昨天是母亲节，在加班中度过。今天，补上12个有关母亲的小故事。她们中有幽默搞笑的段子手，也有通情达理的智多星。每当我们在生活中遇到困难和挫折的时候，她们总会给我们温暖的拥抱和贴心的建议。
MOTHER OF ROCK
by Paul Anderson, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
[1] For my brother, my sister, and me, Guitar Hero was a competition of who could score the most points on the hardest level. Mom, on the other hand, would play the ten-minute “Freebird” on the easiest level while we kids prepared for our next showdown. When Mom restarted the song after missing a note, we all shouted our disapproval. “Rock stars do what they want,” she said, and we laughed because we agreed: Mom was a rock star. That’s why, later, her funeral felt more like the last stop on a farewell tour, with “Freebird” as the perfect send-off.
score 得分，进球
例：He scored 100 on the test.
他测验得了100分。
prepare for 为...做准备
例：How do I prepare for the exams?
我要怎样为这些考试做准备？
showdown 决战，摊牌
例：Fans gathered outside the stadium for the final showdown.
球迷们聚集在体育场外等着最后的决赛。
disapproval 不赞成
例：He shook his head in disapproval.
他不赞成地摇摇头。
farewell 告别
例：She said her farewells and left.
她告别后就离开了。
send-off 送行，送别
例：All the people in the buildings came to give me a send-off.
大楼里所有的人都过来给我送行。
TWO SIMPLE WORDS
by Abigail Wortman, West Long Branch, New Jersey
[2] On the first day of first grade, I stood by the front door with butterflies in my stomach. I voiced my biggest concern to my mother: “How will I make friends?” Crouching in front of me, she handed me advice I carry with me to this day: “Be Switzerland.” Be friends with everyone. Treat everyone equally and fairly. For all of my 20 years, I have lived by these words. Soon I will graduate and become a part of the real world. And on that first day, nervously facing new responsibilities, I know I will whisper two words to myself: “Be Switzerland.”
voice 表达
例：Some scientists have voiced concern that the disease could be passed on to humans.
一些科学家已经表示，担心这种疾病可能会传染给人类。
crouch 蹲伏
例： Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
卧虎藏龙。
equally 相等地，相同地
例：All these techniques are equally effective.
所有这些方法都同等有效。
fairly 公平地，公正地
例：He has always treated me very fairly.
他待我一直很公正。
MY LITTLE ST. NICK
by Brenda Bokor Wismer, Pinedale, Wyoming
My six-year-old son, Nicholas, sat in the grocery cart as I perused the canned vegetables. “How about this one, Mommy?” he asked, and handed me a can of asparagus. “I love asparagus!” I told him. “Asparagus is my favorite vegetable, but it’s just too expensive.” I put the can back on the shelf. Three months later, I opened a crudely wrapped present from under the Christmas tree. It was a can of asparagus. Nicholas beamed in delight as he explained how he had saved his pennies to buy me the best Christmas gift I’d ever received.
grocery 食品杂货店
例：They run a small grocery store.
他们经营一家小食品杂货店。
peruse 阅读
例：We perused the company's financial statements for the past five years.
我们翻阅了该公司过去5年来的财务报表。
canned 灌装的
例：I like canned pineapple and peaches.
我喜欢罐装的菠萝和桃子。
asparagus 芦笋
crudely 粗糙地；天然地
例：to put it crudely
简而言之
THE NEED NEVER GOES AWAY
by Saman Rahman, Peshawar, Pakistan
“Mommy, you are a fairy,” I said. My mother laughed like tinkling bells. “I am serious, Mother. You know everything.” “My child, I try to answer as best as I can. When you grow older, you will not need me,” she said. “No, Mom, I will always need you. Nothing can change that,” I said. Her words echo in my heart as I look at the blue sky: “Dear daughter, nothing remains the same except the vast blue sky.” It has been ten years since I lost my fairy. Mom, you were wrong about one thing: I still need you.
fairy 仙女
tinkle 发出清脆的声音
例：The little bell tinkles.
