登陆注册
509300000008

第8章 母亲也曾是个“捣蛋鬼”

My Mother the Hellion

佚名 / Anonymous

As a child I always wondered how my mother knew what I was up to. How did she know I had not done my homework, had been smoking (and in my parochial school uniform, too), or had lied about where I had been and with whom? They were such well-constructed and convincing lies. And they had taken me so long to concoct. Now, looking back, the answer is crystal-clear to me. My mother did not have eyes in the back of her head, nor did she have a needie-sharp sixth sense of perception. The plain, unvarnished truth is...my mother was a hellion in her own youth. My grandmother was not alive to share this information with me. My grandfather, chief of police in our small town, never incriminated anyone, including his daughter. I simply know this is the answer. How else could she know what I was thinking, what I had done, and what I planned to do if she had not already trod the same path herself?

Take for example, the time our neighbor’s canoe was stolen from their yard. Actually, “stolen” is too harsh a word. “Borrowed” is more accurate. With the assistance of my cousin we paddled across the river in the dark to participate in a clandestine meeting of our friends. Because of a slight miscalculation of the tides, we were unable to return until almost daybreak.

The canoe was immediately returned to its rightful owners. Okay, they claimed the side was bashed in. I prefer dinged. Stuff happens. My mother said she knew without a doubt I had been involved. I thought she had a lot of crust bandying my name about that way. The perpetrator could have been anyone.

And how about the time she insisted I had been driving her car when she had been away? It certainly was not my fault the gas gauge was down. There could have been a leak. For heaven’s sake, I didn’t even have my license then. Or the dozens of other peccadilloes she laid at my door, like the cozy little get-togethers I had put up. We were scrupulously careful not to leave any traces, yet I was always found out. Parties in the woods, occasional absences from school, fast cars, a glorious weekend in New York City, using false ID and being caught by my-gulp-grandfather.

Okey, I admit there was some truth to that one, but I can explain, honest. Someone once said, “Experience is the best teacher.” This is turning out to be true. How else could I know what my own daughter is up to—the little sneak!

孩提时,我总是奇怪为什么妈妈总能知道我在打什么主意。比如,我没做作业,吸烟(而且身穿教区校服),或撒谎去过哪儿以及和谁在一起,这些她都是怎么知道的?而那些谎言都是我精心编造的,非常令人信服。为了编造这些谎言,我花了很长的时间。如今回想起来,答案已经很明显了。妈妈的后脑勺上并没有长眼睛,也没有无所不知的第六感。而再明白不过的事实就是,她年幼时也是个调皮鬼。外婆在世时,没有告诉我这些。外公虽是我们小镇的警察局长,但也从未控告过任何人,包括他的女儿。但我知道答案就是这样。如果她没有同样的经历,又怎会知道我在想什么,做过什么,打算干什么呢?

比如,有一次,邻居家放在院里的独木舟被偷了。说实话,用“偷”有点太苛刻了,还是用“借”比较准确。在表弟的帮助下,天黑时我们划船过河,去参加朋友的秘密聚会。由于对潮水时间的计算有些误差,我们几乎天亮时才回来。

独木舟马上物归原主了。对了,他们声称船弦被撞坏了。我宁愿受到数落,因为经常会发生这种糟糕的事。妈妈认为,我一定参与了。我想她敢到处嚷嚷,破坏我的名声。不过,谁都有做这种事的嫌疑嘛。

而那次她坚持认为我趁她不在家时开了她的车,这又该怎么说呢?油箱里的油少了确实不是我的错,也许是漏了。算我倒霉,那时我还没有驾照呢。还有其他的一些小过失,她都会算在我的头上,比如我安排的一个惬意的小聚会。我们非常小心谨慎,以免留下任何痕迹,但我还是总被发现。比如,在森林里的晚会,偶尔的逃学,飚车,在纽约过一个愉快的周末,以及用假身份证——噢——不过那次被我外公抓住了。

好吧,我承认最后那件事是有我的错,但我可以诚实地解释。有人曾说:“经验是最好的老师。”确实是真理。不然现在我又怎么会知道自己的女儿在打什么鬼主意呢——这个小捣蛋!

记忆填空

1. They were such well-constructed and convincing . And they had taken me so long to concoct. Now, looking back, the is crystal-clear to me. My mother did not have in the back of her head, nor did she have a needie-sharp sixth sense perception.

