【双语有声阅读】我爱妈妈

I love my mom. But it would be hard to deny that I have been somewhat relieved to have 2,000 miles between us since she moved back to Mississippi.

 

我爱妈妈。但不可否认，自从她搬回密西西比州，我们之间这 2000 英里的距离确实让我松了口气。

 

My mother is the bipolar product of an anxious Japanese woman and a stereotypical¹ Southern man.

 

我的妈妈有着双重性格，她既像一个热情奔放的日本女子，又像一个古板保守的南方男人。

 

Raised in the South, she was a teenage hippie, minus the politics and plus a country-club membership.

 

她在南方长大，青年时期她是一个嬉皮士，很少投身于政治，却经常去参加乡村俱乐部并成为其中的会员。

 

She and my dad the product of a talented salesman and an immaculated housewife moved from Mississippi to Hollywood in the 70s so he could become a professional musician.

 

她和我爸爸一个才华横溢的推销员和完美主妇二者相加的产物在 70年代便从密西西比搬到了好莱坞，这样做是为了让他成为一名专业音乐人。

 

In sixth grade, my dad announced their separation and divorce.

 

在我上六年级的时候，爸爸便宣告与妈妈分居、离婚。

 

It wasn't especially surprising, but I cried, and then thought that living in two places might be fun.

 

虽然这不算特别意外，但我还是哭了，而后又想到在两个地方生活也许颇为有趣。

 

Through the years, my mom has taught me many things, not so much through her words,but through her actions.

 

许多年过去了，妈妈教会了我许多东西，但大多不是用言传，而是身教。

 

I remember watching her bake cheesecakes, hem² skirts, efficiently³ manage departments at Macy's and stand up for her children.

 

我记得看着她烤牛乳饼，给衣裙缝边，高效率地管理梅西商场的各个部门以及站出来为她的孩子辩护。

 

But I also remember my mother twisting words so she'd appear in a more favorable light,spending money she didn't have, choosing “friends” she correctly believed she was above,and investing in weak pride because she lacked confidence in her skills, talents and future.

 

但我同样记得妈妈也曾用曲解言辞的做法来使自己的形象更加光彩，也曾挥霍原本不属于自己的钱，也曾结交那些她自认为，也确实没有她高明的人为朋友，也曾因为对自身能力、天赋以及未来缺乏信心而去做不当的投资。

 

I remember my mother doing all these things, and I remember my dad explaining her childhood and early adulthood⁴: her emotional abuse, her drug abuse, her promiscuity⁵ and her avoidance of therapy and help. I remember my dad reassuring⁶ me that I wouldn't “be like my mother”, but I knew that before he said it.

 

我能记得妈妈做过的所有一切，也能记得爸爸如何为她的童年以及成年初期来解释：她乱发脾气、吸毒、乱性、抗拒治疗和帮助。记得父亲曾向我保证我不会“变成妈妈那个样子”，不过这一点在这以前我早就清楚。

 

I enjoy life, its belessings and challenges, I am thankful for my abilities, and for the people in life who help where I am weak.

 

我热爱生活，热爱生活的美好和坎坷，我为自己拥有的能力而心存感激，同时我感谢生活中那些帮助我进步的人们。

 

And I realize that the most I share with my mom is a knack⁷ for making cheesecake, a talent for taking the wrong exits on freeways, gratitude⁸ for our time spent reading and playing together, and thankfulness for an always mutual⁹ love.

 

我还知道我和妈妈最大的共同处就是：会做很好吃的牛乳饼，在高速公路上总是走错出口，对我们在一起看书和玩耍而心存感激以及对我们拥有对彼此永恒的爱心而感恩不已。

 

I love mom: that's never been hard, though it's certainly been a struggle to respect the woman who made so many faulty decisions that led to a nearly hopeless life.

 

我爱妈妈，爱她从来不是一件难事，尽管要尊重一个因为做出过多错误决定而几乎招致生活无望的女人是得经过一番努力。

 

It's still a struggle to think of my mother and not cry for her, and want her to enjoy life.

 

而要在想到妈妈时不会为她哭泣，期盼她生活顺心，也要费很大工夫。

 

And because of these things it's tempting¹⁰ to think life is unkind, but stronger than that temptation is the knowledge that my parents have always, and will always, love ,cherish,support, and in two very different ways, teach their children what they can.

 

想到这些，我会很容易觉得生活并不美好，而这时另一种感受会比这更加强烈，那就是：我的父母一直、永远都在宠爱、珍视、支持以及用两种截然不同的方式尽其所能地教育着他们的孩子。

 

Because of this, I know I'm tremendously fortunate.

 

正因如此，我知道，我幸运极了!

1 stereotypical   

n.常规

参考例句：

• Personas should be typical and believable, but not stereotypical. 人物角色应该是典型和可信赖的，但不是一成不变的。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Anything could be stereotypical, so I guess it could be criticism. 任何东西都可以变的老套，所以我猜那就是一种批评。 来自互联网

2 hem   

n.贴边，镶边；vt.缝贴边；(in)包围，限制

参考例句：

• The hem on her skirt needs sewing.她裙子上的褶边需要缝一缝。
• The hem of your dress needs to be let down an inch.你衣服的折边有必要放长1英寸。

3 efficiently   

adv.高效率地，有能力地

参考例句：

• The worker oils the machine to operate it more efficiently.工人给机器上油以使机器运转更有效。
• Local authorities have to learn to allocate resources efficiently.地方政府必须学会有效地分配资源。

4 adulthood   

n.成年，成人期

参考例句：

• Some infantile actions survive into adulthood.某些婴儿期的行为一直保持到成年期。
• Few people nowadays are able to maintain friendships into adulthood.如今很少有人能将友谊维持到成年。

5 promiscuity   

n.混杂，混乱；（男女的）乱交

参考例句：

• Promiscuity went unpunished, divorce was permitted. 乱交挨不着惩罚，离婚办得成手续。 来自英汉文学
• There is also no doubt that she falls into promiscuity at last. 同时无疑她最后也堕入性乱。 来自互联网

6 reassuring   

a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的

参考例句：

• He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。
• With a reassuring pat on her arm, he left. 他鼓励地拍了拍她的手臂就离开了。

7 knack   

n.诀窍，做事情的灵巧的，便利的方法

参考例句：

• He has a knack of teaching arithmetic.他教算术有诀窍。
• Making omelettes isn't difficult,but there's a knack to it.做煎蛋饼并不难，但有窍门。

8 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

9 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

10 tempting   

a.诱人的, 吸引人的

参考例句：

• It is tempting to idealize the past. 人都爱把过去的日子说得那么美好。
• It was a tempting offer. 这是个诱人的提议。