小铃丁当作响。
echo 发出回声
例：The gunshot echoed through the forest.
枪炮声在林中回荡。
A STAND-UP WOMAN
by Robin Hynes, Slingerland, New York
My mom had a great sense of humor and a knack for making everything fun. One thing that resonated with me, even as a small child, was how much she seemed to enjoy her own company and found ways to entertain herself. As a kid, I remember her giggling while paying bills. What was so funny about bill paying? She would put humorous notes in the reference section of the check: For the electric bill, she might put “You light up my life,” and for the mortgage she’d write “Four shingles closer to owning it all.”
knack 诀窍
例：He's got the knack of getting people to listen.
他有让人们倾听的诀窍。
resonate 共振，(对某人) 有重要性
例：What are the issues resonating with voters?
什么是投票者特别关心的问题？
giggle 咯咯地笑
例：Both girls began to giggle.
两个女孩都咯咯地笑起来。
shingle 木瓦，墙面板
例：The roofs had shingles missing.
屋顶的一些瓦板不见了。
THE HARDEST CHOICE
by Andrea Cortinas, El Paso, Texas
Thirty-five years ago, when my mom was 22, she became a widow and a mother within the same month. The life she had imagined was stolen in a heartbeat. She tried to move on, but was lost. She gave me to my father’s family to be raised in the United States. Some call her weak; others call her selfish. I could be mad or bitter. Instead, I’m grateful for the life I have and to have a mother who sacrificed our relationship to give me a chance at a better life. She is courageous. She is my mother.
widow 寡妇
例：She became a widow a year ago.
她一年前成了寡妇。
move on 继续前进
例：If you do mess up, admit it and move on.
如果你真的把事情弄糟了，承认之，然后继续。
sacrifice 舍弃; 牺牲
例：She sacrificed family life to her career.
她为了她的事业牺牲了家庭生活。
courageous 勇敢的
例：The children were very courageous.
孩子们都很勇敢。
JUST ONE MORE QUESTION
by Katina Brown, West Monroe, Louisiana
“I was chosen to be your mama,” I tell my four-year-old daughter as my younger boys pull at my clothes. She looks at me tearfully and asks, “Why couldn’t I grow in your tummy like my brothers?” “Well,” I tell her, choking back my own tears, “The doctor said I couldn’t grow a baby in my tummy, so your daddy and I decided to adopt a baby. That baby was you.” I hold my breath and wait for a more difficult question. “Can I have some ice cream?” she asks. “Yes!” I say, thankful for her innocence.
tearfully 含泪地
例：Dad takes him to the bar and tearfully tells the son he is proud of him.
父亲带儿子酒吧，含泪告诉儿子，他对他感到自豪。
tummy 肚子 (儿童化用语)
例：Your baby's tummy should feel warm, but not hot.
你宝宝的肚子摸起来应该是温的，而不是热的。
MEMORIES IN VERSE
by Pat Witty, Fairmont, Minnesota
The day I was dreading had arrived—it was inevitable. I had seen it coming but had chosen to ignore it for as long as possible. My very capable, intelligent mom had started forgetting to pay her bills, and it was time to take over her finances. As I looked through her wallet, I made a remarkable discovery. Tucked away in a tiny compartment were four Mother’s Day poems I’d written for her in the 1960s. She had saved and cherished those simple gifts for 50 years. What a happy surprise!
dread 害怕; 担忧
例：I'm dreading Christmas this year.
我害怕今年的圣诞节。
inevitable 不可避免的，必然的
例：It's inevitable that we're going to die.
我们会死的这件事是不可避免的。
capable 有能力的
例：Show your teacher what you are capable of.
向你的老师表现出你能干什么。
intelligent 有智慧的，有头脑的
例：If you want to make the intelligent choice, trust me on this.
如果你想做出明智的选择，那就相信我吧。
take over 接管
例：I'm going to take over the company one day.
我总有一天会接管这家公司。
tuck away 收藏起，使隐藏
例：She kept his letters tucked away in a drawer.
她把他的来信都藏在抽屉里。
compartment 隔间
例：The fire started in the baggage compartment.
