My two sons are all grown up now. They are 32 and 27 years old this year. Yet they both still have the minds of children. Autism has limited their intellectual growth over the years and they still need to be looked after 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When I was a boy, the term used for people like my sons was Mentally Retarded. By the time I was an adult, the term had switched to Mentally Handicapped. Later this was changed again to Mentally Challenged. None of these terms truly defined them, however. They are so much more than these labels.

我的两个儿子现在都长大了。他们今年分别是32岁和27岁。但他们的思维还跟孩子一样。这些年来，自闭症限制了他们的智力发育，他们现在仍然需要一周7天，每天24小时的照顾。当我还是个孩子的时候，人们用"弱智"这个术语来形容像我儿子这样的人。当我成年后，这个术语已经换成了"智力上有缺陷的"。后来又改成了"智力有残疾的"。然而，这些术语都不能真正地定义他们。他们远不是这些标签能概括的。

These days the newest term is people with Special Needs. I like this one better than the older ones, because it is not only kinder but more accurate. My sons do have Special Needs but they also have Special Gifts. My oldest boy may only be able to talk about certain things. Autism has limited his learning and interests. But when he greets people by name, there is a contagious happiness in his mood and manner. He gives out love and hugs far more freely than I do. And he always leaves the people he meets feeling better.

如今（定义他们的）最新的术语是有"特殊需要"的人。与以前那些术语相比，我更喜欢这个，因为它不仅更友好，而且也更准确。我的儿子们确实有"特殊的需要"，但他们也有"特殊的天赋"。我的大儿子可能只会谈论某些事情。自闭症限制了他的学习能力和兴趣发展。但当他通过叫名字来问候别人时，在他的情绪和举止中流露出一种充满感染力的幸福。他能比我更无所顾忌地给予爱和拥抱。他总是能让他遇到的人感觉更好。

My youngest boy doesn't speak much at all. He is lost in his own world most of the time. Sometimes he even has fits where he will cry and hit himself. But he also has an ability for laughter and joy that is far beyond anything I possess. Often after he finishes crying, his happiness will immediately return where I would be lost in a mood for hours. In truth my two Special Needs sons have taught me more about how to live and how to love than I could have ever learned on my own.

我的小儿子不怎么爱说话。他大部分时间都沉浸在自己的世界里。有时他甚至会哭，并打自己。但他也有一种远超出我所拥有的欢笑和快乐的能力。通常在他哭完之后，他的快乐会立刻回来，在那种情形中，我可能会沉湎于当时的情绪几个小时才能平复。事实上，我的两个有"特殊需要的"儿子教会了我如何生活、如何去爱，比我自己学到的多得多。

The fact is all of us in this life have Special Needs. All of us also have Special Gifts. It is up to us to share our Gifts. It is up to us to meet each other's Needs. It is up to us to treat each other with kindness and love. Remember, we are all one family here.

事实上，我们每个人在这一生中都有"特殊的需要"。我们每个人也都有"特别的天赋"。这取决于我们是否分享我们的天赋。这取决于我们是否能满足彼此的需要。这也取决于我们是否用友善和爱来对待彼此。记住，在这个世界上我们都是一家人。

知识积累：

1. Autism n. a mental condition in which a person is unable to communicate or form relationships with others自闭症；孤独症

2. intellectual adj. connected with or using a person's ability to think in a logical way and understand things 智力的；脑力的；理智的

3. retarded adj. less developed mentally than is normal for a particular age 迟钝的；弱智的；智力发育迟缓的

4. handicapped adj. suffering from a mental or physical handicap有生理缺陷的；残疾的；弱智的

5. contagious adj. a contagious disease spreads by people touching each other（疾病）接触传染的 【注】该词在文中为比喻

本文英文选自sunnyskyz，已选入《快捷英语 活页英语时文阅读理解 高考19》，参考译文由"快捷英语"提供。转载需注明出处。