连载（二）
SO FAR, one of the worst things about my parents’ divorce is that I’m supposed to go around smiling all the time. When they were together, I never had to smile unless I felt like it. But ever since they split up, I have to keep looking real jolly and happy. If I don’t, it makes them feel even guiltier.
我爸妈离婚到现在，最让我不爽的就是：我得天天到哪都乐呵呵的。他们没离的时候，我可不用这么受罪。那时候，我可不用强颜欢笑。自打他们分开，我就必须整天装成一副开心、快乐的样子。如果不这样，他们就会觉得特愧疚，特对不起我。
“Cheer up. Cheer up.” That’s all my mother keeps saying. Then she tries to make me smile. If there’s one thing I really hate, it’s having someone try to make you smile when you don’t want to.
我妈总是对我说“高兴点儿，高兴点儿。”然后她就让我给她乐。我告诉你，如果说有什么事让我特痛恨的话，就是别人在你不想笑的时候，硬让你笑。
“Come on,” she says,“Let me see a little smile.”
她说：“来，给妈妈乐一个。”
Sometimes, I try to resist. But I know she won’t leave me alone until I do it. So usually, I just shoot her a stupid grin to get her off my back.
有时候，真不想听她的。但是，我可知道如果不照她说的做，老妈是不会罢休的。所以，我常常就给她挤出一个傻笑了事。
My mother isn’t the only one who keeps trying to make me smile, though. My father is just as bad. He even tried it the night he told me about the divorce.
不过，不光我妈这样，我老爸更糟。他甚至在告诉我要离婚那天晚上就硬逼着我笑。
He knocked on my door and asked if he could come in. I really could kick myself for not asking him what he wanted first. Then maybe he would have said,“I want to talk to you about the divorce your mother and I are getting.” And I would have said,“Well, in that case, you can’t come in. Not unless you promise to stay together.”
那天，他在屋外敲门，问是否可以进来。我现在后悔死了，当时真该先问问他进来干嘛。如果我问了，他可能就会说：“我想和你谈谈我和你妈正准备离婚的事。”那么我就会说：“噢，如果是这事，那你就不准进来。除非你答应不离。”
And he would have said,“Okay. If you feel that strongly about it, I guess maybe we will.” And then all of us would have lived happily ever after.
然后他就会说：“噢，好吧。既然你对这事反应这么强烈，那我想我们可以不离。”从此以后，我们三个就继续幸福地生活在一起了。
But instead, I just unlocked my door and let him in.
但是，没有。我只是打开了门，让他进来。
Dad walked over and sat down on my bed beside me. He had this real grim look on his face, like something terrible has just happened. It really got me scared.
老爸进来，走到床边，挨着我坐下。他脸上表情严峻，好像发生了什么可怕的事。真把我吓坏了。
“There’s something very important that I have to tell you, Charlie,” he said.
他说：“查理，爸爸有非常重要的事要跟你说。”
By this time, I was sure that someone had died.
当时，我感觉肯定是有什么人死了。
I swallowed hard. “Was it Grandma?” I asked.
我使劲咽了口唾沫，问：“是奶奶吗？”
My father looked puzzled. “ Was what Grandma?” he said.
把我爸弄蒙了，问：“什么，什么是奶奶吗？”
“The one who died…..was it Grandma?”
“有人死了吧？。。。。是奶奶死了吗？”
“Oh no, Charles,” he said. “It’s nothing like that. No one has died.”
他说：“噢，不，查理。不是你想的那样。不是有人死了。”
I felt relieved. “Thank God,” I said. “For a minute there, you really had me worried, Dad.”
我感觉一阵轻松。说：“谢天谢地。爸爸，刚才你那样儿，真让人担心。”
“I’m sorry, Charlie,” he said. “But still, what I have to tell you is very, very difficult.”
老爸说：“查理，真抱歉。虽然不是有人死了，但我要跟你说的事，对你来说也不太好受。”
As soon as he said this, I started getting scared all over again.
他这么一说，我的心又揪了起来。
“I know that I’m not going to be able to explain this as well s I want to,” he said, “But I’ll do the best I can.”
他说：“我不知道怎么解释才好，也不想跟你说，但没办法，希望我能说清楚。”
My father took a deep breath. “For a long time now, your mother and I haven’t been very happy living here together.”
他深吸了口气说：“一段时间以来，我和你妈妈生活在一起并不幸福。”
“What do you mean you haven’t been happy?” I said. “You always act okay to me.”
我问：“什么意思？你们不幸福是什么意思？我看你们挺好的。”
“I mean that when your mother and I got married, we loved each other very much,” he said.” And we thought that we would always feel that way. But sometimes things don’t always work out the way we want them to. Even though two people care about each other, they’re not always happy living together.”
