悦的寒冷。
2. 就为买松饼和香蕉，一个正常的人是会等到春天来临，街道恢复正常，逛街的时候顺便买的。
3. 这时，我意识到他不是来买香蕉和松饼的，他来这儿，是为了获得心灵上的慰藉。
短语应用
1. …and risk sailing through town at the mercy of the wind and ice-covered sidewalks.
at the mercy of：任凭……摆布；完全受……的支配；在……掌握中
2. I realized then that he had not come in search of a banana and a muffin.
in search of：寻找；探求，追求
