美麗英文：總有一瞬間，讓我們怦然心動
——14故事卷
每一個瞬間都觸及心底，每一次回味都與眾不同……
生活有時不盡如人意，我們掙扎、哭泣，有時甚至放棄，但我們知道，我們的內心始終充滿愛。本書為“美麗英文”系列的“故事卷”，精選了篇篇難以忘懷的經典故事及電影長河中極具代表的感人對白等，再現原作的優美言辭，展現出令人回味的語言意境和歷久彌新的精彩瞬間。人生中最好的啟示，皆來自于生命中的故事；而生命中總有那么一瞬間，讓我們怦然心動。
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何之遙，教師，譯作已有幾十萬字，散見英語讀物類報刊雜志，譯有《致十年后的自己》。
胡燕娟，英文翻譯工作者，譯有《黑塔》《童話若有張不老的臉》等多部英文作品。
Chapter 1 Growing in Memories
在追憶中成長
松樹下的生命輪回
母親之盒
父親不可替代
難忘的出租車之旅
心中有愛，眼里才有愛
永遠的玫瑰之約
永不忘卻的紀念
我們不都需要幫助嗎
少一些評價，多一些關愛
逝水流年
Chapter 2 Finding Inner Peace
尋覓當下的平靜
收費員的美好生活 Chapter 1 Growing in Memories
在追憶中成長
松樹下的生命輪回
母親之盒
父親不可替代
難忘的出租車之旅
心中有愛，眼里才有愛
永遠的玫瑰之約
永不忘卻的紀念
我們不都需要幫助嗎
少一些評價，多一些關愛
逝水流年
Chapter 2 Finding Inner Peace
尋覓當下的平靜
收費員的美好生活
生活中最重要的東西
我在異鄉的日子
通過感恩找到內心的和平
雜貨鋪老師
為生活所困
時隔二十五年的平靜
把自己放在第一位
Chapter 3 Never Stop Dreaming
在展望中堅強
茫然無依之時
夢想的力量：世界上最矮的消防員
請求，請求，再請求
意志的魔力：將荒地變為綠林
展開夢想的翅膀
成為你想成為的人
我能做到
斯巴克：一個失敗者的故事
口吃
夢想永不滅
Chapter 4 Managing Your Life
管理自己的人生
減壓，從現在開始
別讓你的憤怒左右你
情緒對人類行為和決定的影響
如何平衡學業和社交
你應該忘記的七條人生經驗
七步讓你更自信
一輩子的工作
公開演講的藝術
Chapter 5 Awaking in Heart
在沉淀中重生
銅幣與人生
彎曲，但不折斷
那些年學校沒教給我們的事
中年沖浪第一課
生活的關鍵元素：
內心平靜，活在當下
給史蒂夫的小小心意
你在追求什么
如何不再憤怒
閱讀帶你進入更好的世界
做一個堅強的人
重生
Chapter 6 Choosing Better Future
選擇更好的未來
現在就選擇幸�！�
為什么大象不會逃走
如何對付“惡霸”
解決你沒有注意到的問題
艱難時刻對自己說的話
常見的誤解
致十年后的自己的一封信（一）
致十年后的自己的一封信（二）
致十年后的自己的一封信（三）
松樹下的生命輪回
A Time for Memories
Sharon Wright
【名人語庫】
The memory of my mother and her teachings were, after all, the only capital I had to start life with, and on that capital I have made my way. ~Andrew Jackson
對母親的記憶和母親的教誨是我人生起步的唯一資本，它奠定了我的人生之路。——安德魯杰克遜
One balmy① summer afternoon, I sat on an old blanket under a pine tree chatting with my mother. For years, we had been coming to this park for family picnics and gatherings, and my mother and I often sat in this same spot.
In recent years, we usually just talked about life, but sometimes we recalled events from my childhood. Like the time I was thirteen and had my first date, when Mother brought me to this spot under the tree and told me about the facts of life. Or the time a few years later, when my hair turned out pink for my senior prom and she’d held me while I cried. But the most special event that occurred next to this tree was when I told Mother I was getting married. Tears filled her eyes and this time I held her while she cried. She told me she was sad to lose her little girl but happy to see that I had turned into a beautiful young woman.
