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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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THE NEXT day was Saturday. It was the first Saturday since I had learned about the divorce.
第二天是星期六，也是打我知道离婚这事之后的第一个周六。
Usually on Saturdays I get up early and start calling my friends to find something to do. But this time I didn’t feel like it.
往常，周六我都会早早起床，然后开始给朋友们打电话，商量找点什么事干。但是今天，我一点儿这样的心气儿都没有。
I stayed in bed until my mother called me for breakfast. I wasn’t hungry, but I could tell by the smell coming from the kitchen that she had made something special. I think she was still trying to make up for all the macaroni and cheese.
我一直赖在床上，等到妈妈叫我吃早餐。我一点儿都不饿，但从厨房飘来的香味可以断定，老妈一定是做了什么好吃的。我感觉她还在尽力弥补奶酪通心粉那事。
When I got to the table, I saw that she had fixed French toast with cinnamon and sugar. It’s one of my favorites.
当我走到餐桌边，看到她做了另一种我最爱的食物——法式吐司配着肉桂和糖汁。
“Sit down and eat, honey,” said Mom. “Your father will be picking you up in a few minutes.”
“宝贝，坐下吃吧。”老妈说：“过几分钟你爸会来接你。”
This was news to me. I hadn’t seen my father since Monday morning.
我可不知道这事，自打周一早上我就没见过我爸。
“What’s he picking me up for?” I asked. “I wish someone had asked me first. I might not feel like being picked up.”
“他接我干嘛？”我问。“我希望有人能事先征求一下我的意见，我不喜欢被人家接来接去。”
The more I thought about it, the more annoyed I got.
我越想气就越不打一处来。
“It really makes me mad when people go around picking me up when I don’t want to be picked up,” I said again. “It’s just inconsiderate, that’s all.”
“当我不想去的时候，有人跑来接我，会让我特恼火。”我又说了一遍。“这样太不替我着想了，我就这感觉。”
My mother tried to reason with me. “Charlie, it’s really time that you and your dad had a chance to talk,” she said. “He’s been waiting all week to speak to you. But he wanted to let you settle down before he came over.”
老妈尽力地给我讲道理，说：“查理，现在是时候和你爸谈谈了。”她接着说：“他这一周都在等着跟你谈。而且他希望来接你的时候，你的情绪已经稳定下来。”
“What makes you think that I’m settled down?” I asked. “If I was settled down, do you think I would have run away to live in a tree? Does that sound like a kid who is settled down? I don’t want to see him.”
“你怎么知道我的情绪已经稳定下来了？”我问：“如果我稳定下来，你觉得我会跑出去住在树上？那事听起来像一个情绪稳定的孩子该做的吗？告诉你，我不想见他。”
“Well, I’m sorry, but I guess it doesn’t matter whether or not you want to see him,” said Mom. “He’ll be here any minute.”
“好吧，很抱歉。但不管你是否愿意见他都无所谓。”老妈说：“他随时都可能到了。”
A few second later, the doorbell rang. I can’t tell you how weird it is when your own father starts ringing the doorbell of his own house. It makes him seem like a deliveryman.
几秒种后，门铃响了。我无法表达那种感觉，就是当你老爸开始按他自己家的门铃，让人觉得他不是这家的主人，而像是个送快递的，那感觉很奇怪。
My mother hurried to let him in. When she came back to the kitchen, she kissed me on the cheek and left right away. It was pretty clear that she didn’t want to be in the same room with Dad and me. I knew exactly how she felt. I didn’t want to be in the same room with us, either.
老妈赶紧开门让他进来。她走回厨房后，吻了吻我的脸颊，然后就出去了。很显然她不想同我和爸爸待在一间屋子里。我非常清楚她的感受，因为我也不想和他们待在同一间屋子里。
My father was the only one who was acting happy. He came bouncing into the kitchen all smiles.
只有我老爸表现得很轻松愉快，他满脸带笑地走进厨房。
“Good morning, Charlie,” he said. “Mmm. What smells so good in here?”
“查理，早上好啊。”老爸说：“呣，什么东西这么香啊？”
“French toast,” I muttered.
我轻声咕哝一句：“法式吐司。”
“French toast? Mmm. Do I love French toast!” he said.
