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喜欢Barbara Park的作品，不仅因为她作为成年人，能够以孩童的视角洞察被大人忽略的情感，还因为作品中充满童趣。当然，英文表达比较简单，也是重要原因之一。下面这段摘自她的“Don't make me smile"一书，是讲述一个十一的岁男孩父母离婚以后，心里成长过程。试着将其翻译过来，权当练手，希望没把韩老师教的忘光，也欢迎各位同学指正。
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连载(三)
I’M NOT sure how long I stayed in the bathroom that night. It was long enough to make my mother nervous, though.
那晚，我也不知道在厕所待了多久。反正是时间挺长的，我老妈很担心了。
She knocked on the door. “ Charles , are you okay?” she called.
她在外面敲门，喊着：“查理，你没事吧？”
I don’t know why she and my father aren’t happy together. They both ask the same questions.
我都不知道为什么她和我爸在一起会不幸福了，他们挺配的，连问的问题都一样。
“Great,” I said. “I’m just great.”
“没事”我回答：“我很好！”
I looked in the mirror. I was so far from great it wasn’t funny. My face was as white as a sheet.
我照了下镜子，那样子可真不是很好啊。我的脸白得像纸一样。
I started the water in the tub.” I’m going to take a shower,” I yelled.
我打开水龙头放水，冲外面喊：“我要冲个澡。”
“Well, if you need anything, just holler,” Mom called back.
我妈的喊声传过来：“好，如果需要什么，就叫我。”
Oh, I do need something, Mother, I thought. I need two parents who care about me. I need you and Dad to stay together. But I didn’t say it.
我想说：“妈妈，我确实有需要。我需要关心我的父母亲，我需要你和爸爸在一起，不分开。”但是这些话，我没说出来。
I stayed in the shower for over half an hour. I washed my hair twice for no reason. By the time I got out, my skin was so wrinkled I looked even worse than before.
我在厕所里待了半个多小时。为了多待会儿，头都洗了两遍。等我出去的时候，皮肤都泡皱巴了。所以这个澡洗的真不怎么样，我的样子比原来还糟糕。
I put on my pajamas and slowly opened the bathroom door. I wanted to make sure my mother wasn’t hanging around the hall waiting for me to come out.
我穿上睡衣，慢慢打开浴室门，伸出头张望。我不想看见老妈在走廊里等我出去。
I just wanted to be left alone.
我就想自己待一会儿。
The coast was clear. I hurried into my bedroom and locked the door behind me.
走廊空无一人，我飞快冲进卧室，把门锁上。
“I’m going to bed now,” I hollered.
我冲外面喊：“我要睡了。”
But as it turned out, I didn’t need to holler at all. When I turned around, my mother was standing there waiting for me.
但实际上，我根本不用喊。当我转过身来，看到老妈站在卧室里等我。
I could tell she had been crying. Her nose was all red and her eyes were real puffy-looking. She looked awful.
我发现她哭过了。鼻子红红的，眼睛肿肿的。看上去很憔悴。
I wanted to tell her to get out of my room, but I was afraid she would start crying again.
我想让她出去，但怕这样她就又要哭了。
“Do you want to talk about it?” She asked quietly.
老妈轻声问我：“想要谈谈吗？”
I didn’t answer.
我没吱声。
“Charles, please,” she said, “ I know this is a big shock for you, and it’s very hard for you to understand. But it’s hard for all of us.”
她说：“查理，儿子。我知道你一定没想到，感觉很震惊。对你来说，肯定很难理解。但实际上，这事对我们来说，都不好受。“
A couple of tears rolled down her check.
她脸上又滑过几颗泪珠。
All I can say is that if she was trying to make me feel better, she was doing on lousy job.
我想说的是，如果她想安慰我，让我好过点，这么着可不行。
I wanted her to leave. It was all that I could think about.
我最想做的就是让她走开。
I didn’t say anything. I just unlocked my door and pointed to the hall. This clearly meant for her to go.
