你所记得的 All You Remember

戴比·法墨/Debbie Farmer

All you remember about your child being an infant is the incredible awe you felt about the precious miracle you created. You remember having plenty of time to bestow all your wisdom and knowledge. You thought your child would take all of your advice and make fewer mistakes, and be much smarter than you were. You wished for your child to hurry and grow up.

All you remember about your child being two is never using the restroom alone or getting to watch a movie without talking animals. You recall afternoons talking on the phone while crouching in the bedroom closet, and being convinced your child would be the first Ivy League college student to graduate wearing pullovers at the ceremony. You remember worrying about the bag of M＆ M’s melting in your pocket and ruining your good dress. You wished for your child to be more independent.

All you remember about your child being five is the first day of school and finally having the house to yourself. You remember joining the PTA and being elected president. When you left a meeting to use the restroom, you remember being asked“Is Santa real?”and saying“yes”because he had to be for a little bit longer. You remember shaking the sofa cushions for loose change, so the tooth-fairy could come and take away your child’s first lost tooth. You wished for your child to have all permanent teeth.

All you remember about your child being seven is the carpool schedule. You learned to apply make up in two minutes and brush your teeth in the rearview mirror because the only time you had to yourself was when you were stopped at red lights. You considered painting your car yellow and posting a“taxi”sign on the lawn next to the garage door. You remember people staring at you, the few times you were out of the car, because you kept flexing your foot and making acceleration noises. You wished for the day your child would learn how to drive.

All you remember about your child being ten is managing the school fund raisers. You sold wrapping paper for paint, T-shirts for new furniture, and magazine subscriptions for shade trees in the school playground. You remember storing a hundred cases of candy bars in the garage to sell so the school band could get new uniforms, and how they melted together on an unseasonably warm spring afternoon. You wished your child would grow out of playing an instrument.

All you remember about your child being twelve is sitting in the stands during baseball practice and hoping your child’s team would strike out fast because you had more important things to do at home. The coach didn’t understand how busy you were. You wished the baseball season would be over soon.

All you remember about your child being fourteen is being asked not to stop the car in front of the school in the morning. You had to drive two blocks further and unlock the doors without coming to a complete stop. You remember not getting to kiss your child goodbye or talking to him in front of his friends. You wished your child would be more mature.

All you remember about your child being sixteen is loud music and undecipherable lyrics screamed to a rhythmic beat. You wished for your child to grow up and leave home with the stereo.

All you remember about your child being eighteen is the day they were born and having all the time in the world.

And, as you walk through your quiet house, you wonder where they went and you wish your child hadn’t grown up so fast.

当你的孩子是个婴儿的时候，你所记得的，是惊讶于自己创造出来的堪称完美奇迹的作品，并怀有不可思议的敬畏。你记得拥有大量时间去传授你所有的智慧和知识。你认为你的孩子会接受你所有的忠告而少犯错误，会比你孩提时聪明得多。你希望你的孩子迅速长大。

孩子两岁时，你所记得的是，你从不能单独使用卫生间，或者从没看过一部与动物无关的电影。你记得蜷缩在卧室与朋友通电话的那些下午，深信你的孩子会是毕业典礼上第一个身着套头衫的名牌大学毕业生。你记得你担心口袋里的那袋M＆M会融化在衣兜里，毁坏你体面的衣服。你多么希望你的孩子更加独立。

孩子五岁的时候，你所记得的，是他第一天去上学，而你终于独自拥有了整个房子。你记得参加了家长会，当你离开会议室去洗手间时，你被选为会长。你记得，孩子问你：“真的有圣诞老人吗？”你说：“是的。”因为他还需要一段时间才能自己判断。你记得抖落沙发垫子，找出些零钱，这样牙齿仙子会过来带走孩子掉落的第一颗牙齿，你多希望孩子的牙都换成了恒牙。

孩子七岁的时候，你所记得的是合伙用车。你学会了在两分钟内化完妆，照着汽车后视镜刷牙，因为你只有等汽车停在红灯前才能给自己找出一点儿时间。你考虑把车子漆成黄色，放个“出租车”的标志在车库门旁的草坪上。你记得有几次下车后，有人盯着你看，因为你不断用脚踩油门加速，制造噪音。你多希望你的孩子能学会开车。

孩子十岁的时候，你所记得的是怎样组织学校的募捐者。你们兜售包装纸，所得的钱用来粉刷学校；卖T恤衫的钱用来添置新家具；为了在学校操场上种些遮阳树，你们劝人订阅杂志。你记得车库里有上百盒糖果等待出售，卖得钱后学校的乐队就可以购置新制服，可那些糖果竟全部融化在一起了，那个春天的下午简直太暖和了。你多么希望孩子快快长大，不再玩什么乐器。

孩子十二岁的时候，你所记得的是，坐在体育场上看棒球练习赛，你希望孩子所在的队很快被淘汰出局，因为家里还有更重要的事儿等着你去做。教练不明白为什么你总是那么忙，你多希望棒球赛季很快过去。

孩子十四岁时，你所记得的是，早上他不让你把汽车停在学校门口，你只好向前开过两条街，车还没停稳就赶紧打开车门。你记得在他朋友面前，你不能跟他吻别或者说话。你多希望你的孩子能更成熟些。

孩子十六岁的时候，你所记得的是，吵闹的音乐和那些节奏感极强的尖声唱出的晦涩难懂的歌词。你多希望孩子快点儿长大，带着音响离开家。

孩子十八岁了，你所记得的是，他们出生的那一天，拥有世界上所有的时光。

当你在寂静的房子里走来走去时，你猜想着他们去了哪里，你多希望你的孩子不要这么快长大。

心灵小语

世界上最繁忙的职业就是母亲，当你有了一个孩子，你会发现所有的时间都不再是自己的。而当某一天他撤出你的世界，那里的一切就都荒芜了。

incredible adj.难以置信的；可疑的

例 The film star has an incredible car in addition to a large home.

这个电影明星除了一幢很大的房子之外，还有一辆极好的汽车。

ceremony n.礼仪；典礼；仪式

例 The marriage ceremony took place in the church.

婚礼在教堂举行。

independent adj.独立的；不承担义务的；单独的

例 Although she is young, she is very independent.

虽然她年轻，但很有主见。

acceleration n.加速；促进；加快

例 This bus has good acceleration.

这辆公共汽车的加速性能很好。

你记得拥有大量时间去传授你所有的智慧和知识。

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你认为你的孩子会接受你所有的忠告而少犯错误，会比你孩提时聪明得多。

译___________________________________________________________________

孩子十八岁了，你所记得的是，他们出生的那一天，拥有世界上所有的时光。

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You remember having plenty of time to bestow all your wisdom and knowledge.

plenty of：许多

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……would strike out fast because you had……

strike out：（棒）三振出局

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