評論
打印
Not Just a Mom.
母親的含義。
A woman named Emily renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk's office was asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself. "What I mean is," explained the recorder, "do you have a job, or are you just a ... "
一位名叫埃米莉的婦女在縣辦事處給駕駛執照續期時，一名女記錄員問及她的職業。她猶豫了一下，不敢肯定應如何將自己歸類。“我意思是說你有沒有工作，”那名記錄員解釋說，“還是說你只不過是一名……”
"Of course I have a job," snapped Emily. "I'm a mother."
“我當然有工作，”埃米莉馬上回答，“我是一名母親。”
"We don't list 'mother' as an occupation ... 'Housewife' covers it," said the recorder emphatically.
“我們這里不把‘母親’看成是一個職業……‘家庭主婦’就可以了。”那名記錄員斷然回答。
I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall. The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient, and possessed of a high sounding title like, "Official Interrogator" or "Town Registrar." "What is your occupation?" she probed.
這個故事聽后，我就忘了。直到有一天在市政廳，我也遇到了同樣的情況。很顯然，那名辦事員是位職業女性，自信、有能力，并有著一個類似“官方訊問員”或“鎮登記員”之類很堂皇的頭銜。“你的職業？”她問道。
What made me say it, I do not know ... The words simply popped out. "I'm a Research. Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations."
至今我也不知道，當時是什么因素作怪，我脫口而出：“我是兒童發育和人類關系研究員。”
The clerk paused, ballpoint pen frozen in midair, and looked up as though she had not heard right.
那名辦事員愣住了，拿著原珠筆的手也不動了。她抬頭看著我，好像沒有聽清楚我說什么似的。
