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。
STAYING HOME from school never turns out to be as much fun as I think it will. Usually I get so bored, I end up wishing I had gone in the first place.
原来待在家里不上课并不像相像中那么好玩。一般来说，我对某件事厌烦的时候，都会后悔当初不该那么做。
The next day, I decided to go back to class. When I got to my room, I was very proud of MaryAnn Brady. Just as I predicted, everyone already knew about the divorce.
所以第二天，我就决定去上课了。当我一进教室，就知道玛丽安有多牛，真让人无比敬佩。正如我所料，班里每个人都知道我爸妈离婚的事了。
The first person to mention it to me was my teacher, Mrs. Fensel. She walked over to my desk and lowered her voice.
第一个向我提起这事的是我们班的Fensel老师。她走到我课桌边，压低嗓门，声音柔和地说：“查理，玛丽安告诉我你家里发生的事了。如果有什么事需要我帮助，就尽管说。”
“MaryAnn told me about your problem at home, Charles,” she said softly. “If there’s anything I can do to help you, please let me know.”
It made me feel embarrassed. “Yeah, sure…. Okay…thanks a lot,” I mumbled.
弄得我挺不好意思，嘴里含含糊糊地说：“好的。当然了。。。嗯。非常感谢您。”
At lunchtime, I hurried to find the table where MaryAnn was sitting and slid in next to her.
吃午饭的时候，我急忙找到玛丽安，在她桌边挨着她坐下来。
“Congratulations, MaryAnn,” I said dryly. “You really did a great job yesterday.”
我酸溜溜地说：“恭喜呀，玛丽安。你昨天真干了件大事。”
“Congratulations for what?” she asked.
她问：“恭喜什么？”
“For being such a big blabbermouth,” I said. “Thanks to you, the whole school knows about the divorce.”
“恭喜你这个传话筒呀。”我说：“多亏了你，整个学校都知道我爸妈离婚的事了。”
MaryAnn looked at me a second. Then she said exactly what every single blabbermouth in the whole world always says right after they finish blabbing a secret.
玛丽安看了我一眼。正如这世上所有长舌妇散布别人的秘密后表现的那样。她说：“我谁都没告诉。我发誓。”
“I didn’t tell anyone. I swear,” she said.
“Yes, you did, MaryAnn,” I said angrily. “You know you did. Why can’t you just learn to keep your big trap shut?”
“你说了，玛丽安。”我生气地说：“你自己心里明白。你为什么就不能学着把嘴闭严一点呢？”
I wanted to make sure that she thought I was really mad about it. Blabbermouths only like to tell secrets if they’re not supposed to. If MaryAnn Brady ever found out that I actually wanted her to blab some of the stuff I told her, she’d stop doing it. And like I said before, sometimes she can come in handy.
我就是想让她确实以为我特生气。长舌妇们以散布别人秘密为乐趣，如果是路人皆知的事，她们才不去传呢。如果玛丽安知道我想利用她去散布我爸妈离婚的消息，她就不会到处说了。正如我以前说的，有时她能派上大用场。
“I didn’t tell, Charlie. I didn’t,” she insisted.
她还嘴硬不承认，说：“查理，我没说。真没说。”
“Well then, how come about a thousand people came up to me this morning and told me that they knew all about the divorce?” I asked. “And how come they all said it was you who told them? How do you explain that, Blabbo?”
“那好，我问你，为什么我今早来上课时，那么多人都来找我，告诉我已经知道这件事了？为什么他们都说是你说的？你怎么解释这个呢，大喇叭？“
“Anyone who told you that is a big fat liar,” said MaryAnn.
玛丽安说：“这么说的人都是大说谎精。”
“Oh really, MaryAnn?” I said. “Gee. I’m sure Mrs. Fensel will be glad to know that you think she’s a big fat liar. Because when I got to school today, Mrs. Fensel told me she knew all about my ‘problem.’ And she also told me that she got the news from you.”
“噢？是吗，玛丽安？”我说：“哈。我敢说Fensel老师知道你说她是个说谎精，会很高兴的。因为今天我一到学校，她就告诉我，已经知道我的“烦心事”了。她也说是从你那得到这个消息的。”
I got up from the table. “Excuse me for a minute, Blabbette,” I said. “I think I’ll go tell Mrs. Fensel that you think she’s a big fat liar.”
我站起身，说：“大喇叭同志，请等我一下。我想我该告诉Fensel老师，你说她是个说谎精。”
MaryAnn’s face turned pale as a ghost’s.
