英语美文：爱情与摔断胳膊

 "But what if I break my arm again?" my five year-old daughter asked, her lower lip trembling. I knelt holding onto her bike and looked her right in the eyes. I knew how much she wanted to learn to ride. How often she felt left out when her friends pedaled¹ by our house. Yet ever since she'd fallen off her bike and broken her arm, she'd been afraid. 

　　“可我要再把胳膊给摔断了怎么办？”我五岁的女儿问道，她的下唇颤抖着。我跪着抓稳了她的自行车，直视着她的眼睛。我很明白她非常想学会骑车。多少次了，她的朋友们踩车经过我们家时，她感到给抛下。可自从上次她从自行车上摔下来，把胳膊给摔断之后，她对车便敬而远之。 

"Oh honey," I said. "I don't think you'll break another arm." 

　　“噢，亲爱的。”我说，“我不认为你会把另一只胳膊给摔断的。”

"But I could, couldn't I?" 

　　“但有可能，不是吗？”

"Yes," I admitted, and found myself struggling for the right thing to say. At times like this, I wished I had a partner to turn to. Someone who might help find the right words to make my little girl's problems disappear. But after a disastrous² marriage and a painful divorce, I'd welcomed the hardships of being a single parent and had been adamant³ in telling anyone who tried to fix me up that I was terminally single. 

　　“是的，”我承认道，使劲想找出些道理来说。每逢此时，我便希望自己有人可依靠。一个可以说出正确道理、帮我的小女儿解决难题的人。可经过一场可悲的婚姻和痛苦的离婚后，我倾向于当个单身母亲，并且我还态度坚决地告诉每个要给我介绍对象的人说我要抱定终身不嫁。

"I don't think I want to ride," she said and got off her bike. 

　　“我不想学了。”她说着，下了自行车。

We walked away and sat down beside a tree. 

　　我们走到一旁，坐在一颗树旁。

"Don't you want to ride with your friends?" I asked. 

　　“难道你不想和朋友们一起骑车吗？”我问。

"And I thought you were hoping to start riding your bike to school next year," I added. 

　　“而且我还以为你希望明年踩着车回去上学呢。”我补充道。

"I was," she said, her voice almost a quiver⁴. 

　　“我是希望。”她说，声音有点颤。

"You know, hon," I said. "Most everything you do comes with risks. You could get a broken arm in a car wreck⁵ and then be afraid to ever ride in a car again. You could break your arm jumping rope. You could break your arm at gymnastics. Do you want to stop going to gymnastics?" 

　　“知道吗，宝贝。”我说，“很多要做的事情都是带有风险的。汽车失事也会折断胳膊，那么你就算再坐在车上也会害怕。跳绳也有可能折断胳膊。做体操也有可能折断胳膊。你连体操也想不练了吗？”

"No," she said. And with a determined⁶ spirit, she stood up and agreed to try again. I held on to the back of her bike until she found the courage to say, "Let's go!" 

　　“不想。”她说。然后她毅然站起，同意再试试。我扶着车尾，直到她有勇气说：“放手！”

I spent the rest of the afternoon at the park watching a very brave little girl overcome a fear, and congratulating myself for being a self-sufficient single parent. 

　　后来一个下午，我就在公园里看着这个有无比勇气的小女孩克服了恐惧，我恭喜自己成了可以独当一面的单身家长。

As we walked home, pushing the bike as we made our way along the sidewalk, she asked me about a conversation she'd overheard⁷ me having with my mother the night before. 

　　回家时，我们推着自行车顺着人行道走，她问起昨天晚上我和我妈妈的一个对话，那是她无意中听到的。

"Why were you and grandma arguing last night?" 

　　“你昨晚为什么和姥姥吵？”

My mother was one of the many people who constantly tried to fix me up. How many times had I told her "no" to meeting the Mr. Perfect she picked out for me. She just knew Steve was the man for me. 

　　我妈妈总是想安排我去相亲的许多人中的一个。我多次拒绝去看她给我找的合适对象。她知道史蒂文和我会合得来。

"It's nothing," I told her. 

　　“没什么事。”我告诉她。 

She shrugged⁸. "Grandma said she just wanted you to find someone to love." 

　　 她耸耸肩。“姥姥说她只不过想让你找个人来爱。” 

"What grandma wants is for some guy to break my heart again," I snapped⁹, angry that my mother had said anything about this to my daughter. 

　　“姥姥想再找个人来伤我的心。”我厉声说道，很生气妈妈把这件事跟我的女儿说了。

"But Mom." 

　　“可妈妈。”

"You're too young to understand," I told her. 

　　“你还太小，不明白。”我对她说。

She was quiet for the next few minutes. Then she looked up and in a small voice gave me something to think about. 

　　接下来好几分钟她都很安静。然后她抬起头，小小声地说了句令我深思不已的话。

"So I guess love isn't like a broken arm." 

　　“那么我猜爱情和断胳膊不是一回事了。”

Unable to answer, we walked the rest of the way in silence. When I got home, I called my mother and scolded her for talking about this to my daughter. Then I did what I'd seen my brave little girl do that very afternoon. I let go and agreed to meet Steve. 

　　我无言以对，余下的路我们在沉默中走完了。回到家后，我给妈妈打了个电话，责备她不该和我女儿谈论这话题。接着我做了一件那个下午看到我那勇敢的小女儿所做过的事。我松口答应和史蒂文见面。

Steve was the man for me. We married less than a year later. It turned out mother and my daughter were right. 

　　史蒂文正是我的合适人选。大约一年前我们结了婚。结果证明我妈妈和女儿是正确的。

1 pedaled   

vt.& vi.踩自行车的踏板（pedal的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• She pedaled her bicycle slowly up the hill. 她骑自行车慢慢上山。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• With these instructions, he straddled his bike once again and pedaled off. 小伙子在她身后跨上车子，边说边飞快地骑跑了。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译

2 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

3 adamant   

adj.坚硬的，固执的

参考例句：

• We are adamant on the building of a well-off society.在建设小康社会这一点上，我们是坚定不移的。
• Veronica was quite adamant that they should stay on.维罗妮卡坚信他们必须继续留下去。

4 quiver   

vi.颤抖，抖动；n.颤抖，抖动，颤声

参考例句：

• Can you feel a quiver of her hands? 你感觉到她的手在发抖吗？
• There was a slight quiver in his voice as he spoke.他说话时声音有些颤抖。

5 wreck   

n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难

参考例句：

• Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。
• No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。

6 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

7 overheard   

adj. 串音的, 偶而听到的 动词overhear的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• We talked quietly so as not to be overheard. 我们低声交谈，以免别人听到。
• I told Lucy the news under my breath, but Joyce overheard me. 我低声地把这个消息告诉露西，可还是被乔伊斯听到了。

8 shrugged   

vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀，什么也没说。
• She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩，装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 snapped   

v.猛地咬住( snap的过去式和过去分词 )；（使某物）发出尖厉声音地突然断裂[打开，关闭]；厉声地说；拍照

参考例句：

• The wind had snapped the tree in two. 风把树喀嚓一声刮断了。
• He lost his temper and snapped irritably at the children. 他发火了，暴躁地斥责孩子们。 来自《简明英汉词典》