那天，我終于哭了

The Day I Finally Cried

那天，我終于哭了

I didn’t cry when I learned I was the parent of a mentally handicapped child.

當(dāng)我知道我是個(gè)智障兒的母親時(shí)，我沒有哭。

“Go ahead and cry,”the doctor advised kindly.

“想哭就哭吧。”醫(yī)生善意地勸到。

But I couldn’t cry then nor during the months that followed.

但是，當(dāng)時(shí)的我是不能哭的，在以后的日子里我也不能。

We enrolled her in our neighborhood school’s kindergarten at age seven.

克里斯蒂七歲時(shí)，我們把她送進(jìn)了我們家附近的一所幼兒園上學(xué)。

I worried that when she was the“different”child among twenty five-year-olds, it was probably the loneliest moment she had ever known.

我擔(dān)心，當(dāng)她發(fā)現(xiàn)自己不同于其他二十個(gè)五歲孩子們的時(shí)候，她會(huì)感到前所未有的孤獨(dú)。

However, positive things began to happen to Kristi in her school, and to her schoolmates, too.

然而,在學(xué)校里樂觀的事情開始垂青于克里斯蒂和她的同學(xué)們。

When boasting of their own accomplishments,

當(dāng)她們炫耀自己的作業(yè)完成得如何好的時(shí)候,

Kristi’s classmates always took pains to praise her as well,

她們總也要特意夸獎(jiǎng)克里斯蒂，

“Kristi got all her spelling words right today.”

她們說：“克里斯蒂今天的拼寫全都做對(duì)了。”

No one bothered to add that her spelling list was easier than anyone else’s.

沒有人會(huì)再加上一句說她的拼寫作業(yè)比其他任何人的都簡單得多。

During Kristi’s second year in school, she faced a very special experience.

克里斯蒂上學(xué)的第二年,她面臨了一次特別的經(jīng)歷。

The big public event of the term was a competition based on a culmination of the year’s music and physical education activities.

那學(xué)期的公眾活動(dòng)是一個(gè)建立在年度的音樂體育活動(dòng)上的競賽。

Kristi was way behind in both music and motor coordination.

克里斯蒂在音樂和運(yùn)動(dòng)方面都遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)落在后面。

My husband and I dreaded the day as well.

我和我丈夫都很擔(dān)心這一天的到來。

On the day of the program, Kristi pretended to be sick.

活動(dòng)的那天，克里斯蒂假裝生病了。

Desperately I wanted to keep her home.

我也非常想讓她呆在家里。

Why let Kristi fail in a gymnasium filled with parents, students and teachers?

為什么要讓克里斯蒂在這么多家長、學(xué)生、老師面前輸?shù)舯荣惸?

What a simple solution! But I finally got her onto the school bus.

為什么不找這樣一個(gè)簡單的解決辦法吶!但是，我最終還是把她送上了校車。

Just as I had forced my daughter to go to school, now I forced myself to go to the program.

就像我強(qiáng)迫女兒去學(xué)校一樣,現(xiàn)在輪到我強(qiáng)迫自己去比賽的地方。

Then I knew why Kristi had been worried.

那時(shí)我明白克里斯蒂為何擔(dān)心了。

Her class was divided into relay teams.

她們班被分到了接力賽跑組。

With her limp and slow, clumsy reactions, she would surely hold up her team.

而克里斯蒂行動(dòng)不便且緩慢笨拙,這樣肯定會(huì)拖她這組的后腿。

But as Kristi’s turn to participate neared, a change took place in her team.

當(dāng)快到克里斯蒂的時(shí)候，她們組發(fā)生了一件事情。

The tallest boy in the line stepped behind Kristi and placed his hands on her waist.

組里個(gè)子最高的男孩子走到了克里斯蒂的身后把手放在克里斯蒂的腰上，

Two other boys stood a little ahead of her.

另外有兩個(gè)男孩子站到克里斯蒂稍前一點(diǎn)的位置。

The moment the player in front of Kristi stepped from the sack,

正當(dāng)克里斯蒂前面的那個(gè)選手從袋子里出來的時(shí)候，

those two boys grabbed the sack and held it open while the tall boy lifted Kristi and dropped her neatly into it.

那兩個(gè)男孩子抓住打開袋子，高個(gè)子的男孩舉起克里斯蒂使她剛好被套進(jìn)袋子里，

A girl in front of Kristi took her hand and supported her briefly until Kristi gained her balance.

克里斯蒂前面的女孩抓住她的手直到她站穩(wěn)。

Then off she hopped, smiling and proud.

接著克里斯蒂開始跳躍，帶著微笑和自豪。

Amid the cheers of teachers, schoolmates and parents,

在老師，同學(xué)和家長們的喝彩聲中，

I crept off by myself to thank Heaven for the warm, understanding people in life who make it possible for my disabled daughter to be like her fellow human beings.

我悄悄地離開了。我感謝上天把熱情，善解人意的人們帶給我和克里斯蒂，他們讓我身患?xì)埣驳呐畠耗芟袼耐閭円粯由睢?/p>

Then I finally cried.

于是，我終于哭了出來。