为亲爱的母亲祷告

 　　Dear God,亲爱的上帝：

　　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 fully¹ appreciated their mothers until it was too late to tell them.

　　如今我已不再年轻，一些朋友的母亲已经去世了。我曾听这些子女们说过，他们从没有向母亲充分表示过他们的感激之情，而待到要告诉时为时已晚了。

　　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 wiser, I realize what an extraordinary person she is. How sad that I am unable to speak these words in her presence, but they flow easily from my pen.

　　幸运的是，我亲爱的母亲依然健在。我对她的感情与日俱增。母亲没有变，而我却变了。随着年岁的增长，我越来越懂事了，我认识到她是个非常了不起的人。这些话在她面前我难以启齿，但在笔下却可以轻易地写出来，这令我感到多么难过。

　　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 toddler, for understanding a moody² teenager, for tolerating a college student who knows everything? For waiting for the day when a daughter realizes her mother really is?

　　一个女儿该怎样开口感谢她的母亲所给予的生命？感谢她在抚养孩子时所付出的爱、耐心以及无私的辛勤劳动？感谢她跟在蹒跚学步的孩子身后奔跑，对情绪不定的少女的理解，以及对一个自以为是的大学生的宽容? 感谢她等待女儿认识到她真是一位好母亲的这一天？

　　How does a grown woman thank for a mother for continuing to be a mother? For being ready with advice (when asked) or remaining silent when it is most appreciated? For not saying: "I told you so", when she could have uttered these words dozens of times? For being essentially³ herself--loving, thoughtful, patient, and forgiving?

　　一个成年女子该怎样感谢母亲依然如故的角色？感谢在被问到时她会及时提供良言，而在不需要时她会保持沉默？感谢她没有说："我告诉过你，"而她本来可以说上许多次？感谢她始终不变的爱心、体贴周到、耐心与宽容厚道?

　　I don't know how, dear God, except to bless her as richly as she deserves and to help 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.

　　我不知道该怎样来表达，亲爱的上帝，除了请求你好好地保佑她－－那是她该得到的－－并帮助我朝她做出的榜样看齐。我祈愿在孩子的眼里我会如同母亲在我眼里一般好。

　　A daughter一个女儿

1 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。

2 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。

3 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。