导读：我的信念是一个电台节目，每期会邀请来自各行各业、不同阶层的人士朗读自己的文章，围绕这个题目讲述个人经历和人生信念。本文作者是一名犯人，他在监狱这个让人意想不到的地方悟出了一点人生哲理——看完后，你或许也会有所感触呢。文章思路清晰，条理顺畅，熟悉内容后可用作诵读材料。

When the scruffy orange cat showed up in the prison yard, I was one of the first to go out there and pet it. I hadn't touched a cat or a dog in over 20 years. It was an amazing bit of grace to feel him under my hand and know that I was enriching the life of another creature with something as simple as my care. I believe that caring for something or someone in need is what makes us human.

当那只脏兮兮的橘黄色猫儿出现在监狱的院子里时，我是第一批走上前去抚摸它的人之一。我已经有二十多年未曾摸过一只猫或狗了。感觉到它在我的手掌下，知道自己只不过用一丝简单的关怀就让另一个生命的日子变得充实起来，这真是一种令人惊叹的恩典。我相信，对有需要的人或物表示关怀，是我们作为人所应有的特质。

Over the next few days, I watched other prisoners responding to the cat. Every yard period, a group of prisoners gathered there. They stood around talking and taking turns petting the cat. These were guys you wouldn't usually find talking to each other. Several times I saw an officer in the group—not chasing people away, but just watching and seeming to enjoy it along with the prisoners.

在接下来的几天里，我看到其他犯人纷纷对这只猫表示关注。每次放风的时候，总有一群犯人围在那里。他们站在那里聊天，轮流抚摸着猫儿。平时，你不会看到这些家伙彼此交谈。还有几次，我看见一位狱警也站在人群里——不是为了把人们赶开，而是就在那里看着，似乎和犯人一起享受这难得的时光。

Bowls of milk and water appeared, along with bread, wisely placed under the edge of the dumpster to keep the seagulls from getting it. The cat was obviously a stray and in pretty bad shape. One prisoner brought out his small, blunt-tipped scissors, and trimmed burrs and matted fur from his coat.

有人放下几碗牛奶和清水，还有面包；它们都被巧妙地放在大垃圾箱边缘的下方，以防海鸥抢食。这显然是一只流浪猫，健康状况相当糟糕。一名犯人拿出他的钝头小剪刀，给它修剪身上的芒刺和纠缠的毛团。

People said, That cat came to the right place. He's getting treated like a king. This was true. But as I watched, I was also thinking about what the cat was doing for us.

大家都说：这只猫算是来对地方了。我们把它当国王一般款待。确实如此。不过当我看着（人与猫的互动），我也在思考这只猫为我们带来了什么。

There's a lot of talk about what's wrong with prisons in America. We need more programs; we need more psychologists or treatment of various kinds. Some even talk about making prisons more kind, but I think what we really need is a chance to practice kindness ourselves. Not receive it, but give it.

许多人在讨论美国监狱到底出了什么问题。我们需要更多（改造）项目；我们需要更多心理学家或各种治疗法。有些人甚至说要让监狱更加人性化，但我认为，我们真正需要的是一个让我们表现善意的机会。不是接受，而是给予。

After more than two decades here, I know that kindness is not a value that's encouraged. It's often seen as weakness. Instead, the culture encourages keeping your head down, minding your own business and never letting yourself be vulnerable.

在这里呆了二十多年后，我知道监狱并不鼓励善意善行——它通常会被视为软弱。相反，这里提倡的监狱文化是低调做人，别管闲事，而且绝对不能让人觉得你是好欺负的。

For a few days, a raggedy cat disrupted this code of prison culture. They've taken him away now—hopefully to a decent home—but it did my heart good to see the effect he had on me and the men here. He didn't have a Ph.D., he wasn't a criminologist or a psychologist, but by simply saying, I need some help here, he did something important for us. He needed us, and we need to be needed. I believe we all do.

在那几天，一只邋遢的小猫打乱了这种监狱文化的法则。现在他们把它抱走了——很可能送到某个靠谱的家庭——但是看到它对我以及这里的人所产生的影响，我的心灵得到了救赎。它并没有博士学位，也不是犯罪学家或心理医生。它只不过简单地说了一句我需要帮助，就为我们带来了非常重要的影响。它需要我们，而我们也渴望被人需要。我相信人皆如此。