Over the years, we’d watched the pine trees in this park grow tall and straight until their needles seemed to touch the clouds. Each year of their growth seemed to match our increasingly close relationship and the deepening love we had for each other.
On this particular sunny afternoon, Mother and I sat quietly breathing in the scent of freshly mown grass. She was unusually solemn and took me by surprise when she asked me, “Who will you bring here after I’m gone?”
I gave her one of my arched-eyebrow inquiries, then smiled. After a few moments, when she didn’t return my smile, I began to wonder what made her ask such a disturbing② question. Mother picked up a blade of grass and began to shred it with her fingernail. I’d become well acquainted with my mother’s habits, and this particular one indicated she had something serious on her mind.
For several minutes, we sat in silence gathering our thoughts. A couple of blue jays squawked③ nearby and an airplane flew overhead, but they didn’t ease the awkward moment between us. Finally, I reached over and took my mother’s hand in mine. “There’s nothing you can’t tell me, Mother,” I said. “We will handle this together, like we always have.”
She looked into my face, and her eyes filled with tears that spilt down her cheeks that were alarmingly④ pale. Even before she said it, I knew what was coming. Mother was dying.
I held her tightly while she told me that her heart condition was worsening and couldn’t be repaired. I think I had known for quite a while but had not been willing to admit it to myself. She’d had several heart attacks and, a few years ago, even open-heart surgery. What I didn’t know, and what she had kept from me, was that her condition wasn’t improving. We talked about her options, which were few; we cried, held each other and wished for more time together.
That was many years ago now. Mother died soon after that day, before my sons had a chance to know her. I still come to the park, but now I bring my boys. I still sit under that same sturdy pine tree on an old blanket and talk to my sons of family picnics, gatherings and the grandmother they never knew. Just as my mother did with me, I tell my children about their youthful antics and praise them for their accomplishments as young adults. We come to this special place to create our own memories that I know would make my mother smile with pride.
Not long ago my oldest son wanted to come to the park and talk, so we came and sat under our tree. He hemmed and hawed for a few minutes, then he finally told me he was getting married. I cried tears of joy as my son hugged me—his hug a rare and special treat. I told him how proud I was of the man he had become.
As I sat there that cool April afternoon soaking up the sun and the smell of freshly mown grass, I felt I had come full circle under this giant pine tree. Holding my son in my arms, I was happy for him, just the way I knew my mother had been happy for me all those years ago when I told her I was getting married.
Looking over my son’s shoulder, I saw that several young pine saplings had been planted recently. As these trees grow straight and tall, I thought, will the lives of my family continue to grow with them? I wanted to share this spot with my grandchildren, too.
The branches above were swaying in the breeze and in them I heard a whispering voice: Who will you bring here when I’m gone? It was my mother’s voice, and I tightened my arms around my son.
