第1章 你是我的守护天使

A Child's Angel

Once upon a time there was a child ready to be born. One day the little child asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"

God answered him, "Among the many angels, I have chosen one for you. She will be waiting for you and will take care of you."

"But tell me what I am going to do," asked the child, "here in Heaven, I don't do anything else but sing and smile, which is enough for me to be happy."

"Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you every day. And you will feel your angel's love and be happy." God reassured him.

"And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me, if I don't know the language that men talk?"

"Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."

"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you, Lord?"

"Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."

"I've heard that on earth there are bad men. Who will protect me?"

"Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life."

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from earth could already be heard, and the child in a hurry asked softly, "Oh God, if I am about to leave now, please tell me my angel's name."

"You will call your angel Mother."

(Author Unknown)

孩子的守护天使

从前，一个孩子就要诞生到人世。一天，这个小孩问上帝：“他们告诉我，你明天就要把我送到人间去，但我这么小，这么无助，到了那儿我要怎么生活啊？”

上帝回答他说：“天堂里有很多天使，我挑选了一个给你。她会在那里一直等着你、照顾你。”

“但是在天堂里，我每天除了歌唱和欢笑，其他什么事也不做，因为这样我就非常快乐了，”孩子问，“请你告诉我，到了人间我该做些什么呢？”

“你的天使会每天为你歌唱，还会每天对你微笑。你会感觉到她对你的爱，那样你就会快乐了。”上帝安慰他说。

“那要是人们对我说话，我怎么才能听懂呢？我不懂人类的语言啊。”

“你的天使会对你说一些你所听过的最美丽、最亲切的话语，而且她会非常耐心仔细地教你说话。”

“可是主啊，当我想和您说话时，我该怎么办呢？”

“你的天使会把你的双手合在一起，教你如何祷告。”

“我听说人间有恶人，谁来保护我呢？”

“你的天使会保护你，即使这意味着牺牲她自己的生命。”

在那一刻，天堂里一片静谧，但来自人间的声音已依稀可闻，孩子赶紧轻声问上帝：“上帝啊，如果我现在就要离开，请告诉我这位天使的名字吧。”

“你可以叫她妈妈。”

（译/张玲）

The Mother

The most beautiful word on the lips of mankind is the word "Mother", and the most beautiful call is the call of "My mother". It is a word full of hope and love, a sweet and kind word coming from the depths of the heart. The mother is everything—she is our consolation in sorrow, our hope in misery, and our strength in weakness. She is the source of love, mercy, sympathy, and forgiveness. He who loses his mother loses a pure soul who blesses and guards him constantly.

Everything in nature bespeaks[1] the mother. The sun is the mother of earth and gives it its nourishment of heat; it never leaves the universe at night until it has put the earth to sleep to the song of the sea and the hymn[2] of birds and brooks[3]. And this earth is the mother of trees and flowers. It produces them, nurses them, and weans[4] them. The trees and flowers become kind mothers of their great fruits and seeds. And the mother, the prototype[5] of all existence, is the eternal spirit, full of beauty and love.

(By Kahlil Gibran[6])

母亲

人类嘴边最美丽的词语莫过于“母亲”，而最动听的呼唤莫过于一声“我的母亲”。“母亲”这个词满载着希望和爱，发自人们的内心深处，甜蜜而又亲切。母亲就是一切——她是我们悲伤时的安慰，痛苦时的希望，脆弱时的力量。她是爱、仁慈、同情和宽恕的源泉。谁失去了母亲，就失去了始终如一地庇佑与呵护他的纯洁灵魂。

自然界的万物都是母亲中的一员。太阳是大地的母亲，她用自己的热量滋养着大地；夜晚，太阳母亲会哄大地入睡，让她在海洋的吟唱以及鸟儿与溪流的欢歌中进入梦乡后才会离去。大地是树木和花朵的母亲，她孕育了她们，滋养着她们，又让她们离开自己的怀抱独自成长。树木和花朵又成为丰硕果实和饱满种子的慈母。而母亲，那宇宙万物的原型啊，就是一种充满美丽与爱的永恒精神。

（译/赵越）

A Five-finger Discount[7]

The Belfast, Maine of my youth was not the coastal tourist village that it is today. At the time, Belfast was still a blue-collar town. McDonald's hadn't yet moved into town. Before the supermarket existed, Cottle's, a food market where my dad worked, was the only place where my mother could do her once-a-week shopping. Because we lived a few miles from Belfast, we'd usually combine the grocery trip with a visit to see my grandmother. Of course, Grammy always had cookies ready for the grandkids.

On one particular shopping day at Cottle's, I stood behind my mother as she was unloading the grocery cart and checking her items out[8] at the register[9]. The candy displays on either side of me were full of Life Savers, Clark Bars, Tootsie Rolls, Sugar Babies[10]—you name it[11]!

"Can I get some candy?" I asked.

My mother rarely veered[12] from her list so I wasn't surprised with her response. "No."

This much I knew for certain. "No" always meant "No". There was no sense in me asking a second time. But I really, really wanted that candy!

I reached for a Sugar Baby package. My mother didn't notice. So I figured she probably wouldn't notice if I ever so coyly[13] put them into my pocket. We continued checking out and walked with the bag boy to the car where he loaded the bags into the car's trunk. No one noticed my action—not my mother, not the cashier, not the bag boy—no one! I did it! Wow! My very first shoplifting[14] experience! A five-finger discount! How exciting! How easy! How rewarding! Got my candy and didn't need one penny to get it!

I sat in the back seat as my mother drove across the bridge to where my grandmother lived. Slowly, so as not to make any unnecessary noise, I opened my prize and carefully slipped[15] a Sugar Baby into my mouth. No one piece of candy ever tasted so good! Mom might have said, "No," but I'd said, "Yes," and look who'd won!

When we pulled into my grandmother's driveway, I knew I was in the clear[16]. Miles and minutes separated me from Cottle's. As I prepared to open my car door, I confidently slipped a few more Sugar Babies into my mouth. They would tide me over[17] until I got to Grammy's cookie jar inside.

Big mistake. "Keith, what have you got in your mouth?" I looked up at the rearview mirror[18] and could see the reflection of my mother's eyes staring intently[19] back at me. "I asked you a question! What have you got in your mouth?"

Though I'd recently become skilled in the art of shoplifting, I hadn't quite mastered the art of giving false testimony[20]. "Uhhh … just some Sugar Babies."

"Sugar Babies? Where did you get the money to buy them?" Why was she asking such a foolish question? She knew I hadn't purchased them. It was no big deal. Nobody even saw me take them. It was one little package of Sugar Babies. Let's just go into Grammy's! "I … uh … didn't really buy them."

"That's what I thought!" And then, rather than just going into Grammy's house and giving me a good scolding, she began backing out of my grandmother's driveway.

As she drove away from my grandmother's house and then back across the bridge, I knew exactly where we were headed. To Cottle's! This was so stupid! We're talking twenty-five cents here! A return trip all the way[21] back there was a ridiculous waste of gas and time, if you asked me. Why was she turning this into such an emotional drama? What was she trying to prove?

I didn't have long to find out.

My mother pulled into Cottle's parking lot, cast one more glare my way, and marched me into the store. She proceeded to hunt down[22] Mr. Proulx, the store manager! Why would she want to bother an important man like Mr. Proulx about me needing to pay for some candy that any cashier could more easily just take care of?

Once she located him and got his full attention, she said, in a voice that could be heard from three aisles away, "Tell Mr. Proulx what you did!"

I knew Mr. Proulx. I liked Mr. Proulx. But on this day Mr. Proulx was taking all of his cues[23] from my mother. There was no room for doubt. I was on trial and Mr. Proulx was judge and jury! Through tears, I admitted what I had done and apologized. My mother put a quarter in my hand to give to him. Mr. Proulx listened and accepted my apology along with the twenty-five cents. He then issued a stern[24] warning, explaining what the consequences would be if there was ever a repeat performance. Snuffling[25], embarrassed, ashamed, I totally understood the significance of my actions and what they might lead to if not nipped in the bud[26]: Sugar Babies today, grand theft auto tomorrow.

