连载(五)Don't make me smile

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连载(五)Don't make me smile

王悦 2012-10-08 天之聪教育 648次

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。

THE REASON that I didn’t want to go to school was simple. I didn’t want to have to tell my friends that my parents were getting a divorce. I just didn’t want to do it, that’s all.
其实我赖着不想上学的原因很简单，没别的，我就是不想告诉朋友们我父母离婚了。

But refusing to go to school is a lot like mowing the lawn. If your parents really want you to go, they can usually figure out a way to make you. So while I was lying there in bed, I tried to think of what I would say to my friends if my parents made me go.
但是这事和除草事件同属一类。如果他们非要让我去，肯定就能想出法子来。所以别看我躺在床上，心里想着如果他俩愣逼我去，我怎么跟那帮朋友说。

One thing was for sure. I didn’t want to have to go around saying it a million times. I wanted to say it once and get it over with.
至少可以肯定一件事。我可不想把这事跟每个朋友说一次，翻来覆去解释一百遍，我想一次解决问题。

I wondered if our principal, Mr. Kabinski, would let me use the school intercom. The intercom would be perfect, I thought.
我琢磨着Kabinski校长要是能让我用学校的广播喇叭就好了。那个东西最带劲。如果能让我用的话，我想这样说：各位同学请注意。我是查理。Hickle。

May I have your attention, please? This is Charles Hickle speaking.
I would like to inform everyone that last night, at approximately 8:15 P.M., my father came into my room and told me that he and my mother are planning to get a divorce.
我想告诉大家，昨天晚上，大约8点15分，我爸走进我房间告诉我，他和我妈正打算离婚。

Now I know that some of you have already been through this sort of thing, and it didn’t really bother you. But I also know that different people react to bad news in different ways. And as for me…I have gone nuts.
我知道在座的各位有些人父母已经离婚了，你们觉得无所谓。但是我知道，在这样的家庭不幸面前，大家反应是不一样的。至于我，我都快疯了。。。

I hope this will explain why some of you saw my mother dragging me to school today. And I also hope it will explain why I am still wearing my pajamas.
我希望你们能理解，为什么今天早上有人看见我妈把我拖到学校来。当然更希望大家能理解，我为什么还穿着睡衣。

I played it over and over in my head. It sounded pretty good, actually. But I knew I would probable never get to use it.
我在脑海里反复演练，觉得练得怪不错。但是我知道，这段演说词永远都没机会真正上演。

In the first place, I didn’t think that my mother was strong enough to drag me to school all by herself. And even if she did, I was pretty sure that Mr. Kabinski would never let some idiot in his pajamas make an announcement over the intercom.
首先，我知道老妈没那么强，可以一个人把我拖到学校。就算她能，我担保Kabinski校长绝不会让一个穿着睡衣的白痴用广播喇叭瞎说八道。

That’s why I decided to try and think of another way to handle it. I mean, maybe I didn’t have to be totally honest with my friends about the divorce. Maybe I could just tell them that my father had gone away on a business trip.
所以我只好再想别的辙了。我是指，也许我可以不告诉朋友们实情。也许我可以跟他们说我爸出差了就行。

The trouble was, sooner or later, I knew someone would say, “Wow, your dad sure has been gone a long time. How long does this business trip last, anyway?”
问题是，迟早会有人问：“哇。你爸出差时间够长了。到底他要去多久呀？”

Then I would have to say, “Oh, he’s on one of those business trips where he never actually comes back.”
那么，我只能说：“噢。他出的这个差，是永远都不回来的那种。”

And even though my friends seem pretty dopey sometimes, they’re still smart enough to figure out that no one stays on a business trip forever.
尽管我这些朋友有时很无脑，但他们还是能搞清楚，没有人会永远出差的。

Finally, there was only one thing left to do. I got out of bed and went into the kitchen to call MaryAnn Brady.
最后，我只能有一招可用了。我下床走进厨房去给玛丽安。布雷迪打电话。