2. the assistance of my cousin we paddled across the in the dark to participate in a clandestine of our friends. Because of a slight miscalculation of the tides, we were unable to until almost daybreak.

佳句翻译

1. 妈妈的后脑勺上并没有长眼睛,也没有无所不知的第六感。

2. 如果她没有同样的经历,又怎会知道我在想什么,做过什么,打算干什么呢?

3. 我们非常小心谨慎,以免留下任何痕迹,但我还是总被发现。

短语应用

1. As a child I always wondered how my mother knew what I was up to.

be up to:从事,忙于;胜任;该由……负责

2. For heaven’s sake, I didn’t even have my license then.

for heaven’s sake:看在上帝的份上;上帝保佑

同类推荐
  • 三句半搞定商务英语口语

    三句半搞定商务英语口语

    本书涵盖了大部分的商务情景——商务交往、外贸业务、谈判、公司事务及商务旅行等,每个情景你仅需掌握“三旬半”——“半”是指最常用简单的句型。“三句”是最简洁实用的三个交流短句。如果你按照模仿、复述的学习方法。不断熟练运用到实践中,一回生。二回熟。来来回回想忘都难。三句半搞定你的商务英语口语,助你完成由菜鸟到高手的完美蜕变。
  • 圣经故事(纯爱英文馆)

    圣经故事(纯爱英文馆)

    《圣经故事》是生活亚、非、欧三大洲交界处的古代希伯来民族数千年历史长河中集体智慧的结晶,也是犹太教、基督教(包括天主教、东正教和新教)共同的正式经典。它构成了西方社会两千年来的文化传统和特点,并影响到世界广大地区的历史发展和文化进程。
  • The Querist

    The Querist

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 高考英语词汇考点手册

    高考英语词汇考点手册

    词汇是语言学习的重要组成部分。听、说、读、写、译诸项技能的培养与提高,都离不开扎实的词汇基础。《高考英语词汇考点手册》堪称一本多功能的英语工具书。相信《高考英语词汇考点手册》给你提供的是一条学习和记忆单词的有效算途径,能让你收入到意想不到的效果。
  • 出国英语一本通

    出国英语一本通

    本书共7章内容,依次为“出国行程”“出国留学”“出国旅游”“出国商务”“国外定居”“国外购物”“回国返程”。这些章节包含86个话题,涵盖最常用的场景对话,为您出国之旅做最佳语言沟通的准备。
热门推荐
  • 特工王妃:王爷大人请温柔

    特工王妃:王爷大人请温柔

    一朝穿越,竟然成了有名的花痴丑女。还有一个对自己百般疼爱的爹爹,更有一个讨厌她如臭虫的王爷。最后决定休夫,没想到刚出狼圈又入虎坑。简直就是放肆宠爱。可是当问题接重而来,怀疑甚至背叛。最终究竟是谁负了谁?
  • 金有陀罗尼经

    金有陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 时光微微甜:不小心撞上学霸

    时光微微甜:不小心撞上学霸

    家遭巨变的转校生顾衍,遇上卖串串为生的杜小青,寻到了家的温暖,于是想靠近,想靠近,真的就靠得很近。
  • 逍盗

    逍盗

    有人生于繁华,有人生逢乱世,其实这不过转逝既瞬。圣贤有道,读万千卷书,行万里长路,智理江山。江湖有路,纵横凌立,山海鼎力,辰溪入世。天生逍遥,长夜永眠,拂起星辰盗四方。
  • 脑残王妃