To this day, often while in a checkout lane near a candy rack, I think back to the lesson I learned from my mother. Thanks, Mom, for keeping me from a life of crime.

(By Keith Smith)

顺手牵“糖”

我小的时候，缅因州的贝尔法斯特还不是如今这样的海滨旅游小镇。那个时候，贝尔法斯特还是一座蓝领小镇，麦当劳都还没有进驻。在超市出现前，爸爸工作的科特尔食品商场成了妈妈每周一次购物唯一可去的地方。由于我们住得离贝尔法斯特有几英里远，所以我们常常在购物的时候顺便去看望外婆。当然啦，外婆总是为我们这些孩子准备好饼干吃。

有一天去科特尔商场购物时，妈妈在收银台前从购物车里拿出所买的货品逐项结账，我站在她身后。在我两旁的货架上摆满了各式各样的糖果——Life Saver薄荷糖、Clark Bar牛轧糖、Tootsie Roll咀嚼糖、Sugar Baby牛奶焦饴糖——各种品牌，应有尽有！

“能给我买点儿糖吗？”我问妈妈。

妈妈的注意力几乎没从清单上移开，因此她回答“不行”的时候我并不意外。

对此我十分肯定。“不行”就意味着“不行”。我再问第二遍毫无意义。但是我真的真的很想吃糖！

我把手伸向一包Sugar Baby糖，妈妈并未注意到。因此我想，如果我假装害羞然后把它们塞进衣服口袋里，妈妈很可能不会发现。我们继续结账，然后随着打包服务员一起走到车前，服务员把购物袋放进后备厢。谁也没有发现我的偷窃行为——无论是我妈妈、收银员还是打包服务员——没有任何人发现！我成功了！哇！我平生第一次体验商店行窃！一次顺手牵羊！多么令人激动！多么轻而易举！多么有收获！我分文未花就得到了这些糖！

妈妈开车通过一座桥，向外婆家驶去，我坐在车后座上。为了避免发出不必要的声音，我慢慢地打开自己的战利品，然后小心翼翼地把一块Sugar Baby糖偷偷塞进了嘴里。再没有比这更好吃的糖啦！妈妈或许说过“不行”，但是我却说“行”，看看最终是谁赢了！

当我们驶入外婆家的车道时，我以为我安全了——距离上和时间上我都远离了科特尔商场。我一边准备打开车门，一边安心地又塞了几块Sugar Baby糖到嘴里。它们甜美的味道会一直伴随我进入外婆家直到我拿起饼干罐。

这样做真是大错特错！“基思，你嘴里在吃什么东西？”我抬头看向后视镜，发现妈妈正从镜子里目不转睛地盯着我。“我问你呢！你嘴里在吃什么东西？”

虽然我刚刚熟练掌握了入店行窃术，但我却尚不精于提供假证词。“呃……就是一些Sugar Baby糖。”

“Sugar Baby糖？你哪来的钱买糖？”妈妈怎么会问我这样一个愚蠢的问题？她知道我根本就没买过。没什么大不了的，根本就没人看见我拿糖了。不就是一小袋Sugar Baby糖嘛。赶紧进外婆家吧！“我……呃……其实我并没买。”

“果然不出我所料！”接着，妈妈既没有进外婆家，也没有狠狠批评我，而是把车倒出了外婆家的车道。

等妈妈将车驶离了外婆家然后再次穿过那座桥的时候，我清楚地知道我们将前往何处。去科特尔商场！真是太傻了！不过是一包25美分的糖而已！如果你问我，我会说：开车大老远原路返回真够可笑的，既费油又费时。为什么妈妈要小题大做呢？她想要证明什么呢？

没过多久我就找到了答案。

妈妈把车停入科特尔商场的停车场，又瞪了我一眼，带着我走进商场。她开始四处寻找商场经理普罗克斯先生。我要补付糖果钱，任何收银员都能轻松处理，她何必要麻烦像普罗克斯先生这样重要的人呢？

妈妈一发现普罗克斯先生并且让他把注意力完全转移到我们身上后，她就用三个过道以外都能听得见的大嗓门说道：“告诉普罗克斯先生你的所作所为！”

我认识普罗克斯先生。我喜欢他。但是那天他完全领会了妈妈的意图。毋庸置疑，我在受审，而普罗克斯先生就是法官和陪审团！我流着眼泪承认了之前所做的一切并道了歉。妈妈把25美分放到我手里，让我交给普罗克斯先生。他听着我的讲述，接受了我的道歉，收下了那25美分。然后，他向我提出严厉警告，告诉我如果再犯后果将会如何。我抽噎着，尴尬不已，羞愧难当，完全意识到了自己行为的严重性，也知道了如果没有将它扼杀在萌芽中最终会导致什么结果——今天偷糖小贼，明天窃车大盗。

直到今天，通常当我站在糖果架附近的付款通道时，我还是会想起妈妈给我上的这一课。谢谢你，妈妈，是你让我远离了犯罪的道路。

（译/刘克）

Off the Shelf

When I was ten years old, I lived with my family in a small ranch house[27] in rural South Jersey. I often accompanied my mother to the A&P[28]to buy groceries. We did not have a car, so we walked, and I would help her carry the bags.

My mother had to shop very carefully, as my father was on strike. She was a waitress, and her salary and tips barely sustained us. One day, while she was weighing prices, a promotional[29]display for the World Book Encyclopedia caught my eye. The volumes were cream-colored, with forest-green spines[30] stamped in gold. Volume I was ninety-nine cents with a ten-dollar purchase.

All I could think of, as we combed the aisles for creamed corn, dry milk, cans of Spam, and shredded[31] wheat, was the book, which I longed for with all my being. I stood at the register with my mother, holding my breath as the cashier rang up[32] the items. It came to over eleven dollars. My mother produced a five, some singles[33], and a handful of change. As she was counting out the money, I somehow found the courage to ask for the encyclopedia. "Could we get one?" I said, showing her the display. "It's only ninety-nine cents."

I did not understand my mother's increasing anxiety; she did not have enough change and had to sacrifice a large can of peas to pay the amount. "Not now, Patricia," she said sternly. "Today is not a good day." I packed the groceries and followed her home, crestfallen[34].

The next Saturday, my mother gave me a dollar and sent me to the A&P alone. Two quarts of milk and a loaf of bread—that's what a dollar bought in 1957. I went straight to the World Book display. There was only one first volume left, which I placed in my cart. I didn't need a cart, but took one so I could read as I went up and down the aisles. A lot of time went by, but I had little concept of time, a fact that often got me in trouble. I knew I had to leave, but I couldn't bear to part with the book. Impulsively I put it inside my shirt and zipped up[35] my plaid[36] windbreaker[37]. I was a tall, skinny kid, and I'm certain the shape of the book was obvious.

I strolled[38] the aisles for several more minutes, then went through the checkout, paid my dollar, swiftly bagged the three items, and headed home with my heart pounding.

Suddenly I felt a heavy tap on my shoulder and turned to find the biggest man I had ever seen. He was the store detective, and he asked me to hand it over. I just stood in silence. "We know you stole something—you will have to be searched." Horrified, I slid the heavy book out from the bottom of my shirt.

He looked at it quizzically[39]. "This is what you stole, an encyclopedia?"

"Yes," I whispered, trembling.

"Why didn't you ask your parents?"

"I did," I said, "but they didn't have the money."

"Do you know it's wrong?"

"Yes."

"Do you go to church?"

"Yes, twice a week."

"Well, you're going to have to tell your parents what you did."

"No, please."

"Then I will do it. What's the address?" I was silent.

"Well, I'll have to walk you home."

"No, please, I will tell them."

"Do you swear?"

"Yes, yes, sir."

My mother was worried when I arrived home. "Where were you? I needed the bread for your father's sandwiches. I told you to come right home."

And suddenly everything went green, like right before a tornado. My ears were ringing, I felt dizzy, and I threw up[40].

My mother tended to me immediately, as she always did. She had me lie on the couch and got a cold towel for my head and sat by me with her anxious expression.

"What is it, Patricia?" she asked. "Did something bad happen?"

