【美文】阅读材料：爱的力量

Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her three-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling. They find out that the new baby is going to be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sings to his sister in Mommy''s tummy.

像其他的好妈妈一样，当凯伦发现自己又怀孕了时，她就尽力帮她三岁的儿子迈克尔做好准备迎接这个新生儿的到来。他们知道了这是个女孩后，迈克尔每天都趴在妈妈肚子上为他的小妹妹唱歌。

The pregnancy progresses normally for Karen. Then the labor pains come. Every five minutes ... every minute. But Complications arise during delivery. Hours of labor. Would a C-section be required? Finally, Michael''s little sister is born. But she is in serious condition. With siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushes the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary''s Hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee.

凯伦的怀孕期进展正常。接着产前阵痛就来临了，每5分钟一次……每分钟一次。但在分娩过程中出现了并发症，阵痛持续了几个小时。是不是需要剖腹产？终于，迈克尔的小妹妹降生了。但她的情况很不好。伴着晚上警报器的鸣叫声，救护车把婴儿送到田纳西州诺克斯维尔市的圣玛丽医院，新生儿重病特护区。

The days inch by. The little girl gets worse. The pediatric specialist tells the parents, "There is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst." Karen and her husband contact a local cemetery about a burial plot. They have fixed up a special room in their home for the new baby — now they plan a funeral.

日子一天天过去了。女婴的情况愈来愈糟。小儿科告诉这对父母：“希望非常渺茫。请做好*坏的打算吧。”凯伦和她的丈夫联系了当地一家公墓，安排了葬礼的计划。他们已经在家里布置好了一间特别的婴儿房——但现在却要计划一个葬礼。

Michael, keeps begging his parents to let him see his sister, "I want to sing to her," he says. Week two in intensive care. It looks as if a funeral will come before the week is over. Michael keeps nagging about singing to his sister, but kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. But Karen makes up her mind. She will take Michael whether they like it or not.

迈克尔一直乞求父母让他进去看看小妹妹：“我想唱歌给她听，”他说。这是重病特护的第二周了。看来好像到不了这周结束葬礼就要来临了。迈克尔不断地缠着要给小妹妹唱歌听，然而重病特护区不允许*入内。不过凯伦下定了决心，不管他们愿不愿意，她都要带迈克尔进去。

If he doesn''t see his sister now, he may never see her alive. She dresses him in an oversized scrub suit and marches him into ICU. He looks like a walking laundry basket, but the head nurse recognizes him as a child and bellows, "Get that kid out of here now! No children are allowed." The mother rises up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady glares steel-eyed into the head nurse''s face, her lips a firm line. "He is not leaving until he sings to his sister!" Karen tows Michael to his sister''s bedside. He gazes at the tiny infant losing the battle to live. And he begins to sing. In the pure hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sings:

如果现在他看不到他的小妹妹，就再也没机会见到她了。她为儿子穿了一身特大型的护士服，带他走进重点护理组。他看起来就像一个行走的洗衣篮，不过护士长认出这是一个*，她吼道：“马上带那个*离开这儿！禁止小孩入内。”凯伦的母性变得坚强起来，这位平日里温柔的女士用坚毅的目光盯着护士长的脸，坚定地说：