玛丽安的脸变得惨白惨白的，像鬼一样。
I walked over to the table where Mrs. Fensel was eating lunch. MaryAnn watched me as I tapped my teacher on the shoulder. Then I whispered something in her ear and pointed to where MaryAnn was sitting.
我在玛丽安的注视下，向Fensel老师的饭桌走去。我拍了拍老师的肩膀，然后在她耳边说了几句话，又向玛丽安坐的地方指了指。
You should have seen MaryAnn squirm. She packed up her things and ran out of the lunchroom.
你应该看看玛丽安在椅子上不安地扭着身子的样子。然后她就打包了自己的东西，跑出午餐室。
I didn’t see her for a while after that. But someone told me that she had run into the bathroom and started to cry.
在那之后，有那么一会都没见着她人影。不过，有人告诉我说看见她跑进厕所哭上了。
I don’t know what she was crying about. All I had done was show Mrs. Fensel where I was sitting and ask her if I could have a few extra minutes to eat my lunch. I told her I was having a hard time swallowing.
真不知道她有啥好哭的。我走到Fensel老师餐桌边，只不过指给她我吃饭坐的地方，然后求她让我多吃一会，因为我咽东西很困难。
It wasn’t a lie, exactly. Being upset always makes it hard for me to swallow.
我可真没撒谎。当我心情不好的时候，吞咽总是成问题。
Of course, lately, I hadn’t had to worry too much about swallowing when I was home. After Dad left, the meals that my mother made were so terrible that I didn’t even want to go to the table.
不过，后来我放学回家后，根本就不用担心吞咽的问题。因为自打爸爸搬出去后，妈妈做那饭真是太难吃了，我压根儿就不想去吃。
I probably should have reported her to the health department or something. I think there’s a law to make mothers feed their children good dinners. If there’s not a law, there ought to be.
我真应该到健康部或什么机构去告我老妈。我捉摸着国家应该有一条法律来强制规定妈妈们必须给孩子做好吃的饭。如果没有这条法律，就应该订那么一条。
The first week that my father was gone was the worst. I remember when Mom called me to supper the first night. I was really getting hungry. I had spent the whole day in my room thinking about how ruined my life was. For lunch I had only been able to eat half an apple. I wanted more, but I just couldn’t get it down.
爸爸走的第一个星期最糟糕。我记得头一天晚上，老妈叫我吃晚饭，当时我真饿坏了。之前那一整天我都待在屋子里想着被毁掉的生活。午餐只吃了半个苹果。我想再吃点，就是吃不下。
Anyhow, when I went to the table that night, I thought that I had made a mistake. Maybe it wasn’t dinnertime, after all. The only thing on my plate was a hard-boiled egg and two slices of bread.
反正，那晚当我走向餐桌时，还以为自己搞错了呢。也许晚餐时间还没到吧。因为我盘子里放着的，只有一个煮硬的鸡蛋和两片面包。
“Didn’t you just call me to supper?” I asked Mom.
我问老妈：“您是叫我吃晚餐来的吧？”
“Yes,” she answered. “Sit down and make yourself an egg sandwich.”
“是的，”她说：“坐下。自己做个鸡蛋三明治吧。”
The thought of eating a dried-up egg sandwich made me sick. I’d rather eat a frog.
想着吃个干巴巴的鸡蛋三明治我就恶心，那还不如让我吃个青蛙呢。
“Don’t we have any soup?” I said.
我问：“咱们没汤吗？”
“Listen, Charles,” said my mother. “Don’t give me a hard time, okay? Please, just eat your sandwich and drink a glass of milk. I’ll make you a better dinner tomorrow night.”
“查理，听着，”老妈说：“别难为我了，好吗？这餐你就吃个三明治喝杯奶吧。明晚妈妈给你做个好点的。”
She kept her word, too. The next night, she made one of those macaroni and cheese dinners out of the box… and the next night…. And the next night…As a matter of fact, my mother cooked macaroni and cheese dinner four nights in a row.
她倒是说话算话。第二天晚上，老妈给我做了奶酪通心粉。。。第三天晚上。。。第四天晚上。。。事实上，老妈连着四个晚上都做了奶酪通心粉。
I used to like macaroni and cheese a lot. Now I can’t stand the stuff. It’s just one more thing that this divorce has ruined for me.
