Track 8
by anonymous翻譯:法比仔
我有個弟弟?
Track 8
by anonymous翻譯:法比仔
嘻嘻,自打中國開放生育二胎以來,相信許多家庭都相繼增添了一位小小的新成員吧?家里迎來新成員自然是件幸福的事,因為那可是個新生命,是個新希望呢!但這時有個問題來了,家中原來的獨苗會怎么想?哈哈,我想剛開始總是會有各種不適應吧,就像文中的這位小作者一樣,但親情的力量是能夠克服一切噠!
I met my little brother when I was eight and he was four—our first1)encounter since the day of his birth. Due to family circumstances, my brother had been left in Korea with my grandmother until my parents and I had settled in the U.S. We were reunited with him a few months before I started second grade. My parents had planned a quiet party and invited a few of their close friends. I had no idea why we were hosting a celebration, but I accepted the notion2)wholeheartedly.
The party was in a nearby park, with the sun3)blazing high in the sky. People walked in, enthusiastically congratulating my parents. I made a4)beeline for the snacks, as I do at any party I attend. After a while, I noticed a yellow cab5)pull up in my6)peripheral vision.
I paused and stared, my curiosity sparked.
And then, the door opened.
An old woman with a7)stern expression was holding a small boy by the hand. Despite her age, she walked with a quick,strong8)gait. People immediately congregated around them, with my parents9)in the lead. My mom started to cry, which sparked my attention and an unpleasant feeling of10)confusion. Just as I had resolved to make my way over there, the crowd suddenly went quiet. My dad11)beckoned for me to come closer.
With a sense of dread, I12)shoved past the unknown faces. I stood by my parents and was faced with the mysterious boy. My mom13)stooped down and14)whispered something into my ear.
“What?” I asked, slightly15)miffed.
“He’s your brother,” she repeated.
Brother? I have a brother? I16)mouthed the word so as not to be overheard.
I took a closer look at my so-called “brother.” He was small, slightly17)pudgy, and slightly red in the face. His eyes were the same color as mine, but were currently18)winking in frustration.
I refused to meet the little boy’s eyes. My mother19)leaned forward, asking me to speak to him. The bitter taste20)intensified. She asked again. I said no, that I was too tired, that I didn’t even know him. Her eyes21)pleaded with me to try. I22)clenched my fist as I asked him the only thing that came to mind.
“Can I have your23)popsicle?”
The adults24)chuckled.
“No!” He25)reiterated, clearly26)enunciating each syllable, “No, it’s mine.”
27)Fury28)erupted deep within me and I29)slammed his popsicle into the grass. I watched with satisfaction as he burst into tears.
I was brought to my room,30)chastised by my parents and left staring at the31)ceiling as the clock ticked on.
During the night, awoke to the sound of someone crying, I sat up in bed, still32)groggy. The crying intensified in volume. Half asleep, I33)staggered towards it.
“I want Mommy!”
Suddenly, I realized that he was just as34)bewildered as me, forced to be apart from someone he had been with.
With each repetition, the35)wails melted my heart little by little, and when I eventually returned to my bed, I slept peacefully.
Nowadays, the word “brother”36)rolls off my tongue as easily as it can be.