“法式吐司？呣，我超爱这个。”他说
“Oh,” I said. “Too bad you don’t live here anymore. Then maybe you could have had some.”
“噢”我说：“真可惜你不住在这了，否则你还可以吃一些呢。”
I held a big bite out in front of him. It was dripping with maple syrup. I stuffed it into my mouth.
我故意在他面前咬了一大口吐司，把嘴里塞得满满的，上面的枫糖浆都滴下来了，
My father could plainly see that I wasn’t settled down. He stopped being quite as cheery.
老爸当然看出来我还没稳定。他不再表现得那么愉快了。
“Let’s just try to get along today, okay?” he said. “I’ve got a nice little trip planned for us.”
“今天咱们都别置气，在一起待会，好吗？”他说：“我已经打算好了咱们出去好好玩玩。”
Oh no. Not a dumb little trip. I couldn’t stand it. It was going to be just like on TV. On TV, whenever parents get divorced, the father always gets the kid on the weekends and takes them on stupid little trips. They almost always end up going someplace real corny….like the zoo.
噢，天哪，不要那劳什子好好玩玩。真受不了。就好像电视上演的一样，只要父母一离婚，当爸爸的准会在周末把孩子带出去，去什么白痴的好好玩玩。基本上都是到一些老掉牙的地方。。。比如，动物园。
“We’re going to the zoo,” said Dad.
“咱们去动物园。”老爸说
Geez. I knew it. Just like on TV. Well, no thanks…..not me.
看吧，我就知道。和电视上一样。好吧，不过，谢谢。。我可不去。
“I don’t like the zoo,” I said. “The smell at the zoo makes me puke.
“我不喜欢动物园”我说：“我闻着那里的味就想吐。”
My father looked disappointed. “Oh, come in, Charles,” he said. “We’ll have a great time.”
老爸看上去很失望，他说：“噢，查理，别这样。我们会玩得很开心的。”
“The zoo is for babies,” I said. “What’s so great about seeing a bunch of stinking animals?”
“小孩子才去动物园呢”我说：“去看一群臭哄哄的动物有啥好玩的呀？”
Dad didn’t answer. As a matter of fact, he hardly said another word. But after I finished eating, he took me by the arm and led me to the truck.
老爸没说话，事实上，他没再说别的。但当我吃完后，他还是拉着我的胳膊，带我上了车。
I didn’t really think that after all the mean stuff I had said he would still want to take me to the zoo. But I was wrong. We went to the zoo anyway.
我真以为，在我说了动物园那么多坏话后他不会带我去了。但是我错了，我们居然还是去了动物园。
As soon as we got out of the truck, I sniffed the air and held my nose. My father ignored me. He paid at the gate and we went in.
一下车，我闻闻空气的味道，然后捏住鼻子。老爸没理我，在门口买了票，我们走进去。
I made some gagging noises. People began to stare. You’d have thought that they’d never seen anyone smell stink before.
我捂着鼻子，发出一些动静表示空气难闻。旁人开始看我，好像他们以前从来没见过嫌这里臭的人似的。
Dad walked over by the lake where all the peacocks hung out. I followed. When he sat down in the grass, I just stood there.
老爸沿着湖边走，我跟在他后面，那有成群的孔雀在漫步。当他在草地上坐下来时，我则站在他旁边。
“Sit, please,” he said.
他说：“请坐下吧。”
“No, thank you,” I said. “Bird poop.”
“不，谢谢。”我说：“有鸟粪。”
“Excuse me?” asked my father. “What are you talking about?”
“什么？”他问：“你说什么呢？”
“I’m talking about the big pile of peacock poop you just sat in,” I told him.
我告诉他：“我说你坐在一大砣孔雀粪上了。”
Dad jumped up and looked at the grass。
老爸马上蹦起来，往他坐过的草地上看。
I smiled. “April fool.”
我笑起来，说：“愚人节玩笑而已嘛。”
My father was losing his patience. When he sat back down, he pulled me with him.
老爸可没了耐心，他再坐回去时，拉着我跟他坐一起。
“I’m tired of your little jokes, Charlie. I’m tired of the way you’re acting. And most of all, I’m tired of trying to be nice,” he said. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll shape up right now.”