"Yes," I whispered. "I stole something." I told her about my lust for the book, my wrongdoing, and the big detective. My mother was a good mother, but she could be explosive[41], and I tensed, waiting for the barrage[42] of verbal punishment, the sentencing that always seemed to outweigh the crime. But she said nothing. She told me that she would call the store and tell the detective I had confessed, and that I should sleep.

When I awoke, sometime later, the house was silent. My mother had taken my siblings to the field to play. I sat up and noticed a brown-paper bag with my name on it. I opened it and inside was the World Book Encyclopedia, Volume I.

(By Patti Smith)

窃书记

我10岁的时候，和家人一起住在南泽西郊区一个低矮的小平房里。我经常陪妈妈到A&P超市去买日用品。我们没有车，所以都是走着去的，而我都会帮她拎袋子。

妈妈买东西必须精打细算，因为爸爸当时正在罢工。她是一个服务员，工资和小费加在一起也就勉强够维持我们的生活。一天，当她在超市里比较价格时，《世界百科全书》的促销展示吸引了我的注意。那是一套奶白色的书，暗绿色的书脊上面烫着金字。购物满10美元就可以用99美分买这套书的第一册。

当我们穿梭在超市货架通道之间寻找着奶油玉米、奶粉、斯帕姆午餐肉罐头和脆麦片条时，我满脑子想的都是那本书，一门心思就想得到它。我和妈妈站在收银台旁，我屏住呼吸，看着收银员输入那些东西的金额结账。总金额超过了11美元。妈妈拿出一张5美元、几张1美元和一把零钱。在她数钱的时候，我不知怎的鼓起了勇气问她要那本百科全书。“我们买一本行吗？”我一边说，一边指着那个促销展示让她看，“只要99美分。”

我当时并不理解妈妈渐增的焦虑不安——她带的零钱不够，不得不放弃一大罐豌豆才够付款。“现在不行，帕特里夏，”她厉声说道，“今天不行。”我把买的杂货都装进袋子里，垂头丧气地跟着她回了家。

接下来的那个周六，妈妈给了我1美元，派我独自去A&P超市买东西。我要买两夸脱牛奶和一长条面包，在1957年，1美元可以买到这些。我径直走到了《世界百科全书》的展台。第一册只剩下了一本，我把它放进了我的购物车。我并不需要购物车，但我却推了一个，因为这样我就能一边看书一边推着它在过道里走来走去。很长时间过去了，但我这个人向来没有什么时间观念——这经常让我惹上麻烦。我知道我得走了，但又实在舍不得放下那本书。于是我一时冲动，将那本书塞进了我的衬衫里面，然后拉上了我那件印有格子图案的防风夹克的拉链。那时的我长得又高又瘦，我敢肯定书的轮廓一定特别明显。

我在过道里又转悠了几分钟，然后走到收银台，付了1美元，迅速将三样东西装进袋子里，然后回家。我的心怦怦直跳。

突然，我觉得有人在我肩膀上重重拍了一下，我转过身去，发现是一个大个子男人，那是我见过的块头最大的人。他是那家超市的保安，他让我把东西交出来。我一声不吭地站在那儿。“我们知道你偷了东西，你得让我们搜身。”我吓坏了，把那本厚重的书从衬衣下摆处滑了出来。

他大惑不解地看着那本书。“这就是你偷的东西，一本百科全书？”

“是的。”我小声回答，身体有点儿发抖。

“为什么不让你的父母买给你呢？”

“我问过，”我说，“但他们没有钱。”

“你知道这是不对的吗？”

“我知道。”

“你去教堂做礼拜吗？”

“是的，每周去两次。”

“好吧，你得告诉你的父母你都做了什么。”

“不要，求求你了。”

“那我来告诉他们。你们家住哪儿？”我没回答。

“好吧，那我就得送你回家了。”

“不要，求你了，我会告诉他们的。”

“你发誓？”

“是的，是的，先生。”

当我到家的时候，妈妈急坏了。“你去哪儿了？我等着用面包给你爸爸做三明治呢。我告诉过你要直接回家的啊。”

突然，我感觉眼前的一切都变暗了，就好像龙卷风即将来临前一样。我的耳朵嗡嗡作响，我觉得头昏眼花，然后就吐了。

妈妈立刻开始照顾起我来，就像她经常做的那样。她让我躺在沙发上，拿了一条冷毛巾敷在我的额头上，然后一脸担心地坐在我身边。

“怎么了，帕特里夏？”她问，“是不是发生了什么不好的事儿？”

“是的，”我低声说，“我偷东西了。”我告诉了她我对那本书的渴望，我犯下的错，还有那个大个子保安的事儿。我妈妈是一个好妈妈，不过她脾气火爆，所以我很紧张，等着她大骂我一顿，等着接受那似乎总比所犯的错要重的惩罚。但她什么都没说。她告诉我她会给超市打电话，告诉那个保安我已经坦白了，然后让我好好睡一觉。

我睡了一段时间醒来后，发现屋子里静悄悄的。妈妈带我的兄弟姐妹们去院子里玩了。我坐起身来，看到了一个写着我名字的棕色纸袋。我打开袋子，里面正是那本《世界百科全书》第一册。

（译/张玲）

The Shaved Eyebrows

It was evening and time for my little sister and me to take our showers and get ready for bed. As I passed the mirror in the bathroom, there it was—a wild hair right in the middle of my forehead, threatening to be the beginning of the third eyebrow. I went into the shower trying to think of a solution, and then I spotted a razor. I took it and started trying to shave off the savage hair.

Usually I would trust my mom's advice about what to do in this sort of situation, but this was just too complicated for her—or so I thought. Well, while I was shaving that hair off, the razor slipped, and I ended up shaving off half my eyebrow! Then I did what any girl would do in this situation—I tried to even them out[43]. When I was finished, I looked in the mirror. It was a disaster! I tried to figure out if there was any way to fix this mess. Thankfully, I found a way to hide my mistake. I put my bangs[44] over my eyebrows. It worked perfectly!

Just then my parents called me to come and say good night. Nobody noticed my eyebrows, but they did notice my little sister's eyebrows! It turned out that while I was fighting the stray hair, she had found another razor in the drawer and began copying me. Now her eyebrows were completely missing! My parents were very confused until they finally noticed that half my eyebrows were gone as well[45]. After a lot of questioning, I broke down[46] and confessed to what had happened.

I thought that my parents would be mad at me until my mom took me aside to tell me that when she was a preteen, she had done a similar thing. In her case, it was her underarms[47]. While away at camp on a swimming day, she was extremely embarrassed because she had some long hairs in her armpits[48]. My grandma, her mom, had told her she was too young to shave yet. But she went against her mom's wishes and borrowed her friend's razor and shaved her armpits. Then she wrote her mom a confession letter telling her that she had done a terrible thing and that she was very sorry. At the very end of this long two-page letter, she finally told her mom what she had done. As my grandma read through the letter, she was so worried about this terrible thing that her daughter had done that by the end of the letter she laughed, because she was just so relieved[49] to find out about what had actually happened. My grandmother totally understood how my mom had felt, just like my mom now understood me.

This ended up bringing my mom and me even closer together. I still wouldn't ever recommend trying to shave your eyebrows. I suggest that you find a different way to get closer to your mom!

As for my little sister, it took a long time for her eyebrows to grow back in. From then on, I've learned to be a better example to her because she still copies everything I do!

