評論
打印
In spite of these warning signs, I wasn't worried. Our family had no piano and we couldn't afford to buy one, let alone reams of sheet music and piano lessons. So I could be generous in my comments when my mother badmouthed the little girl on TV.
面對這些跡象，我卻毫不擔(dān)心：我們家沒有鋼琴，也買不起，更甭說花錢買厚厚的琴譜和上鋼琴課了。因此當(dāng)母親對電視上那個小女孩的演奏吹毛求疵時，我就寬容地評論了幾句。
"Play note right, but doesn't sound good!" my mother complained "No singing sound."
媽媽挑剔地說: “音符倒沒彈錯，可不好聽！沒有和聲。”
"What are you picking on her for?" I said carelessly. "She's pretty good. Maybe she's not the best, but she's trying hard." I knew almost immediately that I would be sorry I had said that.
“為什么挑人家的錯？”我漫不經(jīng)心地說。“她彈得蠻不錯了。雖然說不上最好，但至少她盡力了。”話一出口我就后悔了。
"Just like you," she said. "Not the best. Because you not trying." She gave a little huff as she let go of the sound dial and sat down on the sofa.
“跟你一樣，”她說，“不是最好，因?yàn)槟銢]有努力。”她哼了一聲，放開聲音鈕，坐回到沙發(fā)上。
The little Chinese girl sat down also, to play an encore of "Anitra's Tanz," by Grieg. I remember the song, because later on I had to learn how to play it.
那個中國小女孩也重新坐在琴旁？演奏一首格里格的《阿尼特拉舞曲》。我仍記得那支曲子的歌詞，因?yàn)楹髞砦乙驳脤W(xué)習(xí)彈奏它。
Three days after watching the Ed Sullivan Show my mother told me what my schedule would be for piano lessons and piano practice. She had talked to Mr. Chong, who lived on the first floor of our apartment building. Mr.Chong was a retired piano teacher, and my mother had traded housecleaning services for weekly lessons and a piano for me to practice on every day, two hours a day, from four until six.
看完埃德·沙利文電視秀的第三天，母親制訂了上鋼琴課和練琴的時間表。她已與住在我們公寓一樓的鐘先生談過。鐘先生是位退休的鋼琴教師。母親用為他家打掃衛(wèi)生作為互惠條件，每周一次課，每天4點(diǎn)至6點(diǎn)用他的鋼琴練兩個小時。
When my mother told me this, I felt as though I had been sent to hell. I wished and then kicked my foot a little when I couldn"t stand it anymore.
母親把這個安排告訴我時，我覺得像是跌入地獄。我忍無可忍，尖叫、跺腳以示抗議。
"Why don't you like me the way I am? I'm not a genius! I can't play the piano. And even if I could, I wouldn't go on TV if you paid me a million dollars!" I cried.
“你怎么就不喜歡我現(xiàn)在這樣？我不是天才！我不會彈琴，學(xué)也學(xué)不會。即使我會，你就是給我100萬美元，我也不上電視演奏！”我哭叫著。
My mother slapped me. "Who ask you be genius."she shouted. "Only ask you be your best. For you sake. You think I want you be genius? Hnnh! What for! Who ask you!"
母親打了我一巴掌。“誰讓你成天才？”她喊道，“只要你盡力就行了。這是為你好！你以為我想讓你成天才？哼！為什么！誰要啊！”
"So ungrateful,"I heard her mutter in chinese. "If she had as much talent as she had temper, she would be famous now."
“真不識好歹，”我聽見她用漢語嘟囔著，“如果她的才氣和她的脾氣一樣大，她早就出名了。”
