評論
打印
1.After22 years of marriage, I've discovered the secret tokeepinglove and intimacyalivein myrelationship withmy wife, Peggy: Istarteddatinganother woman.
1、經歷22年的婚姻，我發現如何同妻子佩吉保持愛戀和親密關系的秘密：去約會另一個女人。
2. The "other woman"my wifewas encouragingme to dateis my mother,a 72-year-oldwidowwho has livedalonesincemy father died 20 years ago. Rightafterhis death, Imoved2500 milesawaytoCalifornia andstartedmy own family and career.WhenImovedbacknear my hometownsix years ago,I promised myselfthatIwould spendmore timewithMom.Butwiththe demandsofmy job and three kids,I nevergot around toseeinghermuchbeyondfamilyget-togethers and holidays.
2、我妻子鼓勵我去約會的“另一個女人”就是我的母親，一位72歲的寡婦(widow)。20年前父親去世后，她一直獨居至今。就在父親去世后，我搬到了2500英里以外的加利福尼亞，成家立業。6年前我搬回(move back)到靠近老家的地方，那時，我曾承諾(promise)要花些時間同媽媽在一起。但是由于(with)需要兼顧我的工作和3個孩子，除家庭聚會(family get-togethers)和節假日外(beyond)，我很少抽時間(get around to doing sth orn.)去看望她。
3. She was surprised and suspicious, then,whenI called and suggestedthe two of usgoout to dinner and a movie. "What's wrong?" she asked. Mymother thinksanythingout of the ordinary signals bad news. "I thoughtitwould beniceto spend some timewith you," I said. "Just the two of us.""I'd like that a lot."shereplied.
3、我打電話給母親，建議我們倆外出一起吃飯、看電影，她感到驚訝(surprised)和疑惑(suspicious)。“出什么事了嗎?”她問，媽媽把任何不尋常的(out of the ordinary)信號都當成是壞消息。“我想跟您共度一段時光會很愉快的。”我說。“就我們倆。”“那太好了，”她答道。
4.AsI drove to her house,I actually hada case ofpredate jitters!What wouldwe talk about?What ifshe didn't like therestaurantI chose?
4、我開車駛往母親住所，竟感到約會前的緊張不安(jitters)。我們將談些什么呢?如果她不喜歡我選的餐館怎么辦?
5.WhenIpulled intoher driveway, shewas waitingbythe doorwithher coaton. Her hair wascurled, and shewas smiling. "I told my lady friendsI was going out with my son, andtheywere all impressed,"she saidasshe got into my car. "Theycan'twait to hear about ourevening."
5、我的車駛進(pull into)母親家門前的車道（driveway）時，她已穿好外套(with her coat on)等在門口了。她的頭發卷好了，面帶笑容。“我告訴我的女伴們，說我要和兒子一道外出，她們都深受感動(be impressed)，”母親邊說邊上了我的車。“她們急著想知道我們怎樣度過今天晚上。”
6. We didn't goanywherefancy,justa neighborhood placewherewe could talk. My mother clutched my arm,halfout ofaffection andhalfto help her negotiate the restaurant steps.Sinceher eyes now see onlylarge shapes and shadows, I had to read the menufor both of us. Halfwaythroughrecitingthe entrees, Iglancedupandsaw Momlooking atme, a wistful smile on her lips. "Iusedto bethe menureaderwhenyou were little,"she said. I understoodwhatshe was saying.Fromcaregiver tocared-for,fromcared-fortocaregiver, our relationshiphadcome full circle. "Thenit's time for you to relax and let me return the favor,"I said. We had a nice talk over dinner.Nothingearth-shattering,just catching up with each other's lives. We talkedforsolongthatwe missed the movie."I'll go out with you again," my mother saidasIdropped heroff, "Butonlyifyou let me buy dinner next time." I agreed.
6、我們沒有去高檔的(fancy)餐館，只在附近找了一個便于說話的地方。我的母親緊挽著(clutch)我的胳膊，既是出于對我的慈愛(affection)，也是為了自己能扶著我走上餐館的臺階。由于(since)她現在的視力只能看到大致的形狀和模糊的影子，我得為我們倆讀菜單。我念到一半時，抬頭瞥見(glance up)母親正看著我(looking at me)，嘴角(on her lips)泛著若有所思(wistful)的微笑。“你小時候我常念菜單給你聽，”她說。我明白她的意思。(I understoodwhatshe was saying)她已從關愛者(caregiver)變為受照顧者(cared-for)，我則從受照顧者變為關愛者，我們的關系掉了個個兒(come full circle)。“現在你該輕松輕松了，讓我來照顧你。”我說。我們邊吃邊談，談得很好。沒有談什么大事(earth-shattering)，只是交談些彼此的生活情況(catch up with each other'slives)。我們談了很長時間，以致沒趕上看電影。“我還想跟你一起外出。”我送母親回去，下車時她說，“不過，下次你得讓我請客。”我答應了。
7. "How was your date?" my wife askedwhenI got homethatevening. "Nice..nicerthanIthought it would be," I said.Shesmiledhertold-you-so smile.
7、“你的約會怎么樣?”那天晚上回家時，妻子問我。“不錯……，比我想的還要好，”我說。她笑了，一副早就料到的樣子(told you so 早說過)。
8. Mom and Igo out for dinneracouple of timesa month.Sometimes wetake in a movie,butmostlywe talk. Itellheraboutmytrials at work and brag about the kids and Peggy. Mom fills me in on familygossip and tells me about her past. Now Iknow what it was like for her to work in a factoryduringWorld War II. I know how she met my father there, andhowthey nurtured a trolley-car courtship throughthose difficult times.I can't get enough of these stories.They are important to me, apart of my history. We also talk about the future.Because of health problems, my mother worries aboutthe daysahead. "I have so much livingto do," she told meonce. "I need to be therewhilemy grandchildren grow up. I don't want to missany of it."
8、從此我和媽媽每個月都要外出共進幾次（acouple of times）晚餐。有時我們也看場電影（take in a movie），但大部分時間都是交談。我跟她講工作中的煩惱(trials)，也向她夸耀(brag about)佩吉和孩子們。母親跟我談了許多家長里短的事(on family gossip)，也對我講了她過去的經歷。現在我知道了她二戰期間在一家工廠里做工的情況(waht it was like for her to work in a factory)，并知道她在那里如何同父親相識的，在那困難的日子里，他們在有軌電車(trolley-car)上培育了(nurtured)一段戀愛史(courtship)。我對這些故事百聽不厭。它們對我很重要，是我歷史的一部分。我們也談論未來。由于健康方面的原因，母親擔心著今后的日子(the days ahead)。“我要做的事兒多著呢，”有一次她對我說。“我要看著孫子、孫女們長大成人。我可什么都不想錯過。”
9. Itend to fillmy calendar to the brim asI struggle to fit family, career andfriendships into my life. I often complain about how quickly time flies.Spendingtime with my momhas taughtmetheimportance of slowing down.
9、忙于應付家庭生活、事業和朋友關系等種種事情，我的日程表(calendar)總是排得滿滿的。我經常抱怨(complain)時光飛逝。與母親共度時光，使我懂得了放慢生活節奏的重要。