火是从行李舱着起来的。
cherished 珍爱的
例：He described the picture as his most cherished possession.
他说这张照片是他最珍爱的财产。
TO MOM, ON HER SPECIAL DAY
by Megan McPartland, Levittown, New York
In 1976, my grandfather wrote a story about his fondest Christmas memories and submitted it to Reader’s Digest. Recently, while cleaning out his basement, my mom discovered the well preserved writing as well as the letter of regret from the magazine, as the piece was not published. After reading his story, I learned that my mom came from an amazing family—and with the help of my dad, she raised an amazing family herself. Mom, if you are reading this, Happy Mother’s Day! I love you.
submit 提交
例：That is one of the answers we submitted.
这是我们提交的解决方案之一。
clean out 全面清理
例：Mr. Smith asked if I would help him clean out the room.
史密斯先生问我能否帮他把房间彻底打扫一下。
preserve 维护
例：We will do everything to preserve peace.
我们将竭尽全力维护和平。
MIGHT AS WELL FACE IT…
by Beth Kailukaitis, Kalamazoo Township, Michigan
Coming home from work one day, I found my mom dancing to Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love.” I watched, enthralled, as she moved and sang along, her hips twisting to the beat, big smile plastered on her face. It had been a long while since I’d seen her dance, so this display of pure joy was infectious. She died unexpectedly in her sleep a few weeks later. I have many memories of her that I’ll always cherish, but none quite as happy and carefree as her dance that day. It’s definitely the simple things—thanks, Robert Palmer!
dance to 和着(音乐)跳舞
例：We dance to the music.
我们随着音乐跳舞。
addicted to 上瘾，沉迷于
例：He became addicted to drugs.
他已吸毒成瘾。
enthral 迷住
例：The passengers were enthralled by the scenery.
乘客们被这景色迷住了。
plaster 粘贴；使紧贴：
例：to plaster posters on walls
往墙上贴标语。
infectious 有感染力的
例：A smile is infectious. Be a positive person and share your smile with others.
微笑是会传染的，做一个积极向上的人，和别人分享你的微笑。
carefree 无忧无虑的
例：He looked happy and carefree.
他看起来轻松愉快。
PAY IT FORWARD
by Teresa Martin, North Aurora, Illinois
You reap what you sow: In her old country, my mom saw a very poor blind woman with her young daughter. She felt sorry for them and loaned them all her savings. Although Mom was worried sick about it, they miraculously returned every cent. Two decades later, when Mom left her Communist country and came to America as a refugee, the Catholic Church gave her money to feed her many children. She returned them every single cent, and her children continued to pay back through worldwide charities. Mom is now 90 years old and has a richly blessed life.
reap 获得，收获
例：His good behavior reaped praise.
他的优良品行受到人们的赞扬。
sow 播 (种)
例：Sow the seed in a warm place in March.
3月里把种子播在温暖的地方。
feel sorry for 为...感到可惜，感到难过
例：I do feel sorry for what I have done.
我确实为自己所做的事感到惭愧。
loan 借出
例：The teacher loaned her a dictionary.
老师借给她一本词典。
miraculously 奇迹般地
blessed 幸运的
例：I feel so blessed.
我感觉很幸福。
A SCARLET SYMBOL
by Priscilla Hartling, West Allis, Wisconsin
My mother was my best friend. She loved cardinals, the male red ones. When she got sick with pancreatic cancer and knew death was near, she told me to always look for the red cardinal—that would be her. I never paid too much attention to that statement; I was too busy becoming an adult. Twenty-five years later, every time I feel at my wits’ end, there is a cardinal flying past me or in a nearby tree. Is it coincidence, or my mother, all these years later, letting me know that everything will be OK? I’ll take the latter.
cardinal 红衣凤头鸟
pancreatic 胰脏的
wit 智慧，机智
例：It's a game of wits and will.
这是一场智慧和意志的游戏。
coincidence 巧合
例：It's not just a coincidence that they're doing it at the same time.
他们一起做这件事不只是巧合。