MaryAnn Brady lives next door. I don’t like her very much, but sometimes she comes in handy. MaryAnn Brady is one of those people you can always count on to blab around your secrets. Like if you tell MaryAnn something totally private in the morning, she’ll have it spread all over the school by lunchtime. Good old MaryAnn. It’s nice to have someone you can count on like that.
玛丽安。布雷迪住在我家隔壁。我并不怎么喜欢她，但她有时还是能派上用场的。她是这样一个人，你尽可以把秘密都告诉她，她毫不费劲就能把这秘密传出去。比如说，你在早上告诉她一件绝密的事，她能在午饭前就传遍整个学校。玛丽安这老家伙可真行，还真得有这么个人。

After two rings, MaryAnn answered the phone. I figured she would still be home. MaryAnn doesn’t take the bus. Her father drives her to school. I think she likes to stay home extra long in the mornings, just in case anyone wants to call with last-minute gossip.
铃响了两声，玛丽安接电话了。我就知道她还在家。她不坐校车，她爸开车送上学。我猜她早上要在家多待一会儿，就是怕漏掉有人在最后一分钟打给她的八掛消息。

“Hello,” she said.
她说：“喂。”

“Hi, MaryAnn. It’s Charles,” I said.
我说：“嗨，玛丽安，我是查理。”

MaryAnn is also one of those people who doesn’t say hi after you tell her your name. All she does is breathe.
玛丽安是那种先听你自报家门的人，她不会主动问好。只在那一声不出，光喘气听着。

“Listen, MaryAnn,” I said. “I’m just calling to tell you that I’m not going to school today.”
我说：“听着，玛丽安。我打给你就是要告诉你，我今天不上学了。”

“So?” she said.
她问：“然后呢？”

“So, I just wanted to tell you why I’m not going to be there, that’s all.” I said. “ It’s a big secret, though. I don’t want anyone else to know.”
我说：“然后，我就想告诉你为什么不去上学，就这些。不过，这可是个秘密，我不想让别人知道。”

I could almost see MaryAnn’s eyes light up.
我几乎可以看见玛丽安立刻两眼放光了。

“What’s it, Charles?” she said. “Tell me.”
她说：“什么秘密？查理，快告诉我。”

“Okay,” I said. “But first you have to promise not to tell anyone. Not even your mother and father.”
“好，”我说：“但是，你得先答应我不告诉任何人。你爸妈都不行。”

“I promise. I promise. Now tell me,” she begged.
“行，行。我答应你。快告诉我。”她乞求着。

“Well, the reason that I won’t be going to school today,” I said, “ is that last night my parents told me they’re getting a divorce.”
我说：“好，我今天不去上学的理由是昨天我父母告诉我，他们准备离婚了。”

MaryAnn got so excited, she almost dropped the phone.
玛丽安兴奋得几乎把话筒摔下来。

“What?’ She said. “You’re kidding? Your parents are getting a divorce? Oh my gosh, Charles! That’s so terrible. A DIVORCE! Wow!”
她说：“什么？你开玩笑吧？你爸妈要离婚了？噢，天哪，查理。太可怕了。离、婚。哇噢！”

Already I was sure that her parents had heard the news. Man, what a big mouth.
我确信她父母已经听到了。哎，这个大嘴巴。

“I know, MaryAnn, “I said. “But remember. You promised not to tell anyone.”
“对，玛丽安”我说：“但是别忘了，你答应不告诉任何人的。”

MaryAnn didn’t hear that part. She had already said good-bye. I guess she needed to hurry if she was going to tell the whole school by lunchtime.
她根本就没听到最后那句话，就挂断了。我猜她如果想在午饭前传遍全学校，就得抓紧时间赶快走了。

As soon as I hung up, I headed back to my room.
我一挂电话，就回卧室了。

Unfortunately, just as I started down the hall, my father walked in the front door. My mother must have called him to come help with my behavior.
十分不幸的是，我刚走过门厅，老爸就从前厅走进来。刚才老妈肯定给他打电话求援，让他来收拾我。

“Charlie?” he said. “What’s this I hear about you refusing to go to school today?”
“查理？”他对我说：“我听说你今天不想上学，是怎么回事呀？”

I just looked at him.
我看着他不说话。

Dad snapped his fingers. “Go get your clothes on, now,” he ordered.
老爸打了个响指，一边发令道：“去把衣服穿好，现在就去。”