“查理，我可受够了你的小笑话，也受够了你的阴阳怪气。尤其是受够了要好生好气地对你。”他说：“如果你懂得好歹，现在就表现好点。”
He went on. “There are a couple of things I want to talk to you about. And the first one is about where you’re going to live,” he said. “Your mom and I aren’t quite sure what to do with you.”
他接着说：“我想要跟你谈好几样事。第一样就是你准备住在哪。”他又说：“我和你妈都不知道该拿你怎么办了。”
“Nice,” I said. “Why don’t you just give me to Goodwill? Isn’t that what people do with stuff that they don’t want anymore?”
“好啊”我说：“你们怎么不把我当圣诞免费礼物送出去呢？那不是人们处理自己不需要的东西的办法吗？”
Dad rolled his eyes. “I didn’t mean it that way and you know it.” He said. “Now could you please stop feeling sorry for yourself long enough to listen to me? Who said we didn’t want you?”
老爸白了我一眼，说：“我不是那意思，你知道的。”他接着说：“你现在能不自怨自艾，听我把话说完吗？谁说我们不想要你了？”
I shrugged.
我耸耸肩。
“Charlie, the trouble is that we both want you,” he said. “Believe me, no one is trying to get rid of you. As a matter of fact, I was just going to ask you if you would like to come and live with me for a while. I’d really like to have you, and I could sure use the company.”
“查理，问题是我们都想要你。”他说。“相信我，没人想把你当东西一样甩了。实际上，我想问的就是，如果你愿意，就跟我一起住一阵子。我真的想让你跟我，咱们好好做伴。”
I have to admit this took me totally by surprise.
我得承认，他这话真让我很意外。
“You mean you already have a place of your own?” I asked.
我问：“你是说，你已经找到住的地儿了？”
“I’ve got an apartment,” he said.
他说：“我弄了间公寓。”
“Where?”
“在哪？”
He stood right up. “Come on, let’s go. I’ll show you.”
他马上站起来，说：“来，咱们走，我带你去看看。”
We left the zoo and drove for about fifteen minutes. We finally stopped in front of a dumpy old building. I was hoping we had just run out of gas or something. But no such luck.
我们离开动物园，又开了将近十五分钟。最后停在一所破旧不堪的房子前。我真希望是汽车没油了或怎么着的才停下来。但是很不幸。
“Well, this is it,” said Dad. “What do you think?”
“好了，到了。”老爸说：“你觉得怎么样？”
I kept looking around. “What do you think about what?” I asked. “All I see is that dump over there.”
我不断地打量四周，问：“什么怎么样？我就只看到那个破烂玩意。”
My father looked annoyed. “That ‘dump’ is my apartment building,” he said, “A friend of mine owns the building, and he rented me the apartment on the second floor.”
老爸看上去很不爽，说：“那个‘破烂玩意’就是我住的地方。这个楼房是我一个朋友的，他把二层的一间租给我了。”
Some friend, I thought.
我想，什么朋友呀？
I had already decided that I didn’t want to live there. In fact, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to go inside.
我已经下定决心，绝不住在这。实际上，我都不想进去看。
My father opened my door and led me around back to the stairs. We climbed to the second floor. When he unlocked the door to the apartment, he had to give me a little shove to go in.
老爸打开大门，领我到后面上楼梯，我们爬上二层。老爸打开房间门，在后面推了我一把，把我推进去。
I took a whiff of the place.
进去后我吸吸鼻子。
“Phew. What’s that smell?” I asked.
“咂，什么味呀？”我问。
I think the question hurt his feelings, but I couldn’t help it. The place smelled worse than the zoo.
我想这么问会打击他，但还是忍不住。这房间比动物园还难闻。
“It’s just a little musty,” he said. “It hasn’t been used in a long time. But after I air it out and give it a paint job, I think it will be fine.”
“就是有点霉味”老爸说。“房间好久没人住了。但是我放放空气，再重新粉刷一下，就会好了”
Suddenly, I didn’t feel quite as mad at my father as I had been before. For the first time, I began to realize that he and my mother must have been pretty unhappy together for him to end up in a stink hole like this.
