“ Can I see my baby？” the happy new mother asked.

When the bundle was nestled in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face， she 1）gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.

Time proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was 2）marred. When he rushed home from school one day and flung himself into his mother’s arms， she sighed， knowing that his life was to be a succession of heartbreaks.

He 3）blurted out the tragedy. “A boy， a big boy ... called me a freak.”

He grew up， handsome for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow students， he might have been class president， but for that. He developed a gift， a talent for literature and music. “But you might mingle with other young people，” his mother reproved him， but felt a kindness in her heart.

The boy’s father had a session with the family physician. Could nothing be done？“I believe I could graft on a pair of outer ears， if they could be 4）procured，” the doctor decided； whereupon the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man… Two years went by.

Then， “You are going to the hospital， Son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’s a secret，”said the father.

The operation was a brilliant success， and a new person emerged. His talents blossomed into genius， and school and college became a series of triumphs. Later he married and entered the diplomatic service.

“But I must know！” He urged his father，“Who gave so much for me？ I could never do enough for him.”

“I do not believe you could，” said the father， “but the agreement was that you are not to know... not yet.”

The years kept their profound secret， but the day did come... one of the darkest days that a son must endure. He stood with his father over his mother’s 5）casket.

Slowly， tenderly， the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick， reddish-brown hair to reveal that the mother had no outer ears.

“Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut，” he whispered gently， “and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful， did they？”

Real beauty lies not in the physical appearance， but in the heart. Real treasure lies not in what can be seen， but in what cannot be seen. Real love lies not in what is done and known， but in what is done and not known.

“我能看一下我的寶寶嗎？”初為人母的她開心地問道。

襁褓置于其懷內(nèi)，她掀開遮擋著嬰兒小臉的裹布，頓時(shí)愕然。醫(yī)生連忙轉(zhuǎn)身，望向這醫(yī)院高層的窗外。嬰兒生下來(lái)就沒有耳朵。

時(shí)間證明嬰兒的聽力毫無(wú)問題，只是存在相貌上的缺陷。有一天，男孩匆匆從學(xué)校跑回家，撲進(jìn)媽媽懷抱，她嘆了口氣，意識(shí)到他的人生將會(huì)面臨一次又一次的打擊。

他脫口訴說(shuō)遭遇到的不幸：“一個(gè)男孩，一個(gè)大個(gè)子男孩……說(shuō)我是怪胎?！?/p>

他長(zhǎng)大了，雖不幸但還是長(zhǎng)得挺帥的。在同學(xué)中也頗受歡迎，要不是因?yàn)橥饷采系娜毕?，他可能?dāng)了班長(zhǎng)。他在文學(xué)和音樂方面具有天賦潛質(zhì)?！澳闫鋵?shí)可以跟其他年輕人玩到一塊兒去呀?！蹦赣H慈愛地責(zé)備道。

男孩的父親和家庭醫(yī)生商量，難道不能做點(diǎn)什么嗎？“我認(rèn)為可以移植一雙外耳，如果能夠弄到的話?！贬t(yī)生做了決定，于是他們開始尋求一個(gè)愿意為這個(gè)年輕人做出犧牲的人……兩年過(guò)去了。

后來(lái)，“你要去趟醫(yī)院了，兒子。我和你媽媽找到了愿意給你捐贈(zèng)耳朵的人。但是捐贈(zèng)人要求保密身份，”父親說(shuō)道。

手術(shù)十分成功，他如獲新生一般。他發(fā)揮天賦，成就天才，在中學(xué)和大學(xué)成績(jī)斐然。后來(lái)他結(jié)了婚，走進(jìn)了外交領(lǐng)域。

“但是我必須知道！”他極力要求父親告訴他，“誰(shuí)給了我這么多？我無(wú)論做什么都報(bào)答不了?！?/p>

“我也這樣認(rèn)為，”父親說(shuō)道，“但是協(xié)議上說(shuō)你不能知道……至少還不是時(shí)候?！?/p>

秘密維持了許多年，但是這一天終于到來(lái)了……一個(gè)兒子必須經(jīng)歷的最黑暗的時(shí)刻之一。他和父親站在母親的棺木前。

父親慢慢地，輕柔地伸出一只手，掀開母親濃密的、紅棕色的頭發(fā)，他才發(fā)現(xiàn)母親竟然沒有耳朵。

“你母親說(shuō)她從來(lái)不讓人剪她的頭發(fā)，她樂意那么做，”他輕聲說(shuō)道，“而且從來(lái)沒人認(rèn)為你媽媽因此變得沒以前漂亮，對(duì)吧？”

真正的美麗不在于外表，而在于內(nèi)心。真正的財(cái)富不在于有形之物，而在于無(wú)形之處。真正的愛往往不在于讓人知道你做了什么，而在于默默做了實(shí)事。