(By Ariel Subrahmanyam)

眉毛刮掉以后

某一天晚上，我和妹妹是时间去洗个澡，准备上床睡觉了。当我从浴室的镜子前走过时，我看到了它——我前额正中间的那绺乱发，似乎要长成我的第三条眉毛了。我一边洗澡，一边努力想着解决办法，然后我看见了剃刀。我拿起它，开始试着把那绺乱发剃掉。

通常，我都会听从妈妈关于如何处理这类问题的建议，但这个问题对她来说太复杂了——或者我是这样认为的。然而就在我剃那绺头发的时候，剃刀一滑，结果我的半条眉毛被剃掉了！然后，我做了任何一个女孩在这种情况下都会做的事——我试图将两边的眉毛修成一样的。弄完后，我照了照镜子，却发现惨不忍睹！我努力想找个法子搞定这一团糟。谢天谢地，我找到了一个办法来掩饰这个失误。我用前额的刘海遮住了眉毛。效果好极了！

就在那时，父母喊我去和他们道晚安。谁都没有注意到我的眉毛，但他们却都注意到了妹妹的眉毛！原来，就在我处理那绺散乱的头发时，妹妹在抽屉里又找了把剃刀，开始照着我的样子做。现在，她的眉毛完全没了！父母非常困惑，直到他们最终发现我的一半眉毛也不见了。经过一番追问，我哭了，坦承了发生的一切。

我以为父母会生我的气，但妈妈却把我带到一边，告诉我她在十一二岁时也做过类似的事情。只不过她那次是发生在腋下。在外出露营游泳的时候，她觉得非常难为情，因为她的腋毛太长了。她的妈妈，也就是我的外婆曾告诉过她，她还没到该刮腋毛的年龄。但她违背外婆的意愿，借了朋友的一把剃刀，把自己的腋毛刮掉了。然后，她给外婆写了一封忏悔信，说自己做了一件很可怕的事，感到非常抱歉。在那封长达两页的信的末尾，她才最终告诉外婆自己做了什么。外婆读那封信时，一直在担心自己女儿所做的那件可怕的事情，但读到信的结尾时，她笑了。因为她终于知道到底发生了什么，长长地松了一口气。外婆完全理解妈妈那时的感受，就像妈妈现在理解我一样。

这件事让我和妈妈变得更亲密了。我仍然无论何时都不会赞成你试着刮掉自己的眉毛。建议你另找一个方法来拉近你和妈妈之间的距离！

至于我的小妹妹，过了很长一段时间她的眉毛才长回原样。从那时起，我学会了为她树立一个更好的榜样，因为她仍然会模仿我做的一切！

（译/朱孝萍）

Oh, to Be Rich with Mom's Cake!

I lay on my bed, legs propped up[50] against the wall, desperately wishing my mother would call. But I remembered the last time I'd seen her, right before the train for Providence pulled out[51] of the station, "You know how expensive it is to call," she said, then squeezed me tight and said good-bye.

This was my first birthday away from home. I missed my mom, missed my sister, and most certainly missed the special pound cake[52] my mother always made for my birthday. Since getting to college that year, I would watch jealously as the other freshmen received care packages from their parents on their birthdays—and even on ordinary days. Big boxes containing summer slacks[53] and blouses, packages of M&M's and Snickers[54], things they needed and things they didn't. Instead of feeling thrilled about my upcoming eighteenth birthday, I felt empty. I wished my mom would send me something, too, but I knew that she couldn't afford presents or the postage. She had done her best with my sister and me—raising us by herself. The simple truth was there just was never enough money.

But that didn't stop her from filling us with dreams. "You can be anything you want to be," she would tell us. "Politicians, dancers, writers—you just have to work for it; you have to get an education."

For a long time, because of my mother's resourcefulness[55], I didn't realize that we were poor. She did so much with so little. She owned and took care of our house. She clothed and fed us. She found ways to get us scholarships so that we could take violin, piano and viola[56] lessons from some of the best teachers in Philadelphia. She never missed an opportunity to have a tête-à-tête[57] with our schoolteachers, and she attended all our plays and musical performances. My mother had high hopes for my sister and me. She saw the way out of poverty for us was education. We didn't play with the other children on the street, didn't jump double-dutch[58] or stay out late on the porch laughing and talking with our neighbors. We were inside doing our homework and reading books. She sat with us while we did our work and taught us how to learn what she didn't know by plowing through[59] the World Book Encyclopedia or visiting the library.

She did it all on 800 dollars a month and what a struggle it was for her.

"Please, Mom, can we go to the movies?" We'd beg.

"No, we can watch a movie at home," she'd say, turning to the movie channel.

"Can't we get nicer pants than these ugly green things?" We'd say as we went through the black plastic bag filled with hand-me-downs[60] from our cousins.

"These will do you fine[61] for now," Mom would say.

"Why can't I have money to buy French fries after school?" I would plead, my nostrils full with the remembered smell of sizzling[62] grease and freshly salted potatoes.

"No, you don't need that mess. Besides, I've made pea soup with carrots and potatoes."

She never bought anything that she could make herself.

I felt our lack most deeply after Christmas, when the other kids talked about the new games and expensive outfits[63] they had found tucked under their live Christmas trees. I didn't mention our silver tree that we unpacked and repacked every year, or that there were only a couple of items for me under the tree: some books, socks, maybe a pair of shoes that I needed. And because my dad wasn't around, Mom pressed me into service[64]—I would wrap my younger sister's gifts so that she could wake up excitedly, believing that Santa had left gifts for her under the tree.

Thanks to my mom's sacrifices and big dreams, I'd made it to the Ivy League: Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Yet I was afraid that I wouldn't measure up to[65] the other students. They seemed to exude[66] confidence and the smell of money. I felt so lost, so far away, as if my mom had said, "Well, if you're old enough to go six hours away, you're old enough to take care of yourself."

As I was recalling these things, my roommate joined me on the bed. "Hey. After we study, let's buy ice cream and cake." I nodded, closed my eyes, and imagined the cake Mom would have made. She would take out her mixer and the chrome[67] bowl, then add the butter that she'd let sit out[68] until it was soft. She would pour in the sugar grains[69] in a narrow stream. Mmm. I could see the golden yellow of each of the twelve eggs, swallowed under the rapid blur of the spinning beaters, and I could almost smell the vanilla and nutmeg filling the house while the cake baked.

As I daydreamed, there was a knock on the door. My roommate opened it to find a deliveryman asking for me. He handed her a large box, which she carefully placed on the desk near my bed. "Open it." I did, and inside was a vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. In icing were the words: "Happy Birthday, Sande! Love, Mom." My skin tingled[70] with excitement, as if Mom were right there hugging me close. How had she managed to afford it? I felt as if I were back at home with her, safe and secure while she sang and told me how much she loved having me in her life. I ran out to the hall and knocked on my dormmates' doors. "Birthday cake," I called. As I cut cake for the students gathered in my room, then watched their faces as they ate, I didn't need to eat to feel both full and rich inside.

(By Sande Smith)

妈妈的蛋糕

我躺在床上，双腿靠在墙上，拼命希望妈妈会打电话来。但我想起了我上一次见她时——就在开往普罗维登斯的火车即将驶出车站时——她对我说：“你知道打电话有多贵。”然后紧紧地抱了抱我就道别离开了。

这是我离开家过的第一个生日，我想念妈妈，想念妹妹，当然，我最想念的还是我过生日时，妈妈总会为我做的那个特别的重糖重油蛋糕。自从那年上大学后，我总会妒忌地注视着其他新生在过生日的时候，甚至是平常的日子里，收到他们的父母寄来的爱心包裹。一大盒一大盒的夏季长裤和休闲衫，一包包的M&M's巧克力豆和士力架——他们需要的和不需要的东西。对于即将到来的18岁生日，我不但没有感到兴奋，反而觉得空虚。我希望妈妈也会寄些东西给我，但我知道她买不起礼物，也付不起邮资。她独自抚养我和妹妹已经尽了全力了。事实很简单：我们的钱永远不够花。

但那并没有阻止她给我们灌输梦想。“你们想成为什么样的人就能成为什么样的人，”她会这样告诉我们，“政治家、舞蹈家、作家——你们只需要为之努力奋斗，你们必须受教育。”

很长一段时间，因为母亲的足智多谋，我并没有意识到我们的贫穷。她用那么少的钱却做了那么多的事。她买下并打理着我们的房子。她让我们有衣穿，有饭吃。她想办法让我们拿到奖学金，好让我们去上费城一些最好的老师教授的小提琴、钢琴和中提琴课。她从来不会错过和我们的老师私下交流的机会。她观看我们所有的比赛和音乐演奏会。妈妈对我和妹妹寄予了厚望。她明白只有教育才能让我们摆脱贫穷。我们不和其他孩子一起在街上玩耍，不跳交叉绳，也不在屋外的门廊上和邻居们说笑到很晚。我们都待在家里做作业、看书。我们做作业的时候，妈妈就坐在一旁，教我们如何通过查阅《世界百科全书》或者去图书馆学习她不懂的内容。

