学文网Bob May stared out his drafty1） apartment window into the chilling December night. His 4-year-old daughter Barbara sat on his lap quietly sobbing. His wife， Evelyn， was dying of cancer. Little Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked， "Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's mommy？" Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears.
From childhood， Bob was different and never seemed to fit in. He did complete college， married his loving wife， got his job as a copywriter2） at Montgomery Ward3） and was blessed with his little girl. But it was all short-lived. Evelyn's bout4） with cancer stripped them of all their savings， and in 1938 Evelyn died just days before Christmas.
Bob struggled to give hope to his child， for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a Christmas gift. But if he couldn't buy a gift， he was determined to make one―a storybook！ Bob had created an animal character in his own mind and told the animal's story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope.
Again and again Bob told the story， embellishing5） it more with each telling.
The story was Bob's own autobiography in fable form. The character he created was an outcast6） like he was. The name of the character？ A little reindeer7） named Rudolph， with a big shiny nose. Bob finished the book and give it to his little girl on Christmas Day.
But the story doesn't end there.
The general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of8） the little storybook and offered Bob a nominal9） fee to purchase the rights to print the book. Wards went on to print "Rudolph， the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores.
By 1946 Wards had printed and distributed more than six million copies of Rudolph. That same year， a major publisher wanted to purchase the rights from Wards to print an updated version of the book.
In an unprecedented10） gesture of kindness， the CEO of Wards returned all rights back to Bob. The book became a best seller. Many toy and marketing deals followed and Bob， now remarried with a growing family， became wealthy from the story he created.
But the story doesn't end there either.
Bob's brother-in-law， Johnny Marks， made a song adaptation to Rudolph. Though the song was turned down by some popular singers， it was recorded by the singing cowboy， Gene Autry. "Rudolph， the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was released in 1949 and became a great success， selling more records than any other Christmas song， with the exception of "White Christmas".
The gift of love that Bob created for his daughter so long ago kept on returning back to bless him again and again. And Bob learned the lesson， just like his dear friend Rudolph， that being different isn't so bad. In fact， being different can be a blessing.
那是12月的一个寒冷冬夜，鲍勃・梅透过公寓里那扇漏风的窗户，凝视着窗外。他四岁的女儿芭芭拉坐在他的腿上，无声地抽泣着。他的妻子伊夫琳得了癌症，生命垂危。小芭芭拉抬起头看着她爸爸的眼睛问：“为什么妈咪不能像其他人的妈咪一样呢？”鲍勃紧咬着牙关，眼里噙满了泪水。
从孩童时代起，鲍勃就与别人不一样，而且似乎从来都不合群。他倒也上完了大学，娶了他深爱的妻子，在蒙哥马利-沃德公司找到了一份文案工作，而且很幸运地拥有了他的小公主。但一切好景不长。伊夫琳得了癌症，花光了他们所有的积蓄。1938年，就在圣诞节的前几天，伊夫琳去世了。
鲍勃竭尽所能给他的女儿以希望，可他甚至连一份圣诞礼物都买不起。但即使他买不起礼物，他也决定自己做一份礼物――一本故事书！鲍勃已经在心里创造了一个动物角色，他将这个动物的故事讲给小芭芭拉听，借此给她安慰和希望。
鲍勃一遍又一遍地讲这个故事，每讲一遍都会添加更多的细节。
这个故事是以寓言的形式讲述鲍勃自己的人生。他创造的这个角色和他一样备受排挤。这个角色的名字？鲁道夫。它是一只小驯鹿，长着一个亮晶晶的大鼻子。圣诞节那天，鲍勃完成了这本书，并将它送给了他的小公主。
但故事并没有就此结束。
蒙哥马利-沃德公司的总经理听说了这本小故事书后，象征性地给了鲍勃一点钱，买下了这本书的印刷版权。接着，沃德公司将《红鼻子驯鹿鲁道夫》印刷成册，发给到他们旗下各家百货商店来看圣诞老人的每一个孩子。
截至1946年，沃德公司已经印刷并送出了600多万册《红鼻子驯鹿鲁道夫》。同年，一家大出版商希望从沃德公司手里购得该书的版权来再版印刷。
沃德公司的首席执行官竟然破天荒地大发慈悲，将该书的所有权利归还给了鲍勃。之后这本书成为畅销书，还带来了许多玩具和营销买卖。而这时的鲍勃不仅组建了新的家庭并生儿育女，而且也因为他创造的这个故事变得富有起来。
但故事也没有就此结束。
鲍勃的小舅子约翰尼・马克斯把《红鼻子驯鹿鲁道夫》改编成了一首歌曲。虽然一些流行歌曲歌手拒绝演唱这首歌，但“牛仔歌者”吉恩・奥特里却将其录制成了唱片。1949年，歌曲《红鼻子驯鹿鲁道夫》发行并大获成功，唱片销量超过了除《白色圣诞节》之外的所有其他圣诞歌曲。
鲍勃许多年前为女儿制作的这份爱的礼物不断地给他回报，一次次地带给他好运。鲍勃从中学到：就像他亲爱的朋友鲁道夫一样，和别人不一样也没那么糟糕。事实上，和别人不一样也能成为一件幸事。
1. drafty [?dr?fti] adj. （房间或建筑物的门窗）漏风的
2. copywriter [?k?pira?t?（r）] n. 广告文字撰稿人
3. Montgomery Ward： 蒙哥马利-沃德公司，1872年在芝加哥创立，是全球首家从事日用品邮购业务的公司，后改名为Wards，于2000年宣告破产。
4. bout [ba?t] n. （疾病等的）发作
5. embellish [?m?bel??] vt. 给（叙述等）添加细节，润色
6. outcast [?a?tk?st] n. 被逐出的人，被抛弃的人
7. reindeer [?re?nd??（r）] n. 【动】驯鹿
8. catch wind of： 听到……的风声；获悉有关……的消息
9. nominal [?n?m?nl] adj. （金额、租金）微不足道的
10. unprecedented [?n?pres?dent?d] adj. 空前的；绝无仅有的
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