他说：“我是说，当初，我们结婚的时候，彼此非常相爱。我们也以为会一直这样。但是有时侯，事与愿违。也就是说，即使两个人仍然相互关心，但生活在一起并不快乐。”
He shook his head. “They try, Charlie, but it just doesn’t always work. And after a while they decide to make some changes to that they can both e happy again.”
“不快乐，”他摇摇头，继续说：“他们努力过，但不管用。试过以后，他们决定改变。这样，他们就会又快乐了。”
Dad stopped talking for a second and looked at me.
老爸停下来，看着我。
“Do you understand what I’m saying, son?” he asked.
问：“你明白我说的意思吗？”
“Sort of,” I said.“You’re saying that you and Mom need to do something to make yourselves happier.”
我说：“有点明白了。你是说，你和我妈要做点什么，让你们自己能快乐点。”
“That’s right, Charlie. We do,” he said.
他说：“对，查理。是这样的。”
Now here is where I made my next big mistake. I asked an extremely stupid question.
然后，我就又犯了一个超级大错误，问了一个超级愚蠢的问题。
“So what are you going to do?” I asked.
我问：“那你们想干什么呢？”
Man, I wish I had never asked that. If I hadn’t asked it, maybe my father would never have said what he said. Maybe he would have changed his mind.
天呐。我真希望没问这个蠢问题。如果我没问，也许老爸就不会说出他要说的话，也许他就会改变主意了。
Instead, he waited a minute, then he lowered his voice and said,” We’ve decided to get a divorce.”
但是，他停顿了一会。然后放低声音说：“我们决定要离婚。”
I just sat there staring at him. I couldn’t even speak, I mean.
我坐在那看着他。一个字都说不出来。
Dad reached out and put his arms around me. He must have thought that I was going to start bawling or something. But I fooled him. I don’t know why I didn’t cry. I just didn’t.
老爸伸出手搂住我。他肯定是以为我要嚎淘大哭或怎么的。可是，他没想到，我没哭。我也不知道为什么，可就是没有。
All I could do was stare.
我只是坐那，一直盯着他看。
Have you ever noticed that when you stare at somebody long enough, it makes them nervous? And when people get nervous, they say very stupid things. I know this is true. Because after I stared at my father for a while, he said the stupidest thing in the whole world.
你注意过没有？如果你一直盯着一个人看，会让他特紧张。他一紧张，就会说些傻话。我知道是这样的。因为我死盯着老爸一会后，他就问了一个世界上最傻的问题。
“Are you okay?” he said.
他说：“你没事吧？”
I mean, just think about how stupid that is. Your own father comes into your room, sits down on your bed, and tells you that he and your mother are going to destroy your entire life. Then he asks you if you’re okay.
我是说，你想想这有多傻。你爸走进你房间，坐在你床上。告诉你，他和你妈要做的事会毁了你今后全部的生活。然后他还问你，“你没事吧？”
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
愚蠢至极。
As a matter of fact, it was such a stupid question, it deserved a stupid answer.
所以说，这么个傻问题，只能配一个傻答案喽。
“Yeah, Dad. I’m fine,” I said.
我说：“是的，爸爸。我没事。”
He ruffled my hair.“Of course you are,” he said.
他摩娑下我的头发，说：“好，没事就好。”
He stood up.” Well, I think I’ve told you just about enough for one night. I know this is going to be hard on you. It’s going to be hard on all of us. But I don’t want you to worry, Charlie. It’s all going to work out fine. I just know it is.”
他站起身，说：“好吧，今天晚上就和你说这么多。爸爸知道，这对你来说会很难。对我们三个都会很难。但是，查理，爸爸不想让你担心。事情会好起来的。我知道，会好的。”
He reached down and hugged me again.” How about a little smile just to show me you’re okay,” he said.
他弯下身，又抱住我，说：“给爸笑一下，让我知道你没事。”
I shot him a grim to get him out of my room.
我朝他咧咧嘴，他看到后转身朝外走。
My father walked to the door.
“We’ll talk about this again tomorrow, after you’ve had a chance to think about it. Good night, son,” he said, closing the door behind him.
爸爸向门口走去，一边说：“我们明天再谈。给你点时间考虑一下。儿子，晚安。”然后从身后把门关上。
I waited a couple of minutes to make sure he was gone.
我等了一会儿，确认他已经走了。
Then I ran into the bathroom and threw up.
然后，跑进浴室，吐了起来。
翻译：学员王悦
王悦
2012-09-24
天之聪教育
683次
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