我什么都没说，只是打开门，指着走廊。这有多明显了，就是让她赶紧出去。
She didn’t, though. She just stood there.
但她没有，还站在那。
So I left instead.
所以，只好我出去了。
I heard my father in the bedroom. I went to his door and looked in. He was standing there holding two suitcases.
我听见老爸在他卧室，就走到门口朝里看。他站在屋里，手里拎着两个大行李箱。
Suddenly, I was furious. How could they do this to me? How could two people who were supposed to love me wreck my life like this?
我一下子就怒了。他们怎么可以这样对我？这两个本该爱我的人，怎么能就这样毁了我的生活？
My father looked embarrassed. “ I guess I’ll be staying in a motel for a couple of days,” he said.” I’ll come get you tomorrow and we’ll talk. Okay ?”
爸爸看上去很狼狈，说：“我想先在酒店住几天。明天来接你，咱们再谈谈，好吗？”
I just kept glaring at those suitcases.
我光盯着那两个箱子，什么都没说。
He put them down and came over to me.” Everything will be okay, Charlie,” he said. “ I promise you it will.”
他放下箱子走过来，对我说：“事情会好起来的，查理。我保证，会好的。”
I backed away. I could tell I was making him feel uncomfortable. I was glad.
我背过身去，感觉到我让他很心疼。这让我挺高兴。
Finally, he picked up his suitcases again and walked out. “ I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.
最后，他又提起箱子，走出去。说：“明天见。”
I followed him down the hall to the front door. I wanted to make him feel as upset and sick as I was. I wanted to make him throw up, too.
我跟着他走过门厅来到前门。我想让他像我一样伤心、难过。我想让他也恶心、呕吐。
As he headed down the front steps to his truck, I started to cry.
所以当他走下台阶向车子走去时，我开始哭起来。
“Don’t, Charles, “he said.” Please don’t cry.”
他说：“不，查理，别哭。”
Since he didn’t want me to cry, I cried even louder. Making him feel terrible was the only thing that could make me feel better.
一想到他不想让我哭，我就哭得更响了。现在只有让他不爽，才能让我解气。
I really started to blubber.
我真开始嚎淘大哭起来。
There’s a big difference between just plain crying and blubbering, by the way. Crying is when you make little whimpering noises and tears come out of your eyes. Blubbering is when you make this loud heaving noise, and your nose runs, and everyone in the neighborhood can hear you.
要我说，嚎淘大哭和一般的哭可不一样。一般的哭就是你鼻子哼哼着，眼睛里有泪水。而嚎淘大哭则是，一边嚷嚷着，哭得鼻涕四流，动静大得让别人都能听见。
After my father put his suitcases in the truck, he reached out to me. I backed away again. I didn’t want him to touch me. All I wanted was to show him how terrible he had made me feel.
老爸把行李放到车上，伸手要抱我。我又转过身，不想让他碰。现在我想做的就是要让他知道，我感觉超级不爽。
At last, he got in his truck and drove away.
没办法，他只好上车，开走了。
I went back inside and ran to my room. My mother was still there. And to make matters worse, she was crying again.
我回到屋里跑进卧室。老妈还在里面呢，糟糕的是，她又哭了。
She was really getting on my nerves. What in the world did she have to cry about? Her parents weren’t splitting up, were they?
她真让我很头疼。她到底哭什么呀？她爸妈又没离婚，哭什么呀？
“I want to be alone,” I said.
我说：“我想一个人待会。”
This time, she didn’t argue. She just walked out.
这一次，她没说什么，走了出去。
As soon as the door was closed. I flopped on my bed. All I could think about was how both of them kept asking me if I was okay.
门一关上，我就一头扎进床上。满脑子都是，他们两个一直都问我：“没事吧”、“还好吗？”
Suddenly, I got up and opened the door.
想着想着，我突然站起来，打开门。
“And I’m Not okay!” I shouted.“ I’ll never be okay again!”
向外面大声喊：“其实我感觉很不好！永远都不会再好了！”
翻译:王悦
王悦
2012-09-26
天之聪教育
457次
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