她每个月只用800美元就做成了所有这些事。对她来说，这多么不容易啊！

“求你了，妈妈，我们可以去看电影吗？”我们会这样恳求。

“不行。我们可以在家看电影。”她会这样回答，同时把电视调到电影频道。

我们翻着黑塑料袋里亲戚们穿过的那些旧衣服时，会说：“这些绿裤子太难看了，难道我们就不能穿比这好看一点的裤子吗？”

“这些衣服你们现在穿正合适。”妈妈会这样说。

“为什么不能给我点儿钱，让我放学后买薯条吃呢？”我会这么恳求，鼻子里满是记忆中咝咝作响的热油和新炸出来的加盐薯条的香味。

“不，你不需要吃那些乱七八糟的东西。而且，我已经做了加胡萝卜和土豆的豌豆汤给你喝。”

凡是她能自己动手做的东西，她从来不会花钱去买。

最让我深切地感到我们物质匮乏是在圣诞节之后，那个时候别的孩子都在大谈特谈他们在真正的圣诞树下找到的那些新玩具和昂贵的套装。我从不跟别人提及我们那棵每年过圣诞节时拆开包装、过了圣诞节再包起来的银色圣诞树，也不提圣诞树下为我准备的只有几个零星小物件：几本书、袜子，也许还有我需要的一双鞋。因为爸爸不在身边，所以妈妈就硬让我帮着干活——给妹妹包装礼物，好让她在第二天早上兴奋地醒来，相信圣诞老人在圣诞树下给她留了礼物。

感谢妈妈的牺牲和她的那些大梦想，我考上了常春藤盟校：位于罗得岛州普罗维登斯的布朗大学。但我担心我不能和其他学生相比。他们似乎全身上下洋溢着自信和钱的味道。我感到那么迷惘、那么远离人群，就好像妈妈曾说过：“唔，如果你已经长大了，能到六小时路程以外的地方去，那你也就到了能照顾好自己的年纪了。”

在我回想这些的时候，我的室友坐到了我床上。“嗨，自习后，我们去买冰淇淋和蛋糕吃吧！”我点了点头，闭上眼睛，想象着妈妈会做的那种蛋糕。她会取出她的搅拌器和那只铬碗，然后把她早已放在一边变得松软的黄油加入其中。然后，她会将细砂糖如小溪流般倒进去。嗯。我仿佛看见那12个鸡蛋的每一个金黄色的蛋黄在那高速旋转的搅拌器的搅拌下被吞没。我几乎能够闻到正在烘焙的蛋糕发出的香草和肉豆蔻的香味，充满了整个屋子。

正当我做着白日梦的时候，传来了一阵敲门声。我的室友打开门，看到一个邮递员，是找我的。他递给我的室友一个大大的盒子，她小心翼翼地将它放在我床边的桌上。“打开它。”我打开盒子，里面是一个撒着巧克力糖霜的香草味蛋糕。蛋糕的糖衣上写着：“生日快乐，桑德！爱你的妈妈。”我的皮肤因兴奋而感到一阵阵发麻，好像妈妈就站在这儿紧紧地抱着我一样。她是怎么设法付的钱呢？我感到自己好像又回到了家，和妈妈在一起，妈妈为我唱着生日歌，并且告诉我她多么高兴这辈子有我这个女儿，我感到平安无忧。我跑到大厅里，敲开舍友们的门。“生日蛋糕！”我喊道。当我为聚集在我宿舍里的同学们切好蛋糕，然后看着她们吃的时候，我不需要吃蛋糕就觉得肚子饱饱的，心里满满的。

（译/李荷卿）

The Best Mother

Terri Wilson stomped[71] her foot. She was the only student left in the schoolyard. And it was raining. Finally, her mother's car turned into the parking lot.

"You're late!" Terri said as she got in the car.

"Sorry. I had to take Snowball to the veterinarian[72] for his shots," her mother said. "I almost didn't come. I thought you'd be walking home. Then I remembered you wouldn't wear your raincoat this morning."

Terri scowled[73]. No one in sixth grade wore raincoats!

Their small white dog pawed at her knee. "Snowball! Get down! Bad dog! You're getting hair all over me."

"Terri, he's just glad to see you."

Terri sighed and patted the trembling animal. "Sorry, boy. I didn't mean to yell."

Mrs. Wilson stopped the car in the driveway. Terri helped carry the groceries into the kitchen. Grumbling[74] to herself, she pulled a carton of milk, some cans of apple juice, and a box of oatmeal from a bag. Why couldn't her mother buy chocolate milk and carbonated[75] drinks and sugar-frosted[76] puffs like Mrs. Hanson bought for Laurie?

Her two older brothers trooped into the kitchen. "We're starving. Is there anything to eat?"

Mrs. Wilson pointed to the fruit bowl and the boys grabbed the last two apples. Half a dozen oranges remained in the bowl. Terri clenched[77]her fists. She hated peeling oranges. Wishing she were an only child like Jill MacDonald, she stomped off to her room.

Where was her tape player? She pawed aimlessly through the scattered piles of papers, books, and tapes littering her floor. Her mother refused to clean her bedroom; she said eleven-year-olds should be responsible for their own things. Terri snorted. Susan Brown was twelve, and her mother still picked up for her.

That evening Terri turned her basket of clean clothes upside down. The only pajamas she could find were the red flannel ones. She loved the soft feel of the material, but she hated the bright color. She called down the hall. "Did you do a wash today?"

"Yes."

"Did you wash my blue pajamas?"

"I don't think so. In fact, I don't think I washed anything of yours. Did you put your clothes in the hamper[78]?"

Terri ground her teeth. She hated carrying her dirty clothes to the stupid hamper in the utility room. Why couldn't her mother gather up her laundry? After all, she walked by Terri's room at least fifty times a day. Amanda Cummings' mother always made sure her favorite clothes were clean. Once Amanda wore the same purple capris[79] every day for two weeks. She said her mom washed it every night and had it ready for her to wear the next day.

Terri pulled on the red pajamas and snuggled[80] up to Buster, her teddy bear. Mom will have to sew his poor arm on again, she thought, closing her eyes.

Moments later, she heard a noise. Someone was vacuuming[81]. She opened one eye, then bolted[82] upright. There was Susan Brown's mother, cleaning the bedroom in the middle of the night?

Terri looked around the room, confused. Mrs. Brown had picked up all her clothes and toys and lined her shelves with books and tapes.

"I can't sew this threadbare[83] thing!" yelled Mrs. Brown. She was swinging Buster Bear around her head by one ragged ear. "We'll just have to throw it away!"

"I can't throw out Buster. He's my friend. I've had him since I was six months old."

"Then you've had him long enough. You'll sleep much better without this piece of rubbish. And remember, Snowball stays in his doghouse. If I find one white hair on your bed, it's off to the pound[84] with him." Mrs. Brown sniffed and disappeared in a flash of light.

"Terri, I have a present for you." Amanda Cummings' mother appeared, holding a pair of designer[85] jeans. Terri whooped with delight. She tried to hug Mrs. Cummings, but the woman pushed her away. "Be careful! You'll wrinkle[86] my blouse!"

The pants fit perfectly, but they didn't feel right. "Uh, Mrs. Cummings, they're stiff[87]."

"Well, of course. That's the very latest fashion."

"But I like only soft clothes. Couldn't you do what my mother does and run them through the washing machine a few times before I start to wear them?"

"Certainly not. What's the point of buying the newest styles if you're going to ruin them right away? As soon as you get home, change clothes so you don't ruin those jeans."

Terri nodded miserably[88]. She hated changing clothes after school. Then she heard Jill MacDonald's mother call her to supper. Holding the jeans, Mrs. Cummings vanished.

