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微笑（Ｓｍｉｌｅ）
作者：思 晴
'Yes, here, here.' I took out my wallet and nervously fumbled for the pictures of my family. He, too, took out the pictures of his family and began to talk about his plans and hopes for them. My eyes filled with tears[33]. I said that I feared that I'd never see my family again, never have the chance to see them grow up. Tears came to his eyes, too.
Suddenly, without another word, he unlocked[34] my cell and silently led me out. Out of the jail, quietly and by back routes, out of the town. There, at the edge of town, he released me. And without another word, he turned back toward the town.
My life was saved by a smile.
Yes, the smile―the unaffected, unplanned, natural connection between people. I tell this story in my work because I'd like people to consider that underneath all the layers we construct to protect ourselves, our dignity, our titles, our degrees, our status and our need to be seen in certain ways-underneath all that, remains the authentic[35], essential self. I'm not afraid to call it the soul. I really believe that if that part of you and that part of me could recognize each other, we wouldn't be enemies. We couldn't have hate or envy or fear. I sadly conclude that all those other layers, which we so carefully construct through our lives, distance and insulate[36] us from truly contacting others. Saint-Exupery's story speaks of that magic moment when two souls recognize each other.
I've had just a few moments like that. Falling in love is one example. And looking at a bay. Why do we smile when we see a baby? Perhaps it's because we see someone without all the defensive layers, someone whose smile for us we know to be fully genuine[37] and without guile[38]. And that baby-soul inside us smiles wistfully[39] in recognition.
经常保持笑容，对你的另一半微笑、你的孩子微笑，甚至对陌生人也不要吝惜你的微笑，因为小小的微笑能大大增进人与人之间的感情。
——泰瑞莎修女
法国作家安东尼·圣艾修伯里所写的《小王子》是本很多人都很熟悉的极好的书。这本书表面上看来是童话故事，但世故的成人读来也觉寓意深远。很少人知道，除了《小王子》，圣艾修伯里还创作过其他小说和短篇故事。
圣艾修伯里是名飞行员，二次大战对抗纳粹时被击落身亡，之前他也曾参加西班牙内战打击法西斯分子。他根据这次经验写了一篇精彩的故事——《微笑》，现在要提的就是这篇作品。这是真实故事或是虚构事情，没人能下定论，但我宁可相信这是作者的亲身体验。
故事的前段大意是作者被敌军俘虏，关进监牢。看守监狱的人一脸凶相，态度极为恶劣。他心想，明天绝对会被拖出去枪毙。以下是我记忆中的故事原文。
一想到自己明天就没命了，我不禁陷入极端的惶恐与不安之中。我翻遍了口袋，终于找到一支没被他们搜走的香烟，但双手却紧张得不停发抖，连将烟送进嘴里都成问题，而我的火柴也在搜身时被拿走了。
我透过铁栏望着外面的警卫，他并没有注意到我在看他，也许对他而言，我只是他看守的一样“物品”、一具“尸体”。我叫了他一声：“能跟你借个火吗？”他转头望着我，耸了耸肩，然后走了过来，点燃我的香烟。
当他帮我点火时，他的目光无意中与我相接触，这时我突然冲着他微笑。我不知道自己为何有这般反应，也许是过于紧张，或者是当你如此靠近另一个人，你很难不对他微笑。不管是何理由，我对他笑了。就在这一刹那，这抹微笑如同火花般，打破了我们心灵间的隔阂。受到了我的感染，他的嘴角不自觉地也现出了笑容，虽然我知道他原无此意。他点完火后并没立刻离开，两眼盯着我瞧，脸上仍带着微笑。
我也以笑容回应，仿佛他是个朋友，而不是个守着我的警卫。他看着我的眼神也少了当初的那股凶气，“你有小孩吗？”他开口问道。
“有，你看。”我拿出了皮夹，手忙脚乱地翻出了我的全家福照片。他也掏出了照片，并且开始讲述他对家人的期望与计划。我听得热泪盈眶，我说我害怕再也见不到家人。我害怕没机会看着孩子长大。他听了也流下两行眼泪。
突然间，他二话不说地打开了牢门，悄悄地带我从后面的小路逃离了监狱，出了小镇，就在小镇的边上，他放了我，之后便转身往回走，不曾留下一句话。