Destined to be

Whenever I travel and get on the plane,
每次我乘飞机外出旅行
I usually carry two bags.
总是要带两只包包
A big hand bag or a tote,
一只大号的手提包或者手提袋
and a small shoulder bag.
还有一只小背包
The small shoulder bag is where I put the important stuff,
小背包里放的都是重要的东西
like my passport,
比如我的护照
so I could take it with me wherever I go.
以便无论人在哪里都能随手拿到
I had a 7-hour layover in Stockholm for my flight to Barcelona.
这次去巴塞罗那，中途要在斯德哥尔摩停留7个小时
It was enough time
时间绰绰有余
to visit the old city
可以拜访一下这个古老的城市
and come back to the airport.
再回到机场来
I was on my way to purchase a train ticket
我刚准备去买一张市内火车票
when I realized
忽然意识到
my shoulder bag was missing…
我的背包不见了
I have never been so scared in my life.
我感到这辈子从未这样惊慌过
I felt stuck.
我感到自己被困住了
Without a passport,
没有护照
I cannot go back home to the US
我不能回到美国去
and I cannot move forward
也不可能再向前行
to my final destination in Spain either.
前往西班牙，到达我的目的地
The only thing I could think of
我唯一能想到的
was to go back to the arrival gate.
就是回头走到机场入口
I went back to the sitting area
我回到候机厅
and looked around,
环顾四周
but it was nowhere to be found.
哪里也找不到我的包
I saw the lady
我看到一位女士
who sat beside me on the plane
在飞机上她就坐在我旁边
and asked her if she has seen it
我问她是否看到了我的包
and unfortunately,
很遗憾
she said no.
她说没有
There was a deli stand right next to the waiting area,
候机厅边上站着一个办事员
so I asked the deli clerk
我问那个办事员
if he has seen anything
他时候曾看到什么被人遗落的东西
and to my surprise,
出乎意料的是
he said yes!
他竟说“有”
He said he has given it to an airport personnel though.
不过，他说他已经把包交给机场的工作人员了
I explained to the first airport employee
于是我对第一个机场工作人员说
that I saw what happened,
我看到了事情经过
and she immediately called someone for me.
她立刻为我打了一通电话
As if,
似乎
she was already aware of the situation.
她已经洞悉了情况
Soon,
很快
I saw two men in uniform walking towards me
我看到两个穿制服的人朝我走过来
and one of them was holding my bag.
其中一个拎着我的包
He asked me a couple of questions
他问了我几个问题
just to make sure I was the right person
以便确认我就是失主
and after I answered correctly,
见我回答无误
he handed it back to me…
他就把包还给了我
I was so grateful!
我充满感激！
I could not stop thanking him.
我不停的向他道谢
I realized the reason why I lost it
我意识到， 自己会弄丢包包的原因
was because the strap broke off
是因为包带断了
and it fell on the floor.
它掉到了地上
I went back to the deli clerk
我又转头去找那个办事员
to thank him too
同样感谢了他
and to ask how he found it.
然后问他是怎么发现这件事的
He said
他说
someone picked it up off the floor
有人从地上把包包捡了起来
right in front of the stand
就在他的工作台前面
and gave it to him.
并且把包交给了他
I could not believe the honesty I just witnessed.
我不敢相信，自己见证了这样的诚义之举
I understand
我知道
them returning my passport out of pity,
他们会出于同情把我的护照还给我
but they did not have to return the $500.00 cash that was in it too.
但他们本可不必归还包里的500美元现金
Three different people had a chance to take it,
有三个人曾有机会可以把钱拿走
the person who found it on the floor,
那个在地上找到包的人
the deli clerk,
那个办事员
and the airport personnel.
还有那个机场工作人员
Between the three of them,
有这样三个人
there was no way for me to know who could have taken it,
我根本无法知道到底是谁拿走了钱
if one of them did,
如果他们中间有人这样做的话
and yet none of them did.
可是他们三人谁也没有这样做
And even if one of them did,
其实即使三人中有人拿了钱
it probably would not matter that much.
对他们也不会造成很坏的后果
I would just be so grateful
我还是会充满感激
that my passport was returned to me.
因为我的护照已经还给我了
Once again,
又一次
I was reminded that
我被提醒
when I reach a dead end
当我走到死胡同
and it seems like there is no way out
—似乎已然无路可走
there is always a way out.
其实总会有出路
Where I was originally planning to visit did not work out,
我原本设定的目的地无法到达
so I decided to visit Barcelona instead.
于是我决定转而拜访一下巴萨罗那
I’m so glad I did,
我为这个决定十分欣慰
it has become my most favorite destination.
它已经成为了我最喜欢的旅行目的地