我永远都会在你的身边
No matter what happens, I’ll always be there for you!
In 1989 an 8.2 earthquake almost flattened
After the unforgettably initial shock, he remembered the promise he had made to his son: "No matter what, I'll always be there for you!" And tears began to fill his eyes. As he looked at the pile of ruins that once was the school, it looked hopeless, but he kept remembering his commitment to his son.
He began to direct his attention towards where he walked his son to class at school each morning. Remembering his son's classroom would be in the back right corner of the building, he rushed there and started digging through the ruins.
As he was digging, other helpless parents arrived, clutching their hearts, saying: "My son!" "My daughter!" Other well-meaning parents tried to pull him off what was left of the school, saying: "It's too late! They're all dead! You can't help! Go home! Come on, face reality, there's nothing you can do!"
To each parent he responded with one line: "Are you going to help me now?" And then he continued to dig for his son, stone by stone. The fire chief showed up and tried to pull him off the school's ruins saying, "Fires are breaking out, explosions are happening everywhere. You're in danger. We'll take care of it. Go home." To which this loving, caring American father asked, "Are you going to help me now?"
The police came and said, "You're angry, anxious and it's over. You're endangering others. Go home. We'll handle it!" To which he replied, "Are you going to help me now?" No one helped.
Courageously he went on alone because he needed to know for himself: "Is my boy alive or is he dead?" He dug for eight hours...12 hours...24 hours...36 hours...then, in the 38th hour, he pulled back a large stone and heard his son's voice. He screamed his son's name, "ARMAND!" He heard back, "Dad!?! It's me, Dad! I told the other kids not to worry. I told them that if you were alive, you'd save me and when you saved me, they'd be saved. You promised, No matter what happens, I'll always be there for you! You did it, Dad!" "What's going on in there? How is it?" the father asked.
"There are 14 of us left out of 33, Dad. We're scared, hungry, thirsty and thankful you're here. When the building collapsed, it made a triangle, and it saved us."
"Come out, boy!"
"No, Dad! Let the other kids out first, cause I know you'll get me! No matter what happens, I know you'll always be there for me!"
不管发生什么，我永远都会在你的身边！
1989年，一次8.2级的地震几乎铲平美国，在短短不到4分钟的时间里，夺去了3万多人的生命！
在彻底的破坏与混乱之中，有位爸爸将他的老婆在家安顿好后，跑到他儿子就读的学校，而触目所见，却是被夷为平地的校园。
看到这让人伤心的一幕，他想起了过去对儿子所作的承诺：“不论发生啥事，我都会在你身边。”至此，爸爸热泪满眶。目睹过去的学校成为了一堆瓦砾，真叫人绝望。但爸爸的脑中仍然牢记住他对儿子的诺言。
他开始努力回忆天天早上送儿子上学的必经的道路，终于记起儿子的教室应该就在那幢建筑物后面，坐落于右侧的角落里，他跑到那儿，开始在碎石砾中挖掘，搜寻儿子的下落。
当这位爸爸正在挖掘时，其他束手无策的学生父母赶到现场，揪心地叫着：“我的儿子呀！”“我的女儿呀！”一些好意的父母试图把这位爸爸劝离现场，告诉他“所有都太迟了！他们全去世了！如此做没用的，回去吧，如此做只能使事情更糟”。面对种种劝告，这位爸爸的回答只有一句话：“你们想帮我吗？”然后继续进行挖掘工作，在废墟中探寻他的儿子。
消防队长出现了，他也试图把这位爸爸劝走，对他说：“失火频现，四处都在发生爆炸，你在这里太危险了，这边的事大家会处置，你回家吧！”对此，这位慈爱、关切的爸爸仍然回答：“你们要帮我吗？”
警察赶到现场，对他说：“你目前又气又急，该结束了，你在危及别人，回家吧！大家会处置所有的。”这位爸爸依然回答：“你们想帮我吗？”然而，大家无动于衷。
为了弄了解儿子是死是活，这位爸爸一个人一人鼓起勇气，继续进行他的工作。
他挖掘了8小时，--12小时，24小时，36小时--38小时后，爸爸推开了一块巨大的石头，听到了儿子的声音。爸爸尖叫着：“阿曼德！”儿子的回音听到了：“父亲吗？是我，父亲，我告诉其他的小朋友别着急。我告诉他们假如你活着，你会来救我的。假如我获救了，他们也就获救了。你答应过我，不论发生什么，我永远都会在你的身边， 你做到了，父亲！”
“你那里的状况如何？”爸爸问。
“大家有33个，只有14个活着。父亲，大家好害怕，又渴又饿，谢天谢地，你在这儿。教室倒塌时，刚好形成一个三角形的洞，救了大家。”
“快出来吧！儿子！”
“不，爸，让其他小朋友先出来吧！由于我了解你会接我的！不管发生啥事，我了解你永远都会来到我的身边！”
注解：
Flatten v. 使变平to destroy a building or town by knocking it down, bombing it etc
Utter adj. 完全的 complete or extreme
Devastation n. 大面积破坏 severe and widespread destruction or damage.
Clutch v. 抓住; 攫取; 抓 to take or try to take hold of something tightly, usually in fear, anxiety or pain
well-meaning adj. 善意的, 好心的
fire chief n. 消防队长