Terri looked down and found herself at the kitchen table. She saw scalloped[89] potatoes, broccoli with a yucky[90] cheese sauce, and a chicken cutlet on her plate. Mrs. MacDonald asked her what was wrong.

"My brothers and I don't like scalloped potatoes, so my mom doesn't make them. We don't like cheese sauce either, so she just gives us plain broccoli."

Mrs. MacDonald raised an eyebrow. "Well, my husband and I like scalloped potatoes and cheese sauce. I'm not going to change our diet just to accommodate[91] one child. You may leave the table if you don't wish to eat what is being served."

Suddenly, Mrs. Hanson was in the kitchen. For breakfast she put out frosted puffs and soda. They tasted terrific. Terri had two big bowls of the cereal and three tall glasses of the drink. But, later, at gym class, she couldn't finish the relay race. Her legs felt wobbly[92] and her stomach was queasy[93]. She groaned[94].

"Terri, honey! Wake up!"

Terri opened her eyes. Snowball was standing on her chest, licking her face, and Buster Bear was lying on her pillow.

Her mother leaned over the bed. "I heard you call out. Were you having a dream?"

Terri shuddered[95]. "It was more like a nightmare."

"Shall I make you some warm milk?"

Terri shook her head. She reached up and hugged her mother. "Could you just stay with me for a minute?"

Mrs. Wilson smiled and sat down, her arms around her daughter. "This is nice. Lately, I've been thinking you were all grown-up and didn't want hugs anymore."

"Oh, Mom! I'll never be so grown-up that I won't need hugs from you. You're the best mother in the world."

(By Liddell Sharen)

最棒的妈妈

特丽·威尔逊使劲跺着脚。校园里只剩下她一个学生了。天还在下着雨。终于，她妈妈的车转进了停车场。

“你来晚了！”特丽边上车边说。

“对不起。我得带雪球去兽医那儿打针，”她妈妈解释说，“我差点就不来了。我以为你会自己走回家呢。后来想起来你今天早上出门时不愿意穿雨衣。”

特丽皱了皱眉头。六年级生中才没人穿雨衣呢！

他们家的小白狗把爪子搭在她的膝盖上。“雪球！下去！你这只臭狗！你弄得我浑身都是狗毛。”

“特丽，它只是很高兴看见你。”

特丽叹了口气，轻轻拍了拍吓得瑟瑟发抖的小狗。“对不起，小家伙。我不是故意朝你吼的。”

威尔逊太太把车停在了家门口的车道上。特丽帮忙把买的食品拿进厨房。她一边从袋子里拽出一盒牛奶、几罐苹果汁和一盒燕麦片，一边嘀嘀咕咕地发着牢骚。她的妈妈怎么就不能像汉森太太给劳丽买东西那样，买些巧克力牛奶、碳酸饮料还有糖霜泡芙呢？

她的两个哥哥一起走进厨房。“我们饿死了。有没有吃的啊？”

威尔逊太太指了指果盘，两个男孩抢走了最后两个苹果。果盘里就剩下六个橙子了。特丽气得攥紧了拳头。她讨厌剥橙子皮。她使劲跺着脚，回到了自己的房间。她多么希望自己和吉尔·麦克唐纳一样是家里的独生女啊！

她的录音机在哪儿呢？她像一只无头苍蝇似的在地板上左一堆右一堆的纸啊、书啊、磁带里翻找起来。她的妈妈拒绝为她打扫房间，说11岁大的孩子应该自己负责自己的事情了。特丽不屑地哼了一声。苏珊·布朗都12岁了，她妈妈还帮她收拾房间呢。

那天晚上，特丽把她那一篮干净衣服翻了个底朝天，可是只找到了那套红色法兰绒睡衣。她很喜欢法兰绒那种柔软的感觉，但她不喜欢那种鲜亮的颜色。她朝楼下客厅喊道：“你今天洗衣服了吗？”

“洗了啊。”

“那你洗我的蓝色睡衣了吗？”

“好像没洗。实际上，我洗的衣服里没有一件是你的。你把衣服放到洗衣篮里了吗？”

特丽气得咬牙切齿。她讨厌把脏衣服拿到杂物间，放到那只丑得要命的洗衣篮里。妈妈为什么就不能帮她收一下要洗的衣服呢？不管怎么说，她一天至少要路过特丽的房间50次。阿曼达·卡明斯的妈妈总是确保阿曼达最喜欢的衣服是干净的。有一次阿曼达连续两个星期每天都穿同一条紫色的紧身裤。她说她妈妈每天晚上帮她把裤子洗好，准备好第二天给她穿。

特丽套上红色睡衣，然后依偎在她的泰迪熊巴斯特旁边。妈妈得再把巴斯特可怜的胳膊缝一下了，她一边想着，一边闭上了眼睛。

过了一会儿，她听到一阵声响，是有人在用吸尘器。她睁开一只眼睛，然后迅速坐直了身子。是苏珊·布朗的妈妈，她怎么深更半夜打扫卧室啊？

特丽看了看房间四周，困惑不已。布朗太太把她的所有衣服和玩具都收拾好了，还把她的书和磁带整整齐齐地摆在了书架上。

“这破玩意儿我可缝不了！”布朗太太喊道。她拎着大熊巴斯特的一只破耳朵，在她脑袋边晃来晃去。“咱们把它扔掉算了！”

“我可不能把巴斯特扔掉。他是我的朋友。我六个月大的时候他就跟着我了。”

“那他陪你的时间也够长的了。没有这件垃圾陪着你，你会睡得更好。还有记住，雪球必须待在它的狗屋里。如果我在你床上发现一根白色的狗毛，我就马上把这根狗毛和雪球一起送到动物收容所去。”布朗太太很不屑地说完这番话，然后消失在一道光里。

“特丽，我有份礼物给你。”阿曼达·卡明斯的妈妈出现了，手里拿了一条出自名设计师之手的牛仔裤。特丽高兴地欢呼起来。她想抱抱卡明斯太太，可这个女人一下子把她推开了。“小心点儿！你会把我的衣服弄皱的！”

裤子很合身，但穿着感觉有点不对劲。“唔，卡明斯太太，裤子有点儿硬。”

“对啊，那当然。那才是最新流行款式啊。”

“但我只喜欢柔软的衣服。你就不能像我妈妈那样，在我穿新衣服之前把它们放到洗衣机里转几次吗？”

“当然不行。要是像你这样买回来之后马上就把衣服毁了，那我们买最新款的衣服还有什么意义啊？你一回到家就要换衣服，这样才不会把牛仔裤弄坏。”

特丽痛苦地点了点头。她讨厌放学回家后就换衣服。然后她又听见吉尔·麦克唐纳的妈妈叫她吃晚饭。而卡明斯太太拿着牛仔裤消失不见了。

特丽低头看了看，发现自己坐在了餐桌前。她看见自己的盘子里摆着加味烤土豆，浇了令人厌恶的芝士酱的西兰花，还有鸡排。麦克唐纳太太问她哪里不对劲。

“我哥哥和我都不喜欢吃加味烤土豆，所以我妈妈不做。我们也不喜欢芝士酱，所以她给我们做的西兰花什么也不放。”

麦克唐纳太太竖起眉毛，说：“但是，我先生和我都喜欢加味烤土豆和芝士酱。我可不打算为了伺候一个小孩而改变我们的饮食习惯。你要是不想吃桌上的这些东西，可以离开餐桌。”

突然，汉森太太出现在了厨房里。她端出糖霜泡芙和苏打水当早餐。太美味了！特丽吃了两大碗麦片粥，喝了三大杯饮料。但是后来，在体育课上，她都没法跑完接力赛了。她双腿发颤，胃里感到一阵阵恶心。她哼哼起来。

“特丽，宝贝儿！醒醒！”

特丽睁开眼睛。雪球趴在她胸口上舔她的脸，而大熊巴斯特则躺在她的枕头上。

她妈妈站在床边，俯下身来。“我刚才听见你大声叫唤。你是不是做梦了？”

特丽打了个寒颤。“更像是个噩梦。”

“要不要我给你倒点热牛奶？”

特丽摇摇头。她起身搂着妈妈。“你能不能就陪我待一分钟？”

威尔逊太太微微一笑，坐下来，双手搂着她的女儿。“真好啊。最近我还一直以为，你们都已经长大了，都不想再要我抱了呢。”

“哦，妈妈！不管我长多大，我都需要你的拥抱。你是世界上最棒的妈妈！”

（译/雷起凤）

How the Moon Was Kind to Her Mother

Once upon a time, a long, long while ago, the Sun, the Wind, and the Moon were three sisters, and their mother was a pale, lovely Star that shone, far away, in the dark evening sky.

