Updated Wednesday 4/30/2014 8:12 pm @ Taipei, Taiwan – revised the title and shared again.
Posted Feb. 28th, 2011 7:08am
Original Chinese text by ?!?!
English translation by Frank M. Lin http://www.facebook.com/ghettoracer
在中山國中捷運站下的騎樓，有一對男女 ,總會 在那賣玉蘭花， 那是 一對看起來非常令人害怕的人！
At the ZhongSan Middle School MRT station exit, there is a couple a man and a woman always there selling Magnolia flowers. This couple has unusual physical appearance and most people are freight-en by their looks.
男的顏面傷殘，斷手；女的顏面有個像球一樣的腫瘤，斷了一支手， 眼睛鼻子和嘴巴像是拼湊出的，五官看起來不齊全，連講話都不清楚！
The male has a disfigured face, and is missing arms (or hands). The female has a large ball shaped tumor on her face, and also with a missing arm (or hand). her eyes, noes, and mouth seems to be slapped together harshly, and she can hardly speak clearly due to her deformed face.
每天早上有許多人來來往往趕著坐捷運上班，有些人走過還刻意的避開那兩人， 因為看起實在來太駭人！
Every morning there are lot of people commuting to work at this metro station. Lot of people walking pass them appear to ignore them on purpose because they simply look too unusual.
捷運站旁有家麵包店，生意好的不得了，大家買了牛奶、飲料、麵包， 就是極少人會去買玉蘭花！
Next to the MRT station there is a bread shop that is very busy everyday drawing big crowds. Everyone buys milk, drunks, breads, but rarely does any of the customer buy the couple’s Magnolia flower.
直到有一天，我看到這兩人，擺了好久好久都沒人買半串花， 男的用兩支斷的手夾起一朵玉蘭花給女的，那女人用一支好的手拿了鐵絲企圖再穿進去，一串四朵！
One day, I saw the couple stood there for a long time and nobody bought any of their Magnolia flowers. The male was using his two maimed hands to pick up one Magnolia flower to hand it to the lady, and she used her only good hand to string the flowers together with a little piece of metal wire. She would string 4 Magnolia flowers into a little bundle.
他們就這樣辛苦的穿著，令人看了好難過。
They work hard and diligently like this, day after day, stringing each bundle by themeselves. It is heart wrenching watching them work.
我剛開始也怕怕，但是我的外婆很愛玉蘭花， 我也極少在市場或廟以外的地方看到人家在賣玉蘭花！
I was very scared of them initially. But my grandmother loves Magnolia flowers. I usually only find people selling Magnolia flowers at farmers markets or at buddah/taolist temples. I rarely see people sell them elsewhere.
那一天，我走過去，問他們一串多少錢？
That day, I walked up to them, and asked them how much for a bundle.
他們用著不清楚的語言慢慢的說：１５元一串！
They mumbled and spoke slowly and said it’s 15nt for a bundle (US$ 50 cents).
要我自己拿。 籃上還有一些５元，要我自己找！
They wanted me to help myself to it, and there are some 5nt coins for change and they want me to get the chance myself too.
那一刻，真的覺得好心酸喔！
At that moment, I was heartbroken.
怎麼世上有這樣可憐又勇敢面對現實的人？
How come there are people like them who are so pitiful but yet they have so much courage to face reality dead on?
我買了兩串８朵，我問他們：可不可以拿沒有串好的呢？
I bought 2 bundles (8 flowers) and I asked them if I can take the loose unbundled ones?
女的高興的點點頭！其實，並不是我不愛串好的， 只是在想，他們不像我們有好手，可以很快的穿好那一籃的花。
The lady smiled happily and nodded. In reality, it’s not that I prefer the unbundled ones. It’s just that, they are not like us, we have two perfectly good hands. We can quickly bundle the entire basket of flowers if we wanted to.
我又想，每天買一罐飲料雖然只要１５元，好像不是什麼大錢， 可是，對於這樣傷殘的人，不知多少人的1 ５元才能給與他們一天的溫飽？
I then thought, I can buy a can of drinks for 15nt a day. It doesn’t seem like a lot of money. But to the disabled people like them, how many people have to buy the 15nt flowers in order for them to barely make the ends meet?
於是，在後來的每一天，我省下了早上的咖啡錢， 每天在上車前買了八朵的玉蘭花，然後回家後給外婆，而外婆也高興，天天放在床頭前，她愛極了玉蘭花的清香！
From that day forward, everyday I save my morning coffee money. Before I board the MRT every morning I would buy 8 Magnolia flowers and I’d give them to my grandmother after I return home from work. My grandmother is delighted with the flowers and she keeps them by her bed daily. She loves the fresh light scent of Magnolia flowers!!
那小小的３０元，帶給了４個人的快樂！
The little measly 30nt, brings so much pleasure to 4 people.
我總記得每次那兩位賣花人頻頻的點頭當道謝，真的讓人很想掉眼淚！
I always remember every time the flower couple’s sincere nodding gesture as a sign of appreciation. It brings tears to my eyes.
我們很幸福 ，生來健康又受過好的教育，有份好工作，有好的家庭成員， 不用苦力換取三餐，比起這些人，我們還有什麼不滿足的呢？
We are very fortunate. We are born healthy, and we are educated and we have good jobs. We have a good family structure that’s supportive and loving and we don’t need to do hard manual labor just to have 3 meals a day. Compare to these guys, what do we have to complain about in life?!
如果您有機會經過中山國中捷運站，又遇到了他們，請您也拿出１５元 （或是 更多的１５元）讓他們也分享一點您的幸福，好嗎？
If you have a chance to pass by ZhongSan Middle School MRT station and you run into this couple. Please spare your change and buy a bundle (or a few) of their Magnolia flower and share your wealth/fortune with them. Okay?
謝謝您
Thank you.
有空的人請您幫忙轉寄出去
有經過得也發揮善心
好心會有好報的
Please forward this. If you pass by them, exercise your compassion. Doing good deeds will give you good karma in the future. 🙂
GhettoRacer & His Bizarre and Twisted Reality 