我突然觉得不像以前那样怨老爸了。这是头一次，我开始意识到，他和我妈在一起该是多么不幸福。才让他宁愿住在这样一个臭味熏天的小窝里。
I sat down on the couch. But I didn’t stay there long. I think that’s where the stink was coming from. I got up and moved to the chair. The smell wasn’t much better there. But since I had run out of furniture to sit on, I stayed put and tried not to breathe.
我在沙发上坐下来。但马上就站起来，我感觉臭味正是从那发出来的。我连忙坐到椅子上去，椅子的味道也好不到哪儿，但是没其它地方可坐了，我只好待在那，尽量不喘气。
My eyes roamed around the room.
我拿眼睛扫视整个屋子。
“I just don’t get it, Dad,” I said. “I mean, if you and Mom were this unhappy, how come I never heard you guys fight?”
然后问：“我只是不明白。我是说，如果你和我妈在一起不幸福，为什么我从来没听见你们吵架呢？”
This was something that had really been bothering me a lot lately. I think if my parents had gone around screaming at each other all the time, I might not have minded if they got divorced. But they always acted so normal with each other, I never even knew anything was wrong.
这个疑问是我最近想得最多的。我想如果他们整天互相指责、大声争吵，兴许当他们离婚时我就容易接受了。但是他们彼此之间表现太正常了，我从来都不知道他们的感情出现了问题。
Dad thought a minute. “When two people are unhappy, they don’t always scream and fight, Charlie,” he said. “Your mother and I aren’t screamers. In fact, what we did was probably even worse. We just shut each other out.”
老爸想了一会，说：“查理，当两个人在一起不幸福了，他们不一定都会争吵、干架。我和你妈都不是爱吵架的人，实际上，我们所做的更糟糕，把自己封闭，不让彼此进入，还不如吵出来呢。”
He continued. “It’s so hard to explain what happened to us, son. I’m not even sure we know ourselves. Your mom and I started out loving each other very much. But over the years, our feelings for each other changed completely.”
他继续说：“儿子，很难向你解释我们之间的事。我甚至不确定真的了解你妈妈。开始时，我们彼此真的非常相爱。但是经过这么多年，我们之间的感情已经完全改变了。”
“But why?” I asked. “Why did you let your feelings change?”
“但是，为什么呢？”我问：“为什么你们让它改变了？”
“We didn’t mean to,” he said. “It happened so slowly that we hardly even realized it. All we knew was that after over these years, the fun of being together just wasn’t there anymore. But it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that we finally sat down and talked about how deeply unhappy we’ve both been.”
“我们不是有意的。”他说：“这个改变是慢慢发生的，我们甚至都没意识到。只知道经过这些年，我们再也感觉不到在一起的快乐了。但是，直到几星期前，我们才坐下来，好好地谈谈。才知道这不幸福已经有多深了。
My father shook his head. “I wish that we had talked about it sooner,” he said. “Then maybe we could have stopped what was happening to us. But we didn’t. And now it was too late.”
老爸摇摇头，说：“如果我们能早点谈就好了，也许那样就不至于到今天这步了。但是我们没有。现在实在是太晚了。”
“No, Dad. It’s never too late,” I told him. “You are telling me that a person can do anything if he wants to badly enough.”
“不，爸爸。不算太晚。”我说：“你总是告诉我，人要是真心想做某事，就永远都不晚，总会做成的。”
“Yes, Charlie. But in our case, that’s exactly the problem,” he said. “Neither of us wants to try. Your mom and I want to stay friends. But we don’t want to stay married to each other. We both know that for sure.”
“是，查理。但是对于我们来说，问题就在这”他说：“我和你妈都不想去挽回。我们更想做朋友，而不是夫妻。我们都是这么想的。”
After that, my father and I sat there for a long time. I didn’t want to admit it, but part of me understood what he was saying. The same kind of thing had happened to me and a friend of mine.
说完以后，我和老爸就那么坐了好长时间。我不想承认，但是我多少理解了他所说的。我以前也经历过类似的事情，那是和我的一个朋友。
A few years ago, this kid named Andy Roberts moved in across the street. At first, I was really happy about it. Andy and I became instant best friends. We did everything together. My mother said that we were more like twins than just friends.