One day their uncle and aunt, who were the Thunder and Lightning, asked the three sisters to have supper with them, and their mother said that they might go. She would wait for them, she said, and would not set until all three returned and told her about their pleasant visit.

So the Sun in her dress of gold, the Wind in a trailing[96] dress that rustled[97] as she passed, and the Moon in a wonderful gown of silver started out for the party with the Thunder and Lightning. Oh, it was a supper to remember! The table was spread with a cloth of rainbow. There were ices like the snow on the mountain tops, and cakes as soft and white as clouds, and fruits from every quarter of the earth. The three sisters ate their fill, especially the Sun and the Wind, who were very greedy, and left not so much as a crumb[98] on their plates. But the Moon was kind and remembered her mother. She hid a part of her supper in her long, white fingers to take home and share with her mother, the Star.

Then the three sisters said good-bye to the Thunder and Lightning and went home. When they reached there, they found their mother, the Star, waiting and shining for them as she had said she would.

"What did you bring me from the supper?" She asked.

The Sun tossed her head[99] with all its yellow hair in disdain[100] as she answered her mother.

"Why should I bring you anything?" She asked. "I went out for my own pleasure and not to think of you."

It was the same with the Wind. She wrapped her flowing robes about her and turned away from her mother.

"I, too, went out for my own entertainment," she said, "and why should I think of you, mother, when you were not with me?"

But it was very different with the Moon who was not greedy and selfish as her two sisters, the Sun and the Wind, were. She turned her pale sweet face toward her mother, the Star, and held out her slender[101] hands.

"See, mother," cried the Moon, "I have brought you part of everything that was on my plate. I ate only half of the feast for I wanted to share it with you."

So the mother brought a gold plate and the food that her unselfish daughter, the Moon, had brought her heaped the plate high. She ate it, and then she turned to her three children, for she had something important to say to them. She spoke first to the Sun.

"You were thoughtless and selfish, my daughter," she said. "You went out and enjoyed yourself with no thought of one who was left alone at home. Hereafter you shall be no longer beloved among men. Your rays shall be so hot and burning that they shall scorch[102] everything they touch. Men shall cover their heads when you appear, and they shall run away from you."

And that is why, to this day, the Sun is hot and blazing[103].

Next the mother spoke to the Wind.

"You, too, my daughter, have been unkind and greedy," she said. "You, also, enjoyed yourself with no thought of anyone else. You shall blow in the parching[104] heat of your sister, the Sun, and wither and blast all that you touch. No one shall love you any longer, but all men will dislike and avoid you."

And that is why, to this day, the Wind, blowing in hot weather, is so unpleasant.

But, last, the mother spoke to her kind daughter, the Moon.

"You remembered your mother, and were unselfish," she said. "To those who are thoughtful of their mother, great blessings come. For all time your light shall be cool, and calm, and beautiful. You shall wane[105], but you shall wax[106] again. You shall make the dark night bright, and all men shall call you blessed."

That is why, to this day, the Moon is so cool, and bright, and beautiful.

(By Carolyn Sherwin Bailey)

月亮对母亲的爱

从前，在很久很久以前，太阳、风和月亮是三姐妹，她们的母亲是黑暗夜空中遥远地闪烁着的一颗很淡却又很美丽的星星。

有一天，三姐妹的叔叔和婶婶，也就是雷公和电母，邀请三姐妹去和他们共进晚餐，母亲也允许她们去赴约。她说她会等着她们，在她们归来之前不会落下，还要听她们聊聊这次愉快的拜访。

于是，太阳穿上金色的衣服，风穿上一件拖尾裙，走过时发出沙沙的声响，月亮穿上一件漂亮的银色长礼服，三姐妹出发前往雷公和电母的宴会。哦，这真是一顿令人难忘的晚餐！餐桌上铺着彩虹桌布。冰块好似山顶上的白雪，蛋糕似云朵一样柔软、洁白，还有来自世界各地的水果。三姐妹吃得很饱，尤其是太阳和风两个贪吃鬼，盘子里连面包屑也没有剩下。只有体贴的月亮惦记着她的母亲。她把自己晚餐的一部分藏在了纤长、白皙的手指里，准备带回家和她的星星母亲分享。

然后，三姐妹向雷公和电母道别回家。她们到家时，看见星星母亲还在那里闪烁着，等着她们，正如她之前所承诺的一样。

她问：“你们都从晚宴上给我带回来什么好吃的了？”

太阳把满头的金发轻蔑地一甩，回答自己的母亲。

“我为什么要给你带吃的？”她问，“我出去玩是为了自己开心，不会想到你。”

风的态度和太阳的如出一辙。她裹上飘拂的长袍，转身背对着自己的母亲。

“我也是为了自己开心才出去玩的，”她说，“母亲，你又没和我在一起，为什么我要想到你呢？”

但月亮和她两个贪婪自私的姐姐截然不同。她将白皙甜美的脸庞转向母亲，向她伸出纤长的手。

“母亲，你看，”月亮大声说，“我把盘子里的每一种美食都给你带了一部分。我只吃了一半，因为我想和你一起分享。”

于是母亲端来一个金盘子，将她无私的女儿月亮带回来的食物堆得高高的。母亲吃完食物，转过身面向她的三个孩子，她有重要的话要对她们说。她首先对着太阳说话了。

“你粗心又自私，我的女儿，”她说，“你出去只顾着自己玩乐，却不会想到有人独自留在家中。今后不会再有人爱你了。你的光线会变得滚烫和灼热，任何东西碰到它都会被灼伤。当你出现的时候，人们都抱着自己的头，跑得远远地躲着你。”

这就是为什么直到今天，太阳滚烫且炽热的原因。

接下来，母亲对风说：

“你也一样，我的女儿，一直以来都无情且贪婪，”她说，“你也只顾着自己开心，不会考虑到其他任何人。你将在你太阳姐姐的灼热里刮起风来，你所碰触到的万物都将凋谢、枯萎。不但从此没有人会喜欢你，而且所有人都会讨厌你并躲着你。”

这也是为什么直到现在，天气炎热时刮起的热风令人如此不舒服的原因。

但是最后，母亲对着她善良的女儿月亮说：

“你挂念着母亲，一点都不自私，”她说，“那些惦记着自己母亲的人会得到美好的祝福。你的光线将一直凉爽、静谧而美丽。你会亏缺，但也会再转盈。你照亮黑夜，所有人都认为你是神圣的。”

正因为如此，今天的月亮才能如此清凉、明亮和美丽。

（译/黄德宗）

The Meanest Mother

I had the meanest mother in the whole world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal[107], eggs or toast[108]. When others had cokes and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different from the other kids' also. But at least, I wasn't alone in my sufferings. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.

My mother insisted upon knowing where we were at all times. You'd think we were on a chain gang[109]. She had to know who our friends were and where we were going. She insisted if we said we'd be gone an hour, that we be gone one hour or less—not one hour and one minute.

We had to wear clean clothes and take a bath . The other kids always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of insults[110] because she made our clothes herself, just to save money.

The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by nine each night and up at eight the next morning. We couldn't sleep till noon like our friends. So while they slept—my mother actually had the nerve[111] to break the Child Labor Law. She made us work. We had to wash dishes, make beds, learn to cook, all sorts of cruel things. I believe she laid awake at night thinking up mean things to do to us.

Through the years, things didn't improve a bit. We could not lie in bed, "sick" like our friends did, and miss school. Our marks in school had to be up to par[112]. Our friends' report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother, being as different as she was, would settle for[113] nothing less than[114] ugly black marks.

