英语美文:最伟大的爱是不求回报又不留痕迹

 　　The Mother With One Eye

　　只有一只眼睛的母亲

　　My mother had only one eye. When I was growing up, I hated her for it. I hated the uninvited attention it got me at school. I hated how the other children stared at her and looked away in disgust. My mother worked two jobs to provide for the family, but I was just embarrassed by her and didn't want to be seen with her.

　　我妈妈只有一只眼睛。在我成长的过程中，我非常讨厌这样的她。我讨厌在学校受到的不请自来的关注的眼神。我讨厌别的孩子盯着她然后厌恶地转过头去。为了支撑这个家，我妈妈要做两份工作，但我却只觉得她令我很尴尬，不想被看到和她在一起。

　　Every time my mother came to visit me at school, I wanted her to disappear. I felt a surge¹ of hatred² towards the woman who made me the laughing stock of the school. In a moment of extreme anger, I even once told my mother I wanted her to die. I was completely unconcerned about her feelings.

　　每次妈妈来学校看我，我都希望她消失。我非常憎恨这个让我在学校里成为笑柄的女人。在极度愤怒之下，我甚至曾经对妈妈说希望她死了算了。我完全不关心她的感受。

　　As I grew up, I did whatever was in my power to distance myself from my mother. I studied hard and got a job overseas so I wouldn't have to meet her. I got married and started raising a family of my own. I got busy with my job and family and with providing a comfortable life for my beloved children. I didn't even think about my mother anymore.

　　随着我慢慢长大，我一直尽一切所能去远离我的母亲。为了出国工作我努力学习，这样就可以再也不见到她。我结婚了建立了自己的家庭。我忙于工作，家庭，为我爱的孩子提供舒适的生活。我甚至不再去想我的妈妈了。

　　Out of the blue, my mother came to visit one day. Her one-eyed face scared my young children and they started crying. I was angry at my mother for showing up unannounced and I forbid her to ever return to my home and new family life. I yelled³ and screamed, but my mother quietly apologized and left without saying another word.

　　突然有一天，妈妈来看我。她的一只眼睛吓哭了我年幼的孩子。对于我母亲的突然造访我非常生气，我禁止她永远不要来我家，接触我现在的家庭生活。我尖声叫喊着，但是母亲安静地道了歉，没有再多说一句话。

　　An invitation to a high school reunion took me back to my hometown after decades. I could not resist driving past my childhood home and stopping by the old shack⁴. My neighbors told me my mother had passed away and left a letter for me.

　　几十年后受高中聚会的邀请我回到了我的故乡。我忍不住开车路过儿时的家，在一幢老屋门口停了下来。邻居们告诉我，母亲已经去世了，留下了一封信给我。

　　"My dear child:

　　“我亲爱的孩子：

　　I must begin by apologizing for visiting your home unannounced and frightening your beautiful children. I am also deeply sorry that I was such an embarrassment⁵ and source of humiliation⁶ to you when you were growing up.

　　在开头我必须为突然出现在你家并吓坏了你的可爱的孩子们而道歉。在你成长过程中我是如此令你尴尬，让你受辱，对此我也深深地自责。

　　I have learned that you may be coming back to town for your reunion. I may no longer be there when you come, and I think it is time to tell you an incident that happened when you were a young child. You see, my dear child, you were involved in an accident and lost one eye. I was devastated⁷ at the thought of my beloved child growing up with only one eye. I wanted you to see the beautiful world in all its glory, so I gave you my eye.

　　我得知你会在聚会的时候回来，但那时候我可能已经不在了，我想是时候该告诉你，在你小小时候发生过一场意外。你知道的，我亲爱的孩子，你在那场事故中失去了一只眼睛。我无法接受和想象自己亲爱的孩子只能拥有一只眼睛。我想让你骄傲地看看这个美丽的世界，所以我把我的眼睛给了你。

　　My dear child, I always have and always will love you from the bottom of my heart. I have never regretted my decision to give you my eye, and I am at peace that I was able to give you the ability to enjoy a complete life.

　　我亲爱的孩子，我真心爱你，无论从前还是未来。我从没后悔把眼睛给了你，让你能够享受完整的生命，我死而无憾。

　　Your loving mother."

　　爱你的妈妈。”

1 surge   

n.汹涌，澎湃；vi.汹涌，强烈感到，飞涨；vt.放开，松手

参考例句：

• The surge travelled southwards along the coast.浪涛沿着海岸向南涌去。
• It failed to stimulate a surge of investment in industry.这没有能刺激工业投资的激增。

2 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

3 yelled   

v.叫喊，号叫，叫着说( yell的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He yelled at the other driver. 他冲着另一位司机大叫。
• The lost man yelled, hoping someone in the woods would hear him. 迷路的人大声喊着，希望林子里的人会听见。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 shack   

adj.简陋的小屋，窝棚

参考例句：

• He had to sit down five times before he reached his shack.在走到他的茅棚以前，他不得不坐在地上歇了五次。
• The boys made a shack out of the old boards in the backyard.男孩们在后院用旧木板盖起一间小木屋。

5 embarrassment   

n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫

参考例句：

• She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
• Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。

6 humiliation   

n.羞辱

参考例句：

• He suffered the humiliation of being forced to ask for his cards.他蒙受了被迫要求辞职的羞辱。
• He will wish to revenge his humiliation in last Season's Final.他会为在上个季度的决赛中所受的耻辱而报复的。

7 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。