我以前顶爱吃这玩意。现在实在受不了，吃伤着了。这就是他们离婚毁掉我生活的另一个罪证。
The whole idea that my mother wasn’t cooking anymore really bothered me. It’s not that I wanted to eat. In fact, usually I didn’t feel much like eating at all. It’s just that I thought she could have tried a little harder. When she didn’t try, it made me feel like she didn’t care.
一想到老妈再不会煮别的给我吃，我就特烦燥。其实并不是我特贪吃。实际上，我平常根本不太好吃。我只是想她应该更上点心。她做饭不上心，我就觉得她根本不在乎我。
The fifth night she served macaroni and cheese. I finally told her how I felt.
第五个晚上，老妈又做了奶酪通心粉。我终于把自己的感受告诉她了。
“What are we having for dinner tonight?” I asked, as if I didn’t know.
“妈，今晚吃什么呀？”我假装不知道地问。
Mom stirred it in the pot. “I’m heating up that leftover macaroni and cheese.” She said.
老妈搅了搅锅里的饭，说：“我正热着昨天吃剩的奶酪通心粉。”
“Don’t we have any soup yet?” I asked.
我问：“您还是没做汤吗？”
“I told you before, Charles. I’ll get some next week,” she said. “I just haven’t felt much like going to the grocery store. And besides, I thought you loved macaroni and cheese.”
“查理，我告诉过你，下周再做。”老妈说：“我只是不怎么想出门去商店。另外，我觉得你爱吃奶酪通心粉。”
“ I used to,” I said. “But that was before I ate three million macaroni in a row. Come on, Mom. Can’t we just go to the store and get some chicken soup?”
“我以前是爱吃这个，”我说：“但那是连着吃好些顿这破玩意以前了。妈，求您了，咱们就不能到商店买点鸡肉汤吗？“
“No, we can’t,” she said. “Not tonight.” Then she plopped a big spoonful of macaroni and cheese on my plate.
“不，不行。”她说：“今晚不行。”然后她就盛了一大勺奶酪通心粉，“吧嗒”杵到我盘子里。
I pushed it away. “No, thank you,” I said. “If I put on more little macaroni in my mouth, I’ll gag.”
我把盘子推开，说：“不用了，谢谢。如果我再吃一口这玩意，就要吐了。“
I felt myself getting mad.
我都感觉自己要疯了。
“I’m not a pig, you know, Mother,” I said.
我说：“妈，你知道，我可不是猪。“
“What in the world are you talking about?” she asked. “I never said you were a pig.”
“你到底在说什么呀？”她问。“我从来没说过你是猪。”
“I mean I’m not a pig, and you can’t just throw some slop at me and expect me to eat it.”
“我不是说着玩，我不是猪。你别想给我弄些猪食，还指望着我把它吃了。”
My mother got furious. Mothers really hate for their dinners to be called “slop.”
老妈开始生气了。貌似妈妈们最讨厌别人把她们做的饭叫“猪食”。
“Go to your room!” she snapped.
“回屋去！“老妈咬牙切齿地说。
I stormed out of the kitchen and hurried to my bedroom.
我走出厨房，脚下带着气，快步走回自己的卧室。
By then, I was in the worst mood ever.
那时，我的心情糟到极点。
Angrily, I gathered some of my things together and stuffed them in an old shoe box. I would have stuffed them in my old gym bag, but it got broken at Harold Stengler’s spend-the-night party. Harold and another kid were trying to zip me inside it when the sides busted.
我气呼呼地把几件东西收拾好，塞进一只旧鞋盒里。我本来有一只旧的运动包，但是那个包在哈罗德。斯腾勒家的过夜聚会中弄坏了。哈罗德和别的孩子当时把我塞到包里，使劲拉上拉链时，包的侧边崩开了。
I spotted my dumb helicopter beanie hanging on my bulletin board. My father had bought it for me at the state fair a couple of years ago. It’s probably the corniest thing I own, but for some reason it always makes me laugh.
我用手摩挲着挂在白板上的螺旋浆帽子。那是老爸几年前在州展览会上给我买的。这是我最不靠谱的玩具，但不知道什么原因，它总会逗我开心，让我发笑。
I snatched it off the bulletin board and stuck it on my head.
我一把将帽子抓下来，戳在脑袋上。
I figured if I ever needed a good laugh, it was now.
我想如果真的需要好好笑一场的话，现在是最合适不过的了。
Then I picked up the shoe box, opened my window, and left.
然后我拿起鞋盒，打开窗户，从那出去了。
王悦
2012-10-11
天之聪教育
327次
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