Is There Really a Prince Charming？真的有白马王子吗？
A lot of girls grow up thinking that a Prince Charming roams the skies and the plains just waiting for that special moment to zoom into their lives，snatch them up and carry them away from a world of shrouded gloom to one of white，wedded bliss.When girls flower into womanhood，they are always a bit shocked to discover they are Cinderella or Snow White，and the man they thought was Prince Charming really turned out to be Prince Clod.
Marianne had lived a life like Cinderella，sweeping parking lots for a dollar at age eight，trying to provide for herself and her baby brothers as her mother lived daily tackling a mental illness.When she had just passed her teen years，she met the man she thought was her Prince Charming.
She met him where she was a waitress，and he enthralled her.A musician with a successful band，he seemed to have the widest，most endearing eyes when he spotted her.And why not？She looked as sweet as Cinderella，blonde-brown curls，emerald green eyes and a face that echoed of innocence and love，which was really the look of an awestruck teenager.All Marianne could think was：He loves me.He loves me.He loves me.And this was true at the time.With the speed of a stallion，the man grabbed her up in his arms and carried her off to marriage.
Everything was perfect as far as Marianne was concerned.She had a nice home and enjoyed watching her husband play in his band.She felt loved and adored for the first time in her life.Move over Snow White.Here she comes.And she was about to have a baby.
She didn't know about the other women.
The two were also ill-fated in another way.They had not only wedded each other，but they wedded their recessive genes.When her first son，Loren，arrived，Marianne knew something was wrong.He didn't respond to sound.For a year，Marianne struggled and consulted with doctors who told her nothing was wrong.But finally a specialist announced that Loren was deaf and that there was nothing she could do.She sobbed for the first two years of Loren's life while her husband kept saying that their son was just fine.Doctors assured them that another child wouldn't suffer such misfortune.But when Lance was born，they soon learned the newborn was deaf，too.
The walls of their already strained marriage，which stood on a young girl's fairy-tale dreams，cracked，but they caved in when Marianne grew angry that her husband didn't want to learn to communicate with his two sons.He left that to her.She learned sign language as quickly as possible.Her husband wasn't interested.When he talked to the boys，he treated them like they were dogs，patting them on the head，barking out a word or two.
She took her sons to her husband's parents'house.His parents ignored the kids.She took her sons shopping.Clerks gasped when her sons made grunting sounds.And now，she knew about the other women.Sometimes her husband didn't bother to come home.Her friends quit calling her and Marianne felt a biting loneliness.The stress and the loneliness began to destroy Marianne.She sucked down alcohol like it was water.She fed and clothed her sons，put them to bed，but refused to leave her home.She thought about slashing her wrists.
“Imagine，when your friends and your own family don't bother to want to learn to communicate with your sons，”she explained.“You don't have to know sign language.Kindness is a language.We all understand it.When you see a child like this，don't act shocked.Don't gasp and walk away.The message you send to a child is：‘My God，you are a freak.’Reach out your hand and smile.”
Smiles，hugs and kisses are what saved Marianne's life.Lance and Loren's eyes were pools of adoration and love-a true love.The type Marianne had never experienced in her life.
It became apparent to Marianne that she could squander her own life away with alcohol and panic attacks，but she couldn't waste her sons'lives like this.She buckled down and went back to school to earn a high school degree.She got a job with an insurance firm and saved her pennies.The better she felt about herself，the prouder she grew of Loren and Lance.She started bringing them to visit her coworkers，who showered them with kindness.It was time for her and her boys to leave their house，cut ties with the father and move on with their lives.
One day，her sons came with her to work，and when she walked into the office of the insurance manager，a man named Eric，she found Loren sitting on his lap.Eric looked up at her，and the skies began to tumble.He said these simple words：“I feel like an idiot.I'd love to talk with your son.Do you know where I could go learn sign language？”Marianne thought she would faint.Not a soul had ever asked her before if they could learn to communicate with her sons.She was shaking inside as she explained to Eric that if he was really interested，she knew where he could learn.It seemed better not to believe him，but he showed quickly he wasn't kidding when he enrolled in the class and began to sign words of hello to her in a few days.
When the kids came in，he took them for walks along the pier near their office.Often she went along and watched Eric，who was becoming a master of sign language，talk and laugh with her boys as no one else had before.And each time her sons saw Eric they brightened like the sun and stars in the sky.She had never seen them so happy.Her heart twitched as though it were being strummed.She began to fall in love.She didn't know if Eric felt the same until they left work together one evening and took a stroll out on a pier above the Pacific Ocean.He signed to her that he was in love and wanted to marry her.Marianne's heart danced with joy.
The couple moved into a small town and opened up a thriving insurance business.They had two more children，Casey and Katie，neither of whom were born deaf，but both learned sign language before the age of five.
