英语名篇诵读 为母亲祈祷

Prayer¹ for My Mother

为母亲祈祷

Ann Landers(安·兰德斯)

Dear God,

Now that I am no longer young, I have friends whose mothers have passed away. I have heard these sons and daughters say they never fully² appreciated their mothers until it was too late to tell them. 

I am blessed with the dear mother who is still alive. I appreciate her more each day. My mother does not change, but I do. As I grow older and cleverer, I realize what an unusual person she is. How sad that I am unable to speak these words in her presence³, but they flow easily from my pen.

How does a daughter begin to thank her mother for life itself? For the love, patience and just plain hard work that go into raising a child? For running after a child who just began to learn walking, for understanding a moody⁴ teenager, for bearing⁵ a college student who knows everything? For waiting for the day when a daughter realizes how wise her mother really is?

How does a grown woman thank a mother for continuing to be a mother? For being ready with advice when asked or remaining silent⁶ when it is most appreciated? For not saying “I told you so” when she could have uttered⁷ these words dozens of times? For being herself — loving,thoughtful, patient and forgiving?

I don't know how, dear God, except to ask you to bless her as richly as she deserves⁸ and tohelp me live up to the example she has set. I pray that I will look as good in the eyes of my children as my mother looks in mine.

A Daughter

亲爱的上帝：

我已不再年轻，有一些朋友的母亲已经过世了。我曾经听这些做儿女的说，他们没能充分地感谢母亲，直到为时已晚，后悔莫及。

我很幸运，母亲尚健在。我对她的感恩之情与日俱增。我的母亲没有变，而我变了。

随着我年龄的增长，头脑也更加灵敏，方才意识到母亲是一个多么了不起的人。很遗憾我不能亲口当面向她说这些话，但付诸笔端，便一发不可收拾了。

做女儿的该怎样为生活本身去感谢母亲？为了她的爱、耐心和抚养一个孩子所付出的艰辛劳动？为了她跟在一个蹒跚学步的孩子后面跑？为了她理解一个喜怒无常的十几岁少女？为了她宽容一个不知天高地厚的大学生？为了等到女儿明白她的母亲是多么富有智慧的那一天？一个成年女子该怎样感谢母亲依然如故地继续着她母亲的角色？为了有求必应或不求

回报的无私关爱？为了无数次该说而不说的“我已经跟你讲过了”？为了母亲之为母亲——慈爱、体贴、耐心、宽容？

亲爱的上帝，我不知道怎样感谢母亲的大恩大德，只能恳请你赐她福寿绵长，助我成为像母亲那样的人。我祈祷，愿如我的母亲在我心中那般神圣崇高一样，我在孩子的心中也慈爱可亲。

一个女儿

1 prayer   

n.祈祷，祈求，请求，恳求；祷文，祷告者，恳求者

参考例句：

• We heard the calling of the bells to prayer.我们听见了召唤祈祷的钟声。
• Everyone in church knelt in prayer.教堂里每个人都跪着祈祷。

2 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

3 presence   

n.出席；到场；存在

参考例句：

• Her presence lent an air of respectability to the occasion.她的到场使那种场合增添了崇高的气氛。
• His presence is indicative of his willingness to help.他的出席表示他愿意帮忙。

4 moody   

adj.心情不稳的，易怒的，喜怒无常的

参考例句：

• He relapsed into a moody silence.他又重新陷于忧郁的沉默中。
• I'd never marry that girl.She's so moody.我决不会和那女孩结婚的。她太易怒了。

5 bearing   

n.关系，影响，举止，姿态，方位，方向

参考例句：

• What you said had not much bearing on the problem.你说的话跟这个问题没有多大关系。
• He preserved his grave and dignified bearing.他保持庄重威严的仪态。

6 silent   

adj.安静的，不吵闹的，沉默的，无言的；n.(复数)默剧

参考例句：

• Immediately on his beginning to speak,everyone was silent.他一讲话，大家顿时安静下来。
• The boys looked at the conjuror in silent wonder. 孩子们目瞪口呆地看着那魔术师。

7 uttered   

v.以口发出声音( utter的过去式和过去分词 )；说，讲

参考例句：

• She uttered a cry of despair. 她发出了绝望的叫声。
• He uttered a stream of profanities. 他脏话连篇。

8 deserves   

v.应受，应得，值得( deserve的第三人称单数 )；应受报答；应得报酬；应得赔偿

参考例句：

• A wilful fault has no excuse and deserves no pardon. 不能宽恕故意犯下的错误。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is the only poet in this country that deserves the name. 他是这个国家唯一的一位名副其实的诗人。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》