As the years rolled by, first one and then the other of us was put to shame. We were graduated from high school. With our mother behind us, talking, hitting and demanding respect, none of us was allowed the pleasure of being a drop-out.

My mother was a complete failure as a mother. Out of four children, a couple of us attained some higher education. None of us have ever been arrested or divorced. Each of my brothers served his time in the service of this country.

She forced us to grow up into God-fearing, educated, honest adults. Using this as a background, I am now trying to raise my three children. I am filled with pride when my children call me mean. Why? Because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the whole world.

(By Bobbie Pingaro)

最无情的母亲

我有全世界最无情的母亲。别的孩子早餐吃糖果，我必须吃谷类食品、鸡蛋或吐司。别的孩子午餐喝可乐、吃糖果，我必须吃三明治。可想而知，我的晚餐也和别的孩子不同。不过，好在我不是一个人受这些苦。我还有一个姐姐和两个哥哥，他们和我一样有一个无情的母亲。

我的母亲坚持要随时对我们的行踪了如指掌。你一定觉得我们是一帮被拴在同一条链子上的囚犯。她必须知道我们的朋友们是谁、我们打算去哪里。她坚持认为如果我们说要出去一小时，就只能在外面待一小时或少于一小时——不能是一小时零一分。

我们必须每天都穿干净的衣服，并且每天洗澡。而其他孩子的衣服总是一穿就好几天。最让我们感到丢脸的是，为了省钱，我们的衣服都是她自己做的。

最糟的还在后面呢。我们每晚都必须9点以前睡觉，第二天早晨8点起床。我们不能像朋友们一样睡到中午才起床。所以当他们在睡觉时，我的母亲实际上正在勇敢地违反童工法。她让我们干活。我们得洗盘子、铺床、学做饭和其他各种各样痛苦的事情。我相信她一定是彻夜不眠地盘算着如何无情地折磨我们。

这么多年来，这样的状况没有得到丝毫改善。我们不能像朋友们一样，躺在床上装病来逃课。我们在学校的成绩必须达标。朋友们的成绩单上总是有各种漂亮的颜色，黑色表示及格，红色表示不及格。而我的母亲在这一点上仍是与众不同，她只满足于那些难看的黑乎乎的分数。

时间一年年地过去，母亲的所作所为让我们各个兄弟姐妹感到无地自容。我们全都高中毕业了。由于母亲在身后不停地唠叨、打骂并要求得到尊重，我们中没人享受到辍学的乐趣。

作为母亲，我的妈妈是一个彻头彻尾的失败者。我们四个孩子中，有两个获得了接受高等教育的机会。我们中没有人被捕，也没有人离婚。我的哥哥们都服了兵役，为国效力。

她迫使我们成长为虔诚的、有教养的、诚实的成年人。利用这样的人生背景，如今的我正在努力抚养我的三个孩子。当我的孩子们说我很无情时，我的心中充满了自豪。为什么呢？因为现在我每天都会感谢上帝，谢谢他赐予了我一个世界上最无情的母亲。

（译/雷起凤）

The Potato Puppy

My four-year-old son, Shane, had been asking for a puppy for over a month, but his daddy kept saying, "No dogs!"

One day I was peeling[115] potatoes for dinner, and Shane was sitting on the floor at my feet asking for the thousands time, "Why won't Daddy let me have a puppy?" "Because they'll bring us trouble. Don't cry. Maybe Daddy will change his mind someday," I encouraged him. "No, he won't, and I won't have a puppy in a million years," Shane cried. I looked at his dirty, tearful face and said, "I know a way to make Daddy change his mind." "Really?" Shane wiped away his tears.

I handed him a potato. "Take this and carry it with you until it turns into a puppy," I whispered[116]. "Keep it with you all the time, and on the third day, tie a string around it and take it around the yard and see what happens!"

Shane took the potato with both hands. "Mama, how do you turn a potato into a puppy?" He turned it over and over in his little hands.

"Shh! It's a secret!" I whispered and sent him on his way. I knew what I must do to keep peace in my home.

Shane carried his potato around everywhere for two days. He slept with it, bathed with it and talked to it.

On the third day I said to my husband, "We really should get a pet for Shane." "What makes you think he needs a pet?" my husband asked. "Well, he's been carrying a potato around with him for days. He calls it Wally and says it is his pet. He sleeps with it on his pillow and right now he has a string tied to it and he's dragging it around the yard," I said. "A potato?" My husband asked and looked out of the window and watched Shane taking his potato for a walk." It will break his heart when the potato goes bad," I said and started getting lunch ready. "Besides, every time I try to peel potatoes for dinner, Shane cries because he says I'm killing Wally's family." My husband asked, "My son has a pet potato? That's crazy!" "Maybe you're right, but explain to me why he is taking that potato around the yard on a string," I said. My husband watched our son for a few more minutes. "I'll bring home a puppy tonight. It's better than a potato."

That night Shane's daddy brought home a puppy. Everyone was happy. My husband thought he'd saved his son from going crazy. Shane had a puppy and believed that his mother had magical powers that could change a potato into a puppy. And I was happy because I got my potato back and cooked it for dinner.

Everything was perfect until one evening when I was cooking dinner, Shane asked, "Mama, do you think I could have a horse for my birthday?" I looked into his sweet little face and said, "Well, first we have to take a watermelon…."

(Author Unknown)

土豆小狗

一个多月以来，我四岁的儿子沙恩一直要求养一只小狗，但他爸爸总是说：“不许养狗！”

一天，我在削土豆准备做饭，沙恩坐在我脚边的地板上，他第一千次问我：“为什么爸爸不让我养小狗呢？”“因为小狗会给我们带来麻烦。不要哭了，说不定爸爸哪天就会改变主意呢。”我鼓励他道。“不，他不会的，再过一百万年我也不会有一只小狗。”沙恩哭着说。我望着他脏兮兮、泪汪汪的小脸说道：“我知道一个方法，可以让爸爸改变主意。”“真的？”沙恩这才抹掉眼泪。

我递给他一个土豆。“拿着这个土豆，随身带着，直到它变成一只小狗，”我低声说道，“不论什么时候都带在身上，等到第三天，往上面拴一根细绳，然后带着它在院子转圈，看看会怎样！”

沙恩双手接过土豆。“妈妈，你怎么把土豆变成小狗啊？”他的小手拿着土豆，翻来覆去地看。

“嘘！这是秘密！”我低声说道，然后让他拿着土豆走了。为了维护家里的安宁，我知道我必须要做的事情。

随后的两天里，沙恩不论到哪里都带着他的土豆。他跟土豆一起睡觉，一起洗澡，还跟它说话。

第三天，我对丈夫说：“我们真的该给沙恩买只小狗了。”“你为什么认为他需要一只小狗呢？”我丈夫问道。“呃，他和一颗土豆形影不离，都好几天了。他管土豆叫沃利，还说它是自己的宠物。他睡觉时把土豆放在枕头上，现在他还给土豆拴了根绳，正拉着它在院子里遛弯呢。”我说。“一颗土豆？”我丈夫问道，并向窗外望了望，看到沙恩正牵着他的土豆散步。“等到土豆烂了，他会伤透心的，”我说着便开始准备午饭，“还有，每次我要削土豆准备做饭时，沙恩就哭，他说我在残害沃利的家人。”我丈夫问道：“我儿子有一个宠物土豆？太离谱了！”“也许你说得对，但解释一下为什么他用绳子拽着土豆在院子里遛弯。”我说道。我丈夫又盯着儿子看了几分钟。“我今晚会带回来一只小狗，它总比一颗土豆好。”

那天晚上，沙恩的爸爸带回家一只小狗。一家人都很高兴。我丈夫认为他拯救了快要发疯的儿子。沙恩拥有了一只小狗，并且相信他妈妈具有把土豆变成小狗的魔力。我也很高兴，因为我拿回了土豆，并且用它做了饭。

一切都很完美，直到一天晚上我正在做饭的时候，沙恩问道：“妈妈，你觉得我过生日的时候能得到一匹马吗？”我望着他可爱的小脸说：“呃，首先我们得买个西瓜……”

（译/随帆）