A Room of His Own（他自己的天地）

名称：A Room of His Own（他自己的天地）
内容简介：
世界英语散文精卒
[00:05.00]We never know thelove of the parentsuntil we becomeparents ourselves.
[00:08.14]不养儿不知父母恩
[00:11.28]--Henry WardBeecher,Americanclergyman and orator
[00:13.91]——美国牧师、演说家享利.沃德.比彻
[00:16.55]A Room of His OwnBy Mary E. Potter
[00:21.94]　他自己的天地　 玛丽·E·波特
[00:27.34]Unmistakable noisesare coming throughmy bedroom wall.
[00:29.80]透过卧室墙壁，杂乱的声音清晰地传过来
[00:32.25]Now a scuffling,now a bumping,
[00:33.76]一会儿是刺啦刺啦拖东西，一会儿又稀里哗啦撞倒了什么
[00:35.27]a thumping, a long,drawn-out scraping.
[00:37.40]一会儿又叮叮咚咚敲打起来，这会儿又嘶嘶嘶没完没了刮着什么。
[00:39.52]"John, are youmoving furniturein there? Again?"I call.
[00:42.43]"约翰，你又在那儿搬家具了?"我喊道。
[00:45.33]The wall muffleshis "yes"
[00:46.49]"嗯"他应了一声，声音虽然让墙挡住了不少，
[00:47.64]but does not filterout of his voice thetinge of excitement.
[00:50.01]但话中那股兴奋的情绪却清晰可闻。
[00:52.39]I am not upset bythese impulsiverearrangements,
[00:54.10]对儿子这样动辄翻新布置他的房间，我倒不是生气，
[00:55.81]just amused at theirfrequency.
[00:57.24]只是他三天两头这样做，我觉得有趣。
[00:58.67]I remember my ownfeelings when I was13 as he is
[01:01.11]我想起了自己l3岁，像他这么大时的感觉。
[01:03.56]-the startling,rapidevolution of bodyand mind andemotions,
[01:06.17]身体、思想、情感发育得惊人地快，
[01:08.78]the need to inventand reinventyourself throughclothes,
[01:10.77]总是通过服饰、
[01:12.77]hairstyles and thearrangement anddecor of your room.
[01:15.20]发型、房间的布置来塑造和重新塑造自己
[01:17.63]Amid the smotheredthuds,
[01:18.57]听着低沉的敲击声
[01:19.52]I remember how muchJohn longed for theprivacy of his owndomain,
[01:22.10]我想起了约翰过去那么渴望有一块属于他自己的天地。
[01:24.69]how he took measide two years ago
[01:25.91]两年前,
[01:27.12]when he wassharing a roomwith his youngerbrother, Robert,
[01:28.85]他还与他的弟弟罗伯特同住一间房
[01:30.57]"Mom," he said,"can I please havea room of my own?
[01:33.05]有天他对我说:"妈妈，我能不能自己住一间房?
[01:35.53]I could use Jeff's.He won't mind."
[01:37.22]我可以住杰夫那间，他不会在意的。"
[01:38.91]It was true thatJeff had graduatedfrom college thatpast June
[01:41.15]不错，那年六月，杰夫大学毕业
[01:43.39]and had flown fromthe nest.
[01:44.55]飞出了窝。
[01:45.71]But would he mind
[01:46.35]但是他会不会在意?
[01:47.00]if the place wherehe had spentcountless hoursgrowing up
[01:48.72]倘若将那个曾伴他成长、伴他无数时光的房间
[01:50.43]was yankedout from under him?
[01:51.67]忽然收回去，
[01:52.91]Would he feel oustedfrom the family,barred from evercoming home again?
[01:55.91]他会不会觉得自己给赶出了这个家，不再准许回来?
[01:58.91]But beyond hisfeelings, wouldI mind?
[02:00.73]再者，即便不考虑杰夫的感受，我会不会在意呢?
[02:02.54]That room was somuch a part of ourlives over the manyyears
[02:04.68]那间房是我们生活中那么重要的一部分。
[02:06.82]that Jeff had beenour only child.In it I had taughthim to read;
[02:09.74]在杰夫还是我们唯一的孩子时，在那间房，我教他读书，
[02:12.67]we constructedarchitecturalwonders out ofblocks
[02:14.39]我们一起将积木搭成美妙的楼房，
[02:16.12]and set upelaboratedesks.
[02:17.42]一起制作精美的桌子。
[02:18.72]It was where Jeffperfected hisartwork
[02:20.11]在那问房，杰夫完善了他一件件艺术品
[02:21.50]and struggledwith collegeapplications.
[02:23.10]并为申请上大学日夜拼搏；
[02:24.69]It was the placewhere I told him athousand stories
[02:26.58]在那间房，我曾对杰夫讲过无数个故事
[02:28.47]and where we had athousand talks.
[02:30.22]曾与他有过无数次促膝交谈。
[02:31.96]As close as we were,though,
[02:33.20]然而，尽管我们如此亲近。
[02:34.44]the time came whenJeff needed a doorbetween us,
[02:36.15]终于有一天，杰夫要在我们之间隔起一扇门，
[02:37.87]a space of his ownto grow in.
[02:39.33]需要在一个属于他自己的天地里成长。
[02:40.79]The door to thatbedroom would beshut most of theevening,
[02:42.80]他卧室的那扇门在晚上多数时间都紧闭着，
[02:44.81]behind it themuffled sound of aradio
[02:46.29]只听得见里面收音机微弱的声音
[02:47.78]or the clack of hissecondhand manualtypewriter
[02:49.18]和他在那台二手的手动打字机
[02:50.59]as he banged outone of his marathonletters.