And at the happiest moments of her life，Marianne would wake up in the middle of the night，her ear burning in pain，and begin to sob.Her behavior was inexplicable because she couldn't think of a time when she felt more loved or happy.Eric would run his hands across her hair，hold her chin and ask her what was wrong.All she could say was：“I don't know.I don't know.”He held her for a long while.Weeks went by and Marianne continued to wake up sobbing.
Then，like a lightning bolt，she woke up knowing the answer.She cried to Eric，her“knight in shining armor”，that she wasn't doing enough to help deaf children in the world.She was supposed to help them find their place in society.She was supposed to teach the world how to communicate with these children.Eric wrapped his arms around her and said，“Let's do it.”
Together they formed Hands Across America-“It Starts with You”-an organization that encourages the public to learn sign language and has started making educational videos that use both deaf and hearing children together.
So if you ever have a chance to talk with Marianne and ask her if there is any truth to fairy tales like Cinderella and Snow White，she'll probably say she's learned a lot about such stories in her lifetime.She's likely to say：“There sure are a lot of Prince Clods out there.But there sure are some Prince Charmings，and there are really a lot of Cinderellas，too.”
很多女孩在长大过程中都憧憬着有一位迷人的男子，骑着白马驰骋于天空中，信步在平原上，只等那特别的时刻到来，哗地闯进她们的生活，抓住她们的手，将她们带离阴沉灰暗的世界，驶入一片洁白的幸福婚姻的殿堂。当女孩们出落蜕变成女人，她们总是有些震惊地发现她们是灰姑娘或者白雪公主，而她们原本认为是白马王子的那个男人只不过是个土块先生，凡人一个。
玛丽安是个不折不扣的灰姑娘，八岁时就为人家清扫停车场，赚取一美元的报酬，由于母亲精神有问题，她需要辛苦地给自己和弟弟们填饱肚子。在她刚刚二十岁的时候，她遇见了一个她认为是她白马王子的男人。
在她当服务员的地方，她遇见他，他一下子就把她迷住了。一个有着一支成功乐队的音乐家，而看着她的眼睛又像一弯宽广的湖水，迷人极了。他也想为什么不呢？她看起来就像灰姑娘一样甜蜜可爱，浅棕色的卷发，翡翠般的眼睛，脸上散发着纯洁、善良的气息，看他的时候就像孩子般羞涩闪躲。所有玛丽安能想到的只是：他爱我，他爱我，他爱我。在那时这是事实。就像雄风懔懔的快马一样，很快地，这个男人把她抓在怀里，带向了婚姻。
在玛丽安的脑袋里，一切都很完美。她有一个美满的家，常沉醉于观看丈夫在乐队里的表演。生命中第一次，她感到她被爱呵护着、滋润着。看哪！她由灰姑娘变成了白雪公主。而且，她快要做母亲了。
她不知道还有别的女人。
这两个人的结合还存在另外一个不幸。他们不仅二人互相结合了，隐性基因也互相结合了。第一个儿子，洛瑞，生下来后，玛丽安觉察到他有点不对劲。他对声音丝毫没有反应。一年的时间里，玛丽安四处求访医生，他们都检查不出问题。但是，最终，一位专家得出结论说，洛瑞是失聪，并且无法可医。洛瑞生命的头两年，她都在泪水中度过，丈夫一直劝说他们的儿子很好，没有问题。医生们向他们保证下一个孩子不会遭遇这样的不幸。但是，兰斯出生后，他们很快就发现这个新生儿，同样也是耳聋的。
