大自然的美带给我震撼，我更庆幸自己遇识了一群充满传奇色彩的人。
凯利太棒了，在我看来，他才是大自然真正的 主人。无论是美国东部的阿巴拉契亚山脉，西部太平洋海岸的山脉，或者是新西兰的野外徒步，所到之处几乎遍布了他的足迹。他曾独自在科罗拉多河上漂流，划着 独木舟与激流搏斗，在美国最险恶的野外化险为夷。沿路上，他还不忘记享受喝啤酒的快乐。
对于这类的传奇故事，在此之前，我也只是在 湾区，从第三手资料中道听途说过。然而，此时此刻，我正与这样一个活生生的人住在一起。从他的智慧和知识中，我对美国的江河有了更深刻和广泛地了解。通过 与他交谈，我感到美国更加博大和雄伟。同时，他激发起我对美国的热爱和对大自然的探求欲。
到达凯利家的第二天，我遇见了他的两个同性恋朋友。我们在一起玩一种叫“Apples to Apples”的纸牌游戏。我没想到凯利竟然是一个同性恋，这可是一个意外之喜，它比我原先没想到的。
他们三人中，约翰比较健谈，他给我讲了许 多他自己的经历。此后，凯利与我有了一次比较激烈的交谈，涉及到的话题从政治开始，随后涉及到了宗教。凯利和约翰对基督教彻底失望，因为在他们看来，基督 教里全是些盲从和虚伪的跟随者。约翰对基督教的漠视没有任何根据，凯利辩论的依据也不过是他汽车后面贴的一块标语牌而已（原作者并没有写明标语的内容）。
让我跟这样的人来谈基督教的失败，这让我 感觉很不好。如果真的让我来谈这个话题的话，我更愿意告诉他们，耶稣基督的恩典如何赦免了世人的罪。四个星期的相处，凯利越来越接纳我这个人，而不仅仅因 为我是个喜欢翻圣经的男孩。在忙农活的过程中，我们更喜欢聊一些轻松愉快的话题。在我即将离开的时候，我可以感觉到，凯利会想念我的。
Not only was the nature incredible, but I met some wonderful people.
Kelly was awesome, a man of the great outdoors. Under his belt along with a large belly were the Appalachian Mountains, the Pacific Route, and New Zealand backpack trails. The Colorado River also dwelt under there, along with the literally tons of beer he had to carry as he singlehandedly maneuvered his boat through one of the harshest and unforgiving waters of the Americas.
He was the kind man that I have only heard about in third hand stories of remotely adventurous Caucasians in the Bay Area, and I was living with one. It was an honor drawing from his wisdom and knowledge of the American outback and its fantastic rivers. Talking to him only made America larger and grander to me. He simultaneously quenched and reinvigorated my thirst for America.
The second week I met his two gay friends and we played Apples to Apples. That is when I learned that Kelly was gay and this trip to Colorado became was more than I had bargained for.
I talked to the more talkative gay man, John, about his history and then later that week Kelly and I got in a heated conversation about politics and eventually Jesus. What they both said was that they were both disillusioned because Christianity had such poor and hypocritical followers. John did not have any logical reasons for disregarding Christianity, and the best arguments Kelly could come up with were the ones on atheist bumper stickers.
It was almost shameful for me to have to apologize to these people about Christianity’s failures, but in doing so, I was able to talk about Jesus’ grace over our mistakes. Over the course of the four weeks, Kelly really came to like me as not just that Bible thumping boy, but as a human being. We casually shot the wind daily as we drop back and forth from his homestead to Cortez for building supplies and by the end of the four weeks I could see he was going to miss me.
（ To Be Continued...)
| 雨林 (2013-09-18 17:09:42) |
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Kevin 是一个有主见又头脑开放（open-minded,如何翻译）的孩子。 |
| 红花 (2013-09-19 15:36:40) |
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呵呵，我也翻译成头脑开放。中秋快乐。 |