一個陽光和煦的夏日午后，公園大松樹下的地上鋪了一層老舊的地毯，我和母親坐在上面靜靜地聊天。多年以來，我們一直在這個公園舉行家庭聚會、野餐，而我和母親就時常坐在這棵松樹下。
最近這些年，我們大多數只是談論生活，但有時也會回憶我童年時代的一些往事。比如，13歲那年我第一次約會，母親就把我帶到這里，在松樹下告訴了我很多生活的真諦；比如，又過了幾年，即將從中學畢業的我，變成一個染著粉紅色頭發的叛逆少女，而就在這棵松樹下，我緊緊地依偎在母親懷里失聲痛哭。但是，最讓人難忘的是，在這棵松樹下，我告訴母親我要結婚了。那一刻，喜悅的淚水溢滿她的眼眶，我緊緊地摟住母親。她說，此刻，她既為即將失去她的小女孩而難過，也為她的小女孩終于長成美麗的年輕女子而欣喜不已。
多年來，我們眼看著這棵松樹越長越高，越來越直，逐漸長成直逼云霄的參天大樹。它的成長恰似我與母親的關系；隨著歲月的流逝，我們越來越親密，對彼此的愛也越來越深。
在這個陽光燦爛的午后，草坪剛剛修過，我和母親靜靜地坐著，呼吸著空氣中彌漫的青草芳香。她顯得格外沉默而肅穆。出乎意料地，她忽然問我道：“在我走了以后，你會帶誰來這里呢？”
我不禁揚起眉毛，驚訝地想要問點什么，卻又很快露出了一絲微笑。過了很久，她仍舊對我的微笑沒有絲毫回應。我開始疑惑她為什么會問這樣一個讓人不安的問題。母親撿起一片青草，用指甲不停地撕扯著。我對母親的習慣非常熟悉，這個動作意味著她的腦海里正在思考很重要的事情。
有那么一會兒，我們安靜地坐著，只是整理著自己的思緒。一對藍色松鴉在不遠處嘎嘎地驚叫著，飛機從我們頭頂上一掠而過，但這一切似乎都沒能緩和我們之間的尷尬氣氛。后來，我伸出雙手，緊緊握住母親的手，說道：“媽媽，這世上沒什么事是你不能和我說的。讓我們一起面對吧，就像我們一直以來那樣�！�
她看著我，臉色蒼白得驚人。她的眼淚奪眶而出，灑落在她的雙頰上。在她開口說話之前，我已然明白：母親已經老了，來日無多。
我將她緊緊地抱在懷中。她告訴我，她的心臟功能正在不斷惡化，很可能無法康復。其實，相當長的一段時間以來，我就知道她的病情不容樂觀，只不過心里一直不愿承認這個事實罷了。幾年前，她多次突發心臟病，甚至接受了心臟手術。但我不知道的是，她一直對我隱瞞了真實病情，謊稱她的情況在不斷地好轉。我們談到她面前極其有限的幾種選擇，忍不住抱頭痛哭起來，但愿我們在一起的時間能再多一點，再長一點。
那天之后不久，母親就去世了，甚至還來不及看一眼她即將出生的外孫們。轉眼間，很多年過去了。我依然會時不時地去公園，只不過現在是帶著我的兒子們一起。我還會坐在那棵粗壯的大松樹下，坐在那老舊的地毯上，向兒子們回憶起在這里辦過的家庭聚會和野餐，還有他們未曾謀面的外祖母。我也會像母親對我一樣，對兒子們訴說他們年幼時的種種趣事，贊揚他們成年后取得的種種成績。我們來到這個擁有特殊意義的地方，創造屬于我們自己的回憶，而這些甜蜜的回憶，我相信，一定會讓在天有靈的母親倍感欣慰與驕傲。
不久前，我的大兒子想來公園與我談談。于是，我們來到那棵大松樹下坐了下來。一開始他支支吾吾，閃爍其詞，后來終于鼓起勇氣告訴我，他要結婚了。一時之間，我喜極而泣，而他緊緊地擁抱著我。要知道，這對他來說是多么罕見而特殊的舉動。我對他說，你終于長大了，成為男子漢了，我為你感到驕傲。
涼爽4月的下午，我坐在那里，沐浴著春日的陽光，嗅著草坪的清香，忽然發覺我的人生在這棵大松樹下完成了圓滿的輪回。我用雙臂擁抱著兒子，為他感到高興，就如同許多年以前，母親在聽聞我即將嫁為人婦時為我感到高興一樣。
從兒子的肩上望過去，我看到幾株新栽的松樹苗，心想：當這些樹苗長得筆直挺拔、高聳入云時，我的家人也會伴隨著它們一起成長嗎？我也想和孫子孫女們分享這里的一切。
樹枝在微風中婆娑搖曳著，仿佛有陣陣竊竊私語在耳畔浮現：在我走了以后，你會帶誰來這里呢？不錯，那是我母親的聲音。我不禁將兒子抱得更緊了。
注釋
�、賐almy ['bɑ:mi] a. 芳香的，溫和的
�、赿isturbing [di'st:bi] a. 煩擾的，擔心的，令人不安的
�、踫quawk [skw:k] v. 呱呱地叫鳴，喋喋不休地發牢騷
�、躠larmingly ['lɑ:mili] ad. 讓人擔憂地
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