A mother and her son learn more from a moment of defeat than they ever could from a victory. Her example of never giving up gives him courage for the rest of his life.
从失败的一刻中,母亲和儿子收获了他们从成功中不曾收获到的。母亲永不放弃的精神给他此后的人生以很大的勇气。
The Day Mother Cried
妈哭的那天
Gerald Moore
杰拉尔德·默尔
Coming home from school that dark winter's day so long ago, I was filled with anticipation. I had a new issue of my favorite sports magazine tucked under my arm, and the house to myself. Dad was at work, my sister was away, and Mother wouldn't be home from her new job for an hour. I bounded up the steps, burst into the living room and flipped on a light.
在很久以前一个昏暗的冬天,我放学回家,心中充满了期待。我腋下夹着一期新的我最爱看的体育杂志,再者,家里没有别人打扰我。爹在上班,妹不在家。妈刚找到新工作,还得过一个小时才下班。我跳上台阶,冲进起居室,啪嗒一声打开电灯。
I was shocked into stillness by what I saw. Mother, pulled into a tight ball with her face in her hands, sat at the far end of the couch. She was crying. I had never seen her cry.
我被眼前的景象惊呆了。妈双手捂着脸,身子紧缩成一团,坐在长沙发的那一端哭泣着。我看见妈哭这还是第一次。
I approached cautiously and touched her shoulder. “Mother?” I said. “What's happened?”
我小心地向她走去,轻轻拍她的肩膀。“妈,”我说,“怎么啦?”
She took a long breath and managed a weak smile. “It's nothing, really. Nothing important. Just that I'm going to lose this new job. I can't type fast enough.”
妈深深吸了一口气,强作微笑。“没什么,真的。没有什么要紧的事。只是我这份新工作要丢了。我字打得不够快。”
“But you've only been there three days,” I said. “You'll catch on.” I was repeating a line she had spoken to me a hundred times when I was having trouble learning or doing something important to me.
“可你上班才三天,”我说。“你会熟练起来的。”我这是在重复她讲过上百次的一句话,每当我学习或做一件与自己关系重大的事情而遇到困难时,她总是这样跟我说的。
“No.” she said sadly. “I always said I could do anything I set my mind to, and I still think I can in most things. But I can't do this.”
“不成,”妈黯然神伤地说。“过去我总是讲,只要我下决心,什么事都能干成。现在我仍然认为大多数的事我都能做。但打字这件事我干不了。”