雙語 ● 寫給所有的母親們　For Moms

■寫給所有的母親們　For Moms

◎ Cindy Lange-Kubick

This is for all the mothers who didn’t win Mother of the Year last year, all the runners-up and all the wannabes[1] , including the mothers too tired to enter or too busy to care.

這是寫給所有在去年沒能獲得“年度母親”的媽媽們，所有的亞軍和希望超越她們的人，還包括那些太勞累而沒能參加，或是太忙碌而無暇顧及的母親們。

This is for all the mothers who froze their buns off on metal bleachers at soccer games on Friday night, instead of watching from cars. So that when their kids asked, “Did you see my goal?” They could say, “Of course, wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” and mean it.

這是寫給所有會在周五晚上到露天球場觀看足球賽的母親們，她們會坐在冰冷的看臺上，而不是從汽車里面觀看。這樣，當她們的孩子問：“你看到我得分了嗎？”她們就能回答：“當然，我怎么會錯過你的比賽啊?！笔聦嵈_實是這樣。

This is for all the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, “It’s OK, honey, Mommy’s here.”

這是寫給所有在整晚抱緊生病的孩子的母親們——她們擦掉那些摻著香腸的嘔吐物，并溫柔地說：“好了，寶貝，媽媽在這兒?！?

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they’ll never see, and the mothers who took those babies and made them homes.

這是寫給那些生下孩子后，卻永遠不能見孩子一面而逝去的母親們。也送給那些收養(yǎng)了這些孩子，并給了他們一個家園的母親們。

This is for all the mothers of the victims of school shootings, and the mothers of the murderers. For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.

這是寫給這些母親的：她們的孩子成了學校槍擊事件的受害者；她們是殺人犯的母親；她們是幸存者的母親；她們是坐在電視前心神不寧、滿懷恐懼，孩子一放學安全回家就擁抱孩子的母親們。

This is for all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes, and all the mothers who don’t. 這是寫給這些合伙使用汽車、會做餅干、縫制萬圣節(jié)衣服的母親們，也寫給那些不做這些事情的母親們。

What makes a good mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips? 怎樣才算是一個好母親？是耐心？同情？還是博大的胸懷？

Is it the ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time? Or is it heart? 是同時具有照顧孩子、做飯，并在襯衫上釘紐扣的能力？還是擁有充滿摯愛的心？

Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time? 是你看著兒子或女兒消失在街頭，第一次走進校園時的那種失落嗎 ？

Is it the jolt[2] that takes you from sleep to dread, as you bound from bed to crib at 2 a.m. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby? 是你從夢中驚醒，在凌晨兩點從床上跳起來，走到嬰兒床邊，輕拍熟睡的寶貝時的那種震撼嗎？

Is it the need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a school shooting, a fire, a car accident, or a baby dying?

還是不論身在何處，只要聽到有關(guān)校園槍擊案、火災、車禍，或者有孩子死亡的消息時，想要擁抱自己孩子的那種渴望？

I think so.

我想是這樣。

So this is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies, and for all the mothers who wanted to but just couldn’t.

因此，這是寫給所有的母親們。她們抱著孩子坐下，解釋關(guān)于懷孕的一切；這也是寫給那些心有余而力不足的母親們。

This is for reading “Goodnight, Moon ” twice a night for a year and then reading it again. “Just one more time.”

這是寫給堅持一年中的每個晚上都要讀兩遍《晚安，月亮》，之后卻又說“再來一遍”的母親們。

This is for all the mothers who mess up, who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat[3] them in despair and stomp their feet like a tired 2-year-old who wants ice cream before dinner.

這是寫給所有心情糟糕的母親們。她們在雜貨店里責罵她們的孩子，朝死里打他們，甚至像一個想在飯前吃根冰激凌的兩歲小孩一樣，氣得跺腳。

This is for all the mothers who taught their daughters to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.

這是寫給所有這樣的母親，她們在女兒開始上學前就教會孩子系鞋帶。還有那些選擇維可牢尼龍搭扣而不是鞋帶的母親。

This is for all the mothers who bite their lips—sometimes until they bleed—when their 14 year olds dye their hair green. Who lock themselves in the bathroom when babies keep crying and won’t stop.

這是寫給這些母親們，她們看見自己14歲的孩子把頭發(fā)染成綠色，會氣得把嘴唇咬出血。當孩子不停哭喊的時候，她們會絕望地把自己鎖在浴室里。

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.

這是寫給這些母親，她們上班的時候，頭發(fā)上有唾液，上衣上有奶漬，包里有小孩尿布。

This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.

這是寫給這樣的母親，她們教兒子做飯，教女兒跳投籃球。

This is for all mothers whose heads turn automatically when a little voice calls “Mom?” in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring[4] are at home.

這是寫給這樣的母親，當她們在擁擠的人群里聽到一個很小的聲音叫“媽媽”，就會馬上轉(zhuǎn)過頭來，即使她們知道孩子在家里。

This is for mothers who put pinwheels and teddy bears on their children’s graves.

這是寫給那些在孩子的墓前放上風車和泰迪熊的母親們。

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can’t find the words to reach them.

這是寫給那些母親，她們的孩子誤入歧途，她們又不能找到合適的話來教導他們。

This is for all the mothers who sent their sons to school with stomachaches, assuring them they’d be just fine once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse and hour later asking them to please pick them up, right away.

這是寫給這樣的母親們，她們把胃痛的兒子送到學校，而且還對孩子保證說一到學校就會好，結(jié)果卻從學校護士那里接到電話，一小時后又要求她們立刻接回孩子。

This is for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation, and mature mothers learning to let go.

這是寫給年輕母親的。她們忙于給孩子換尿布，幾乎被剝奪了所有的睡眠時間。而成熟的母親學著放任他們。

This is for working mothers and stay-at-home mothers, single mothers and married mothers, mothers with money, and mothers without.

這是寫給所有工作的母親與全職媽媽，單身的母親與已婚的母親，有錢的母親與沒錢的母親的。

This is for you all. So hang in there!

就這些，到此止筆！

超多雙語閱讀，盡在聽力課堂