A Mother’s Letter to the World

Dear World：

My son starts school today．It’s going to be strange and new to him for a while．And I wish you would sort of1) treat him gently．

You see，up to now，he’s been king of the roost．He‘s been boss of the back yard．I have always been around to repair his wounds，and to soothe2) his feelings．

But now―things are going to be different．

This morning，he’s going to walk down the front steps，wave his hand and start on his great adventure that will probably include wars and tragedy and sorrow．To live his life in the world he has to live in will require faith and love and courage．

So，World，I wish you would sort of take him by his young hand and teach him the things he will have to know．Teach him―but gently，if you can．Teach him that for every scoundrel3)，there is a hero；that for every crooked4) politician there is a dedicated leader；that for every enemy there is a friend．Teach him the wonders of books．Give him quiet time to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky，bees in the sun，and flowers on the green hill．Teach him it is far more honorable to fail than to cheat．Teach him to have faith in his own ideas，even if everyone else tells him they are wrong．Teach him to sell his brawn and brains to the highest bidder5)，but never to put a price on his heart and soul．Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob．．．and to stand and fight if he thinks he’s right．Teach him gently，World，but don’t coddle him，because only the test of fire makes fine steel．
This is a big order，World，but see what you can do．He‘s such a nice little fellow．


This NOTE 注释：

1. sort of adv. 有几分地

2. soothe vt. 使(某人,其神经,其情绪)平静, 安慰, 使(痛苦,疼痛)缓和或减轻

3. scoundrel n. 无赖, 恶棍

4. crooked adj. 弯曲的, 拐骗的, 不老实的

5. highest bidder 最高价竞买人

（下周日就是母亲节了，在小儿的语文教材选读课本中有这样一篇文章——一位母亲写给世界的信，Peter搜出了其的英文版，说要放在旺旺上，开辟一个英语美文的专题，同时也祝各位妈妈节日快乐！）.

欢迎大家跟贴英语美文，或发至peter_981202@126.com!.

谢谢! 明天会让内人给孩子补这一课文.  (中英文对照)
转:
网上的这篇作品实在好，此文是《世界掌握在母亲手中》的一部分，全文可依下去看。其实这篇作品的母亲也可广义为自以为是父母的人，若自以为是父母的人没有这样的胸怀就离‘好父母’就远了点。

                                                                  （一）一位母亲给世界的信

       美国一位叫安妮·斯通的母亲，为她即将上学的儿子满怀深情、无限恳切地给世界写了一封感人之深的信。全文如下：

       亲爱的世界，我的儿子今天开始上学。在一段时间内，他可能会感到既陌生又新鲜，我希望你能对他温和一点。

       你知道，直到现在，他一直是家里最受宠的人，我从没有离开过他的身边。

       可是现在，一切都将发生变化。

       今天早晨，他将走下屋前的台阶，挥挥手，踏上他伟大的冒险征途，途中也许会有失败、泪水和伤痛，但我告诉他，必须面对。他要在他必须生存的世界中生活，他需要信念、爱心和勇气。

       所以，世界，我希望你能握住他稚嫩的手，教他知道一些事情。教他——但如果可能的话，请温柔一点。

       教他知道，世界上有一个恶棍，就有一个英雄；有一个奸诈的政客，就有一个富有奉献精神的领袖；有一个敌人，就有一个朋友。

       教他感受书本的魅力，给他时间，去安静的思索自然界中永恒的神秘：空中的小鸟，阳光下的蜜蜂，青山上的花朵。

       教他知道，失败比欺骗要光荣的多；教他要坚信自己的思想，哪怕别人都予以否定；教他可以把自己的体力和脑力以高价出售，但绝对不要出卖自己的爱和灵魂；教他对暴徒的嚎叫不屑一顾……并且在以为自己是对的时候冲上去战斗。

       以温柔的方式教导他，世界，但不要溺爱他，因为只有烈火才能炼出真钢。

       这是个很高的要求，世界，请你尽力而为。他是一个多么可爱的小伙子!
                                                                                                                 （ 引自－－哈佛家训圈 ）

[ 本帖最后由 GH 于 2009-5-2 23:25 编辑 ].

公历 2009年5月10日 母亲节  星期日 金牛座  农历 己丑(牛) 二零零九年闰四月十六.

很好的文，很美的文，很动人的文！.

thank you Peter! you are such a nice little fellow.

学习了.

[ 本帖最后由 adaqq 于 2009-5-3 16:56 编辑 ].

你有空翻翻箱底, 看看有没有好东西.    .

收藏了。.

