情满人间的温馨故事 第12期:母亲的礼物(上)

　　I grew up in a small town where the elementary school was a ten-minute walk from my house and in an age ,

我是在一个小镇上长大的，从镇上的小学校到我家，只需步行10分钟。

not so long ago , when children could go home for lunch and find their mothers waiting.

离当前不算太太久远的那个时代 ，小学生可以回家吃午饭，而他们的母亲，则会老早在家等候着。

At the time, I did not consider this a luxury, although today it certainly would be.

这一切对如今的孩子来说，无疑是一种奢望，可是那时的我却不以为然。

I took it for granted that mothers were the sandwich-makers, the finger-painting appreciators and the homework monitors.

我觉得做母亲的给她的孩子制作三明治，鉴赏指画，检查他们的家庭作业，都是理所当然的事。

I never questioned that this ambitious, intelligent woman, who had had a career before I was born and would eventually return to a career, would spend almost every lunch hour throughout my elementary school years just with me.

我从来没有想过：像我母亲这样一个颇有抱负又很聪明的女人，在我降生之前，她有一份工作，而且后来她又谋了份差事，可是，在我上小学那几年，她却几乎天天陪着我吃午饭，一同打发午餐时的每一分钟。

I only knew that when the noon bell rang,I would race breathlessly home. My mother would be standing 1 at the top of the stairs, smiling down at me with a look that suggested I was the only important thing she had on her mind.

只记得，每当午时铃声一响，我就一口气地往家里跑。母亲总是站在门前台阶的最高层，笑盈盈地望着我--那神情分明表示：我便是母亲心目中唯一最重要的东西了。

For this, I am forever grateful.

为此，我一辈子都要感谢我的母亲。

Some sounds bring it all back: the highpitched squeal 2 of my mother's teakettle, the rumble 3 of the washing machine in the basement and the jangle of my dog's license 4 tags as she bounded down the stairs to greet me.

如今，每当我听到一些声音，像母亲那把茶壶水开时发出的尖叫声，地下室洗衣机的隆隆声，还有， 我那条狗蹦下台阶冲我摇头摆尾时它脖子上那牌照发出的撞击声，便会勾起我对往事的回忆。

Our time together seemed devoid 5 of the gerrymandered schedules that now pervade 6 my life.

和母亲在一起的岁月，全然没有充斥于我的生活中的、事先排定的虚情假意的日程表。

One lunchtime when I was in the third grade will stay with me always.

我永远忘不了在我上三年级时的那一顿午饭。

I had been picked to be the princess in the school play, and for weeks my mother had painstakingly 7 rehearsed my lines with me.

在那天之前，我被学校选中，要在一个即将演出的小剧中扮演公主的角色。一连好几个礼拜，母亲总是不辞辛劳地陪着我，一起背诵台词。

But no matter how easily I delivered them at home, as soon as I stepped onstage, every word disappeared from my head.

可是，不管在家里怎么背得滚瓜烂熟，只要一上舞台，我的脑子里就成了一片空白。

Finally, my teacher took me aside.

终于，老师把我叫到了一边。

She explained that she had written a narrator's part to the play, and asked me to switch roles.

她说剧中旁白这个角色的台词已写好了，想把我替换下来当旁白。

Her word, kindly 8 delivered, still stung, especially when I saw my part go to another girl.

尽管老师这些话说得和和气气，可还是刺痛了我的心，特别是当我发觉自己扮演的公主角色让另外一个女孩顶替时，更是如此。

I didn't tell my mother what had happened when I went home for lunch that day.

那天回家吃午饭时我没有把这事告诉母亲。

But she sensed my unease, and instead of suggesting we practice my lines, she asked If I wanted to walk in the yard.

然而，母亲见我心神不定，因此没有再提练习背台词的事儿，而是问我愿意不愿意到院子里散散步。