几年前，有个叫安迪。罗伯茨的男孩的男孩搬进我们对面那条街。一开始我就特高兴，很快我们就成了特好的朋友，我们简直形影不离。我妈说我俩不只像朋友，更像双胞胎。
But after a year or so, Andy started getting really interested in insects. It seemed like every time I went over there, all he wanted to do was collect bugs and put them in jars. He kept telling me, it was a fascinating hobby. Seriously. He must of said the word fascinating a million times. I mean, I have nothing against insects, okay? But after you’ve put a few bugs in jars, it gets pretty boring. All you do is watch them crawl up the sides and then knock them back down again. Real fascinating.
但是大约一年以后，安迪开始迷上昆虫。我每次去找他玩，他就只想到处找虫子，然后放进罐子里。他不断地告诉我，那是个多么令人着迷的爱好。不骗你，他说令人着迷这个词说了上万遍。我是说，我并不反对收集昆虫观察什么的，对吧？但是把那几个玩意装进罐子后，你只是在那观察它们，看他们沿着罐子边爬上来，你敲敲罐子，它又爬下去，这有什么意思呀？真的很无趣呀。哼，真真的令人着迷。
Anyway, we never fought or anything. I just stopped going over there. And now mostly all we do is wave at each other from across the street. I don’t hate Andy or anything. And I don’t think he hates me. I guess it’s like my father said. We just changed too much to hang out together.
但是我们也从不吵架或怎么着的。我就是不找他玩了。现在我们俩只是隔着街互相打个招呼挥挥手。我不恨安迪，我相信他也不恨我。我猜就像老爸说的那样，我们都改变太多，在一起玩已经没有乐趣了。
After a few minutes, Dad walked over to the smelly chair where I was sitting.
过了几分钟，老爸走到我坐的臭哄哄的椅子旁。
“So how about it?” he said. “Do you think you might want to live with your old pop?”
说：“这房子怎么样？你想过来和老爸一起住吗？‘
I didn’t want to hurt him anymore. But there was no way in the world that I was ever going to move in there.
我不想再伤他了，但我绝不会搬来和他住在这。
“Um, well, I don’t know…maybe it would be better if I just stayed with Mom for right now,” I said. “She’s probably going to need my help around the house a lot more than you will.”
“呃，好吧，我不知道。。。。也许我现在更应该跟妈妈住在一起”，我说。“她可能比你更需要我陪。”
I crossed my fingers and hoped that she hadn’t told him about how I’d run away from home the other night. When someone runs away, it doesn’t actually make them sound that helpful.
我默默祈祷，希望老妈不要告诉他昨晚我离家出走的事。当一个人离家出走的话，人们可不会觉得这样的人能帮助别人。
Dad looked at me. “That’s true, Charlie. She will be needing your help,” he said. “But what she doesn’t need is for you to keep acting up. She told me that you ran away last night.”
老爸看着我说：“那倒是真的，她更需要你陪。但是她可不需要你任性胡闹。她告诉我你昨晚离家出走了。”
Good old Mom. The woman can never keep anything to herself. I bet when she was little, she was an exact copy of MaryAnn Brady.
我滴老妈呀。这女的真是保不住什么秘密。我敢说，她小时候，肯定和玛丽安是一个版本。
“I’m not going to run away anymore, Dad,” I said. “I swear.”
“爸爸，我再也不会这样了，”我说：“我保证。”
“I certainly hope not,” said my father. “I’m not going to have you making things worse for your mom. If you’re not happy there, you are always welcome to come live here with me.”
“我当然希望你不会了。”老爸说：“我不想让你给你妈惹麻烦了。如果你在那住得不开心，随时欢迎过来住。”
Dad looked at his watch.
老爸看了看表。
“Okay, now that we’re straight on things, how about some lunch?” he asked. “Are you hungry yet?”
“好吧。现在咱们干点正事。”他问：“你饿了吗？吃午饭好吗？”
I wasn’t, but I nodded anyway.
我不饿，但还是点了点头。
He walked over to his little kitchen. “I’m actually getting to be a pretty good cook,” he said.
他走进那个小厨房，说：“我可要给你露露手艺了。”
He reached into the cabinet above him and pulled out a box.
他把手伸到上面的顶柜里，拿出一个盒子。
It was macaroni and cheese.
盒子子上写着：奶酪通心粉。
翻译:王悦
王悦
2012-10-17
天之聪教育
825次
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