读者文摘:美国最美好的地方(1)（在线收听）

Everyone in town knows Ryan Houck, but not for the reasons you'd expect.

镇上的每个人都认识瑞恩·豪克，但原因不是你想象的那样。

He's not the businessman who helped revitalize the downtown.

他不是那个帮助重振市中心的商人。

He's not the bakery owner who donates doughnuts and hot dog buns to local fund-raisers.

他也不是向当地募捐者捐赠甜甜圈和热狗面包的面包房老板。

He's not the woman who dug into her retirement money to help rebuild Columbiana's beloved Firestone Park.

他不是那个用自己的退休金帮助重建哥伦比亚纳人钟爱的费尔斯通公园的女人。

He's just a kid, and he has a lot of challenges.

他只是个孩子，而且他面临很多挑战。

Ryan, five, has a rare disease called Miller-Dieker syndrome,

五岁的瑞恩患有一种罕见的疾病米勒-迪克综合症，

a devastating developmental brain disorder that makes it impossible for him to speak or move.

这是一种毁灭性的大脑发育障碍，使他无法说话或行动。

In fact, the doctors said Ryan wouldn't live to see age two.

事实上，医生说瑞恩活不过两岁。

For a long time, his parents, Dan and Meghan Houck, were stunned and heartbroken.

在很长一段时间里，他的父母丹和梅根·霍克都感到震惊和心碎。

"All the dreams and aspirations you had for your child kind of vanish," Meghan says.

“你对自己孩子的所有梦想和抱负都消逝了，”梅根说。

Then, when Ryan was 18 months old, the Houcks witnessed what you might call a miracle, if it didn't happen all the time in Columbiana.

然后，在瑞恩18个月大的时候，霍克一家人见证了一个或许可以称之为奇迹的事情，如果这种事不是在哥伦比亚纳一直发生的话。

They had heard about shows at the Main Street Theater featuring actors with all kinds of disabilities, from physical challenges to autism.

他们听说过主街剧院有各种残疾演员的演出，从患身体上的疾病到自闭症的人都有。

Curious, they took Ryan to a meeting about the upcoming production of The Little Mermaid.

出于好奇，他们带着瑞恩参加了一个关于即将上映的《小美人鱼》的会议。

Before long, he got a part—a juicy one. He was cast as King Triton, the merman-demigod who wields a lightning-shooting trident.

不久，他得到了一个角色——一个有趣的角色。他获选扮演特里同国王，一个拥有闪电射击三叉戟的半人半神。

This Little Merman was a true family affair.

这个小人鱼是真正的家族大事。

On opening night, Ryan received a personalized star-shaped poster and walked the red carpet,

首映当晚，瑞恩收到了一张个性化的星形海报，并且和他的父母走上了红地毯，

just as all the actors in these Crown Theater Productions shows do, with his parents.

就像皇冠剧团所有的演员一样。

Dan delivered Triton's lines from the wings.

丹从用四肢表演自己的台词。

Meghan, dressed in black to blend in with the background, stood onstage wearing a strap-on baby carrier with Ryan in it.

梅根身穿黑色衣服，与背景融为一体，她站在台上，身上带着瑞恩的婴儿背带。

She moved his limbs as he "acted" out the lines.

当丹“表演”台词时，梅根移动他的四肢。

When the Houcks finished their big scene, the crowd jumped to their feet to cheer for the most irresistible theatrical debut in Columbiana history.

当霍克家人完成他们的大场面，人群跳起来欢呼在哥伦比亚纳历史上最无法抗拒的戏剧首演。