[02:52.56]敲马拉松似的长信的噼里啪啦声
[02:54.54]I know those lettersto friends must havebeen filled withthoughts and opinions
[02:56.97]我知道杰夫那些写给朋友的信中一定满是些
[02:59.40]Jeff did not sharewith me.
[03:00.66]他不曾与我谈过的思想和观点，
[03:01.93]His life wasspreading intoareas
[03:03.13]他的生活正朝着
[03:04.34]that had nothing todo with home andfamily.
[03:06.13]与家和家人不相干的区域扩展，
[03:07.92]I no longer could-or should-knoweverything abouthim.
[03:10.76]我再也不能、也不应该去了解他的一切。
[03:13.61]As conscientiousparents,we strive to fosterindependence.
[03:16.08]作为尽责的父母。我们总尽力培养孩子的独立能力。
[03:18.55]But when it happens,when you pauseoutside that door
[03:20.50]可孩子一旦真的独立了，当你驻足门外，
[03:22.45]and look at theblank panels,
[03:23.38]望着空白的门板，
[03:24.31]it is always alittle unsettling.
[03:25.85]总会有些怅然若失
[03:27.40]It turned out thatgetting Jeff'spermission to changethe room was easy.
[03:29.90]杰夫后来爽快地答应了把房子让给弟弟，
[03:32.41]"Of course,"he said.
[03:33.35]他说:"没问题."
[03:34.28]"It would be selfishof me to hold on toit."
[03:35.54]"我要老抓着不放就太自私了。"
[03:36.80]Then his voicesoftened.
[03:37.74]接着他又柔声对我说;
[03:38.67]"Mom, I won't beliving at home again-you know that."
[03:41.03]"妈，我不会再住在家里了，你知道的。"
[03:43.39]Behind his glasses,his eyes were litwith all the love
[03:45.57]在他的眼镜片后面。那双眼睛闪着爱的光辉，
[03:47.74]that has passedbetween us over theyears.
[03:49.12]这爱多年来一直在我们之间传递着。
[03:50.50]There were no doorsclosed here-they hadall opened up again.
[03:53.17]在这儿，没有门关闭着，所有的门又都敞开了。
[03:55.83]Then John and Ijumped into thetask of cleaning outclosets and drawers,
[03:58.37]接着，我和约翰立即投入了清理橱柜抽屉的工作，
[04:00.91]dispatching all thethings Jeff had leftbehind.
[04:02.58]把杰夫留下的东西都处理掉。
[04:04.24]Play-bills andsnapshots,a witheredboutonniere,
[04:06.30]几张节目预告单、生活小照一朵已枯萎的别在胸前的饰花
[04:08.35]old report cardsthat stung me withpride;
[04:09.90]还有那些令我骄傲的成绩单，
[04:11.44]a stack of homemadethank-you cards
[04:12.68]一叠自制的感谢卡，
[04:13.92]from the second-gradeSpanish class Jeffvolunteered to teach
[04:16.22]那是杰夫义务教的二年级西班牙语班送的。
[04:18.53]Suddenly, amid allthe upheaval,my throat caught.
[04:20.41]正在翻相倒柜时．我突然哽咽住了。
[04:22.30]There, in a pile ofassorted sketches,
[04:23.65]在杰夫那叠各种各样的素描中
[04:25.00]was a pencil drawingof
[04:25.73]有一幅铅笔画，
[04:26.46]T-Bird-Jeff's beagledead these manyyears-curled upasleep.
[04:29.48]画的是他那只已死去多年的小猎兔犬雷鸟蜷缩熟睡的模样
[04:32.50]Jeff's renderingwas so evocative
[04:33.65]杰夫画得那么逼真。唤起了我的回忆，
[04:34.79]I could almost feelthe dear old dog'ssatiny, warm ears.
[04:37.26]我几乎感觉得到这只可爱的老狗温暖的缎子般柔顺的耳朵。
[04:39.73]And in that room,with Jeff's thingsheaped around me,
[04:41.36]在那问房，杰夫的东西堆在我的周围，
[04:42.99]I could almost touchthe little boy Iknew was goneforever.
[04:45.35]我几乎触摸得到我那个我认识的却已永远一去不复返的小男孩。
[04:47.71]But we accept-atleast we say we do.
[04:49.75]然而我们接受这一事实，至少我们口头上接受。
[04:51.79]All of parenting isa series of lettinggo by degrees.
[04:54.07]所有养儿育女的过程就是一步步放手的过程。
[04:56.35]The child walks andruns and rides abike;
[04:57.97]孩子先是学会走，然后跑，然后骑自行车
[04:59.59]he is stricken withthe pangs of firstlove
[05:00.99]然后他会被初恋刺痛．
[05:02.40]that we arepowerless to kissaway.
[05:03.74]而我们爱莫能助．
[05:05.09]Then he is drivinga car, and we arefalling asleepbefore he gets home,
[05:07.54]再往后他便学会了开车，而在他回家之前。我们就睡了，
[05:10.00]alert, even in ourdreams, to the soundof his motor gearingdown.
[05:13.14]但即便在梦中，也会竖起一只耳朵听着他车子减速的声音。
[05:16.28]I looked at the roomaround me and, in myheart, I let it go.
[05:19.19]我环顾这间房，我从心底里放开了手。
[05:22.11]To hold on would be,as Jeff said,selfish.
[05:24.19]正如杰夫所说，老抓着不放就太自私了。
[05:26.27]Now it was time forJohn, shoulderingthrough the door
[05:28.32]而现在轮到约翰了，用肩推开房门．
[05:30.38]with an armload ofhis things,
[05:31.28]他双手抱满了哥哥的东西。
[05:32.17]his eyes bright withthe promise ofindependence,
[05:34.00]眼里闪着独立的神情，
[05:35.83]to disappear behindthe door.
[05:37.83]消失在门后。