1) encounter [?n'kaJnt?] n. 邂逅,相逢
2) wholeheartedly [h?Jl'hɑ?t?dl?] adv. 全心全意地
3) blaze [ble?z] v. 照耀,發(fā)光
4) beeline ['bi?la?n] n. 捷徑
5) pull up 停下來
6) peripheral vision 周圍視覺,余光
7) stern [st??n] adj. 嚴厲的
8) gait [ge?t] n. 步態(tài)
9) in the lead 占主導地位,帶頭
10) confusion [k?n'fju???n] n. 混亂
11) beckon ['bek?n] v.(用頭、手等動作)示意
12) shove [??v] v. 擠,推,撞
13) stoop [stu?p] v. 屈身,彎腰
14) whisper ['w?sp?] v. 低聲說,耳語
15) miffed [m?ft] adj. 生氣的
16) mouth [maJθ] v. 喃喃地說
17) pudgy ['p?d??] adj. 圓胖的
18) wink [w??k] v. 眨眼
19) lean [li?n] v. 傾斜
20) intensify [?n'tens?fa?] v. 使強烈,加強
21) plead with 向……懇求
22) clench [klent?] v. 捏緊(拳頭)
23) popsicle ['p?ps?kl] n. 冰棍,棒冰
24) chuckle ['t??kl] v. 低聲輕笑
25) reiterate [ri?'?t?re?t] v. 反復講,重申
26) enunciate [?'n?ns?e?t] v.(清晰)發(fā)音
27) fury ['fjJ?r?] n. 憤怒
28) erupt [?'r?pt] v. 爆發(fā)
29) slam [sl?m] v. 猛推,猛摔
30) chastise [t??s'ta?z] v. 懲戒
31) ceiling ['si?l??] n. 天花板
32) groggy ['gr?g?] adj. 無力的,搖搖晃晃的
33) stagger ['st?g?] v. 蹣跚,搖晃
34) bewildered [b?'w?ld?d] adj. 困惑的
35) wail [we?l] n. 痛哭
36) roll off 滾落
八歲的時候,我和我那年僅四歲的小弟弟相遇了—要知道,這是自他出生后我們的第一次相見。出于家庭原因,在我和父母在美國安頓下來以前,弟弟和祖母一直生活在韓國。在我上二年級以前的幾個月,我們終于和弟弟重逢了。我的父母準備了一個低調(diào)的派對,還邀請了一些密友。我不明白為什么要舉行慶祝會,但我還是誠心誠意地接受了這個安排。
派對是在家附近的公園里舉行,那天烈日當空,陽光明媚。人們陸續(xù)走來,熱情地祝賀著我的父母。而我呢,則像參加其他任何派對一樣,徑直走向擺放零食的地方。不久后,我用余光瞄到了一輛正往邊上??康狞S色出租車。
我停了下來,好奇地盯著那輛出租車。
隨后,車門打開了。
眼前是位表情嚴肅的老婦人,一手抱著個小男孩。盡管年事已高,老婦人依然健步如飛。我的父母立馬帶頭,和其他人一齊涌上前去迎接。我的母親開始哭了起來,這引起了我的注意,搞得我摸不著頭腦。就在我決定要過去看看發(fā)生了什么事的時候,所有人瞬間安靜了下來。我的父親示意我再靠近一點。
我懷揣著一顆不安的心,推擠著穿過這些陌生的面孔。我站在我的父母身旁,面向著這個神秘的男孩。母親彎下腰,在我耳邊輕聲地說了些話。
“什么?”我問道,還有點兒惱火了。
“他是你的弟弟呀,”母親又重復了一遍。
弟弟?我有個弟弟?我喃喃地說著,不想讓別人聽到。
我湊上前去仔細地打量了一下我那所謂的“弟弟”。他很小,有點胖,臉色微紅,他眼睛的顏色和我是一樣的。但此時此刻,我的“弟弟”也在失望地眨著雙眼。
我逃避著來自“弟弟”的目光。母親將身體前傾過來,叫我去和弟弟說說話。我心里更不是滋味了。母親接著又催促了一遍。我說“不”,我說我太累了,我說我根本就不認識他。母親用眼神懇求著我去邁出第一步。我握緊拳頭,說出了那時唯一浮現(xiàn)在我腦海中的問題。
“我能吃你的冰棒嗎?”
大人們都咯咯地笑了起來。
“不!”他重申了一遍,清晰地發(fā)出了每一個音節(jié),“不,這是我的。”
我內(nèi)心深處的怒火一下子爆發(fā)了,隨即便把他的冰棒摔到了草坪上??吹剿怕暣罂薜臉幼?,我內(nèi)心得到了滿足。
父母把我?guī)Щ胤块g,責罵了我一頓。我被留在了房間里,聽著嘀嗒嘀嗒的鐘聲,一直盯著天花板。
夜里,我被某個人的哭聲吵醒,無力地從床上爬了起來??蘼曉絹碓綇娏?,于是在半睡半醒的狀態(tài)下,我搖搖晃晃地朝著哭聲走去。
“我要媽媽!”
頓時,我意識到弟弟被迫離開了一起生活的人,其實和我一樣困惑。
他的每一聲慟哭一點一點地融化了我的心,而當我最終再一次回到自己的被窩,我睡得很踏實。
現(xiàn)在,我很輕松地就能說出“弟
弟”這個詞了。
Brother?