原本就是建立在一个年轻女孩童话般梦想上的不成熟的婚姻，出现了裂缝。但是，当玛丽安知道她丈夫根本不愿意学着去跟两个儿子交流的时候，她愤怒了，他们的婚姻也开始崩溃。他把一切都抛给她一个人。她尽可能快地学会了手语，而他不感兴趣。他和孩子们说话的时候，就像对待小狗一样，拍拍他们的脑袋，间或说出一、两个词。
她带着两个儿子去他们的爷爷奶奶家，但他们对孩子视若无睹。她带着孩子们去商场，售货员对孩子们发出的含糊的咕哝声很是惊诧。现在，她还知道了其他女人的存在。有时，她丈夫连家也不回，朋友们也不再打电话，玛丽安感到了前所未有的孤独。这种孤独和压抑让她陷于崩溃的边缘。她开始大量饮酒，像喝水一样。她照常照顾孩子们的吃穿，哄他们睡觉，但是，足不出户。她想到了割开自己的手腕。
“想象一下，如果你的朋友，你的家人都不屑于去尝试和你的儿子交流，”她解释说，“你并不需要去学习手语。爱心就是一种语言，我们都懂的语言。当你看到一个这样的孩子，不要表现得很震惊，不要惊诧，更不要走开。否则你传达给孩子的信息是，‘天哪，你是个怪物。’伸出你的手来，微笑。”
孩子们的微笑、拥抱和亲吻拯救了玛丽安的生活。兰斯和洛瑞的眼睛里充满了拥戴和爱，一种玛丽安从未经历过的，真爱。
玛丽安逐渐清醒地意识到，她可以让自己的生命在酒精和恐惧中逝去，但是，她不能这样对待孩子们。她认真生活起来，重返学校学习，获得了高中文凭，接着在一家保险公司找到了工作，并开始一点点的攒钱。她的自我感觉越来越好，对洛瑞和兰斯的自豪感也与日俱增。她开始带着他们出门，拜访她的同事，同事们都亲切而温暖地欢迎他们。她和孩子们是时候离开家门，切断和那个父亲的关系，继续他们全新的生活了。
一天，她带着孩子来上班。当她走进经理埃瑞克的办公室时，她看到洛瑞坐在他腿上。埃瑞克抬起头来看她，她的心房开始塌陷。他只说了这么一句简单的话：“我觉得自己像傻子似的，我很喜欢和你儿子说话，你知道我能到哪儿去学手语吗？”玛丽安几乎要晕过去了，以前从来没有人问过她是否可以学习去跟她的儿子交流。她内心颤抖着，告诉埃瑞克，如果他真的感兴趣，她知道有地方可以学。玛丽安觉得似乎最好还是不相信他，但是，他很快就证明了自己不是开玩笑的，他报名参加了学习班，几天后，就开始用手语向她打招呼了。
孩子们来的时候，他就带他们沿着办公室附近的码头散步。她经常一起去。埃瑞克俨然已是一个手语高手了。她看着他和孩子们交谈、大笑，从来没有其他人做到过这样。每次她儿子看到埃瑞克，他们的脸就变得像天空里的太阳和星星般明亮、闪耀。她从来没有见到过他们这样高兴，她的心缩紧了。她爱上了埃瑞克，但不知道他是否有同样的感受。直到一天晚间，他们一起下班后，来到太平洋上的一个码头散步。他操着手语对她说，他爱她，想和她结婚。玛丽安的心喜悦的就像里面有个音乐盒里的小人儿在幸福地跳舞。
这对夫妇搬到了一个小镇上，开了家保险公司，生意挺红火。他们又有了两个孩子，凯西和卡蒂，她们听力都很好，但都在五岁前就学会了手语。
然而，在这样幸福的日子里，玛丽安会在半夜醒来，耳朵火烧似的疼痛，啜泣不止。这种无缘无故的行为令人费解，她自己也奇怪，因为她一生中从未像现在这样幸福、快乐。埃瑞克会捋捋她的头发，抬起她的下巴，问她怎么回事。但是，她能说出来的只是：“我不知道，我不知道。”他拥抱了她很久。几周过去了，玛丽安持续如此。
然后，忽然，就像一道闪电划过似的，她醒来知道了答案。她对她的“身着闪亮盔甲的骑士”埃瑞克哭诉，她为世界上的失聪儿童们做得还远远不够，她应该帮助他们找到他们在社会上应有的位置，她应该教给这个世界怎样去跟这些孩子交流。埃瑞克抱住她，说：“那我们就去做吧。”
他们一起成立了手牵手横跨美国――“从你做起”――这是一个鼓励大众学习手语的组织，并开始制作教育性质的录像带，里面的小演员既有失聪的孩子也有健康的孩子。
所以，如果你有机会和玛丽安交谈，问她，现实生活中到底是否存在像灰姑娘和白雪公主这样的童话故事，她很可能会说她自己从这样的故事中受益颇多。她可能说：“在这世上，当然有很多土块先生，但是，也有白马王子，还有灰姑娘，真的是有很多。”
译者感言
中国有句俗话，“留得青山在，不怕没柴烧”，还有古诗里，比如“山重水复疑无路，柳暗花明又一村”，“长风破浪会又时，直挂云帆济沧海”等等，这些句子蕴含着或朴素，或豁达，或高昂的生活态度，都表达了一种生活哲理：希望。希望很珍贵，但是，一旦失去，有时又难以找回，像空中的楼阁，缥缈而虚幻。玛丽安若是孤身一人，肯定难以支撑着继续生活。她从孩子们那里找回了希望。所以，当你向自己的内心看去，却看不到希望的影子时，不妨抬起头看看周围。自己的生活一团糟，就看看别人的生活、书中的生活、电影里的生活……在这些里找找看。生活，可以剥夺你的希望，也可以再赋予你希望。所以，永远不要放弃希望，因为那样你可能会错过你生命中的下一个惊喜！
