美麗的童年-中英對照
我們每人心里的某一部分，都屬于當年的自己，永遠是孩子般的模樣，代表了年少時的所有美好和期許。如今回頭遙望，有懷念有傷感，但任你如何去追憶，那樣的時光永不再回來。那短短的幾年時光，也許是每個人漫長一生中最無憂無慮的一段。在這燦爛如花的年華，別讓孩子背負太多，就讓他們好好享受這僅有一次的童年吧。
      I stopped to watch my little girl busy playing in her room. In one hand was a plastic phone; in the other a toy broom. I listened as she was speaking to her make believe little friend And I'll never forget the words she said, even though it was pretend.
             我停下來，注視著正在她的房間里忙著玩耍的小女兒。她一手拿著一個塑料電話，另一只手拿著一個玩具掃帚。我聽到了她跟她假想中的“小朋友”在談話，而她說的每一個字都讓我永遠牢記，即使那是假裝的。
     She said, “Suzie’s in the corner cuz she’s not been very good. She didn’t listen to a word I said or do the things she should.” In the corner I saw her baby doll all dressed in lace and pink. It was obvious she’d been put there to sit alone and think.
            女兒說：“蘇西就在角落里，因為她表現的不好。她連一個字都不肯聽我說，也不干她該做的事情。”我看到她的娃娃在角落里，渾身上下都穿著粉紅色的衣服，配著蕾絲。很顯然，她是被放在那里的，讓她獨自坐在那兒反思。
     My daughter continued her “conversation”, as I sat down on the floor. She said, “I’m all fed up , I just don't know what to do with her anymore? She whines whenever I have to work and wants to play games, too. She never lets me do the things that I just have to do?
             當我在地板上坐下來的時候，女兒還在繼續她的“談話”。她說：“我受夠了，我不知道還能拿她怎么辦？每當我工作時，她就開始哭鬧，還想要玩游戲。她從來不讓我去干我該干的事情。

      She tries to help me with the dishes, but her arms just cannot reach... And she doesn't know how to fold towels. I don’t have the time to teach. I have a lot of work to do and a big house to keep clean. I don’t have the time to sit and play—don’t you know what I mean?”
           她想幫我刷碗，但她的手夠不到，毛巾怎么疊也不知道。我沒有時間去教她，我還有一大堆的事情要去處理，這么間大房子要去打掃。我沒有時間去坐下來陪她玩——你明白我的意思嗎？”
      And that day I thought a lot about making some changes in my life; As I listened to her innocent words that cut me like a knife. I hadn’t been paying enough attention to what I hold most dear. I’d been caught up in responsibilities that increased throughout the year.
           那天，我想了很多改變了我的生活的事情。當我聽著女兒那些天真的話語時，我心如刀割。我沒有給予我最愛的人足夠的關注。我只顧著承擔那些逐年增長的責任。
      But now my attitude has changed, because, in my heart, I realize... I’ve seen the world in a different light through my little darling’s eyes. So, let the cobweb shave the corners and the dust bunnies rule the floor, I’m not going to worry about keeping up with them anymore.
           不過現在，我的態度發生了轉變，因為我從心里意識到……我透過親愛的小女兒的眼睛，從另一個角度看到了這個世界。所以，就讓蜘蛛網呆在墻角，讓地板鋪滿灰塵吧，我再也不為這些瑣事操心了。
      I’m going to fill the house with memories of a child and her mother... For we are granted only one childhood, and we will never get another.
           我要讓房間里充滿一個孩子和她母親的回憶……因為我們每個人都只有一個童年，一旦失去就再也找不回了