I don’t know why, but when my father says to do something, it always sounds more meaningful than when Mom says it. And the funny part is, he doesn’t even have to shout.
我也搞不清楚为什么，当老爸让我去做什么事的时候，总是比我妈有力度。而且最搞笑的是，老爸从来不用像我妈那样大喊大叫。

I went to my room and got dressed. At least now, if they dragged me to school I wouldn’t be in my pajamas.
我走回房间，开始穿衣服。如果他们现在把我拽到学校去，我至少不会穿着睡衣了。

After I was ready, my father came in and sat down on my bed.
我穿好后，老爸走进来，坐在我床上。

He put his arm around my shoulder. “Why are you acting like this, Charlie?” he asked. “This isn’t like you. You’re always so reasonable and easy talk to.”
他搂着我肩膀，问：“查理，你为什么这么做？这不像是你呀，你平常是讲道理好沟通的孩子。”

I shrugged.
我耸耸肩膀。

“What are you thinking?” said Dad. “Talk to me. I can’t help you if I don’t know what you’re thinking.”
“你在想什么？”他问：“跟爸爸谈谈。只有我知道你在想什么，才能帮助你呀。”

I stared into space.
我望向天花，不做声。

“Do you think that your mother and I don’t care about you?” he asked. “ Is that what you think? Do you think that we don’t love you anymore?”
“你觉得你妈和我不关心你了，是吗？”他问道。“你是这么想的吗？你以为我们不再爱你了，是吗？”

I shrugged again.
我又耸耸肩。

“Well, if that’s what you think, you’re wrong,” said my father.” Your mother and I love you very, very much.”
“如果你这么想，就错了。”老爸说：“我和你妈妈都非常、非常爱你。”

Suddenly, I couldn’t be quiet for one more second.
他的话一下子激怒了我，让我再也不能保持沉默了。

“Do you call ruining my life loving me?” I asked. “Huh, Dad? Is that what you call it?”
“你把毁掉我的生活叫做爱我，是吗？”我问“啊？爸爸，你说呀？”

“We’re not going to ruin your life, Charlie,” he said. “It’s not going to be like that at all. We’re just changing things a little bit.”
“查理，我们没想毁掉你的生活。”他说。“根本不是那样的。我们只是想改变下生活。”

Now I was fuming.
现在我简直都要冒烟了。

“Changing things a little bit?” I yelled. “Do you call wrecking our whole family, changing things a little bit?”
“改变下生活？”我吼道。“你们就把毁掉咱们家叫做改变下生活？”

My voice cracked, but I kept right on yelling.
我的声音都劈掉了，但我还是大吼着。

“Do you call not having a father around anymore a little change? Or maybe you think that just because I’m a kid I’m too stupid to know what divorce really means. Maybe you guys think I’m too dumb to know that my whole life is wrecked.”
“你把爸爸再也不能在身边陪伴，叫做改变一下生活？还是你觉得我只是个小孩子，傻到不知道离婚是什么意思？也许你们俩觉得我蠢到不知道那是毁掉我的全部生活吧？”

My father shook his head. “Charlie,no. We’ve never thought that you were stupid.”
我爸摇摇头，说：“不，查理。我们从没觉得你傻。”

“Well then, why do you go around asking me stupid questions, like whether I’m okay or not?” I asked. “Because for your information, I am not okay. I’ll never be okay again.”
“那好吧，如果是那样，你为什么总问像你有事没事啊，这样的蠢问题？”我问道。“那我告诉你吧，我有事，很不好。我再也不会好起来了。”

I flopped back on the bed and buried my face in my pillow.
我“扑通”坐回到床上，把头埋进枕头里。

My father didn’t do anything for a while. He just kept sitting there.
有那么一会儿，老爸就坐在那，啥都没干。

Finally, he told me I didn’t have to go to school. He asked if there was anything that he could do for me.
最后，他告诉我今天可以不去上学。然后问我，是否可以为我做点什么。

I raised up a little. My throat ached from holding back the tears.
我微微抬起头。为了忍住眼泪，憋得喉咙发酸。

“Yeah,” I said. “You can move back in with Mom and me.”
说：“嗯。你可以搬回来，跟我和妈妈一起住。”

He closed his eyes a second, then left.
他闭了闭眼睛，然后走了。

翻译:王悦