    脑残王妃

    【女主篇】恶俗呀,人生的一大败笔,她竟然也穿了,不是华丽丽的穿越,而是一觉就睡过去了,好吧,穿就穿吧,话说穿穿更健康,她就大发慈悲替这个短命的小姐活着吧,可为什么要她成亲?这不在她计划之内呀?完蛋了,她才不要和古人爱爱呢,她要回家撒~虾米,这个王爷说啥?这不是他要的婚姻?好吧,反正郎没情,妾没意,那就来个协议婚姻,她就等着满十八岁被阎王带走重新投胎就好。可为什么事情会走了样?她竟然也被别人利用成为报复摄政王爹地的棋子?成为古代弃妃一枚?汗,他们男人朝野争霸关她屁事?她不要留在这里,她要把老公拐回去度蜜月~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~一心想要回到的现代的她,真正回来却发现……爱情亲情同时背叛,再度重生的她将如何使江湖风生水起,朝野颠覆?【男主篇】她是浮云城所有未婚男子想要迎娶回家的女人,她清纯脱俗不食人间烟火的气质让他愤怒,既然这么美好,得不到索性就毁了~毕竟她可是得罪了他,那就让她永无翻身之日。只是这个女人突然就变得太奇怪,把他宁王府搞的鸡飞狗跳,天翻地覆,最后胆大的竟然拐走她未来的姐夫私奔.士可杀不可辱,这顶绿帽子的侮辱他一定会讨回来的,最好的办法就是将她抓回来凌迟处死~【精彩片段】洞房花烛夜,某个男人正准备开动,突然就发现有个偷窥狂出现在他的房间,抓住来拷问,结果得到的答案是:“我来参观一下。”某男:………“沈芍婳,你在干什么?”冷喝一声,把正在忙碌的沈韶华吓了一跳,抬眼看是自己的夫君,沈韶华无力翻了翻白眼。“长眼睛是干什么的?”她只不过动手能力强一些,做一下卫生棉而已,用得着大惊小怪吗?“我听仆人说你把棉花坊的棉花全买回来了?”男人冷声问道,他宁王府又不缺棉花,她买那么多棉花干什么?最好能给他一个好理由,要不然他不介意自己一时冲动把她掐死。“对。”女人回答的很干脆某男:…….宁王爷扯去女人繁琐的衣服之后,竟然看到女人的胸前有两片像荷叶一样很奇怪的东西:“这是什么?”“这是王妃给奴家做的,叫什么文胸。”女人娇滴滴地回答。轰地一声,高大的宁王爷摔倒在地,高昂的“性”趣也被浇灭了。【潼言潼语】:小潼的书友群:60686560(已满)潼窝:86104110(未满)欢迎亲们加入,小潼定会为大家竭力奉献精彩内容~~【推荐区】推荐小潼自己的作品:
  • 宅府恩怨:嫡妻归来爷当心

    宅府恩怨:嫡妻归来爷当心

    相濡以沫,比不得妖艳颜色。贤惠良妻成下堂,狐媚娥子踩房梁。惊鸿不曾预想过,从小长大的情谊,竟也是这般凉薄。燕尔之期刚过,夫君就有了纳妾的心思。大宋之制,糟糠之妻不下堂,贫贱之友不可忘。她以为本分过这一生,也便就是了,怨不得,求不得。可是世事不如意,她守着一方宅院,也得不到一寸净土。争宠、陷害、夺爱、谋杀。大家宅之中的腥风血雨,背后又是谁的阴谋?夫妻情谊尽了之后,又是谁朝她伸出了手?我心匪石,不可转也。我心匪席,不可卷也。心门一闭难再开,请君且带真心来。
  • 无限猎场

    无限猎场

    一个僵尸都不曾出现,倒是阴谋迭出,算尽苍生的《异化危机》世界,变着法儿坑人的--恶魔卡牌系统,光怪陆离,缤彩纷呈的历史流无限世界新建QQ群:476761022,欢迎大家加入交流
  • 呆子陛下,万福金安

    呆子陛下,万福金安

    楼之画从未想过,有一日会因一次踩踏事件而命陷黄泉,待蒙胧清醒,她却早已魂穿异世,在这陌生的朝代经历着从不敢想象的曲折,一次偶然的救治,沾染上了弃不了的爱恨情仇,终有一日,硝烟已过,鸦雀横飞,她站在经历过大战洗涤的战场上,朱红锦衣随烟飘扬,飞散在空气里,清冷的眼眸望着四处残骸,江山秀丽早已落满离殇,遥想那年,你我年少,今岁却难两相全,只道朝拾蹉跎,旖旎不在,霞光映出云雾,乍泄出希望,薄唇轻启道“呆子,在叫一声娘子,可好。”【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 龙族Ⅲ:黑月之潮(下)

    龙族Ⅲ:黑月之潮(下)

    卡塞尔三人组从源氏重工撤出后,再次陷入东京暗流。路明非与绘梨衣为躲避蛇岐八家的追捕,躲进了情人旅馆。绘梨衣是开启白王宝藏的钥匙之一,恺撒与楚子航希望路明非能将绘梨衣带离日本。与此同时,酒德麻衣和薯片妞执行老板的“东京爱情故事”计划,要促成路明非与绘梨衣之间的世纪婚礼,然而路明非却背叛了计划,将绘梨衣送回了蛇岐八家……
  • The Principles of Psychology

    The Principles of Psychology

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。