其实最好的东东是教育和学习的理念，都是每天晒在外面的，也不断在纠偏学习。
讲到具体的东西最近倒也真发现了个好东西，可惜不在手上，等晚上回去拿出来晒！.

好啊, 终于把你也拖下水囖.   
他们今天是不是又要排练啊?  还要说今天和小才女玩拼字游戏, 他们玩起来很文雅的..

mother's hands
Night after night, she came to tuck me in, even long after my childhood years. Following her longstanding custom, she'd lean down and push my long hair out of the way, then kiss my forehead.

I don't remember when it first started annoying me — her hands pushing my hair that way. But it did annoy me, for they felt work-worn and rough against my young skin. Finally, one night, I shouted out at her, "Don't do that anymore —your hands are too rough!" She didn't say anything in reply. But never again did my mother close out my day with that familiar expression of her love.

Time after time, with the passing years, my thoughts returned to that night. By then I missed my mother's hands, missed her goodnight kiss on my forehead. Sometimes the incident seemed very close, sometimes far away. But always it lurked, in the back of my mind.

Well, the years have passed, and I'm not a little girl anymore. Mom is in her mid-seventies, and those hands I once thought to be so rough are still doing things for me and my family. She's been our doctor, reaching into a medicine cabinet for the remedy to calm a young girl's stomach or soothe the boy's scraped knee. She cooks the best fried chicken in the world... gets stains out of blue jeans like I never could...

Now, my own children are grown and gone. Mom no longer has Dad, and on special occasions, I find myself drawn next door to spend the night with her. So it was late on Thanksgiving Eve, as I slept in the bedroom of my youth, a familiar hand hesitantly run across my face to brush the hair from my forehead. Then a kiss, ever so gently, touched my brow.

In my memory, for the thousandth time, I recalled the night my young voice complained, "Don't do that anymore — your hands are too rough!" Catching Mom's hand in hand, I blurted out how sorry I was for that night. I thought she'd remember, as I did. But Mom didn't know what I was talking about. She had forgotten — and forgiven — long ago.

That night, I fell asleep with a new appreciation for my gentle mother and her caring hands. And the guilt that I had carried around for so long was nowhere to be found.

[ 本帖最后由 PETER-MM 于 2009-5-6 23:22 编辑 ].

【中文译文】：

母亲总是在我入睡之后，为我掖好被子，然后俯下身子，轻轻拨开覆在我脸上的长发，亲吻我的前额。日复一日，母亲一直保持着这个习惯，即使我已不再是小孩子了，这一切却依然故我。

不知从什么时候开始，母亲的这种习惯渐渐让我感到不悦----我不喜欢她那双布满老茧的手就这样划过我细嫩的皮肤。终于，在一个夜晚，我忍不住冲她吼了起来：“你不要再这样了，你的手好粗糙！”母亲无言以对。但从此却再没有用这种我熟悉的表达爱的方式来为我的一天画上句号。

日子一天天过去，随着时间的流逝，我却总是不由得想起那一夜。我开始想念母亲的那双手，想念她印在我前额上的“晚安”。这种渴望忽远忽近，但始终潜藏在我心灵深处的某个角落。

若干年后，我成熟了，已不再是个小女孩了。母亲也已到了古稀之年，可她却始终没有停止过操劳，用她那双曾经被我视为“粗糙”的手为我和我的家庭做着力所能及的事情。她是我们的家庭医生，小姑娘胃痛时，她会从药箱里找出胃药来，小男孩擦伤的膝盖时，她会去安抚他的伤痛。她能做出世界上最好吃的炸鸡，能把蓝色牛仔裤上的污渍去得毫无痕迹......

现在，我自己的孩子也已长大，有了自己的生活，母亲却没有了父亲的陪伴。有一次，恰好是感恩节前夜，我决定就睡在母亲旁边的卧室里，陪她度过这一夜。这是我儿时的卧室，一切都是那么的熟悉，还有一只熟悉的手犹豫着从我的脸上掠过，梳理着我前额的头发，然后，一个吻，带着一如往日的温柔，轻轻落在了我的额头。

在我的记忆里，曾几千次再现那晚的情景和我那稚嫩的抱怨声：“你不要再这样了，你的手好粗糙！”我一把抓住母亲的手，一股脑说出我对那一晚深深的愧疚。我想，她一定和我一样，对那晚的事历历在目。然而，母亲却不知我再说些什么-----她早忘了，早已原谅我了。

那天晚上，我带着对母亲新的感激安然入睡，我感激她的温柔，和她那呵护的双手。多年来压在我心头的负罪感也随之烟消云散。.