经典英语美文短篇

Those Childhood Days

When you came into the world, she held you in her arms.

♦   hold somebody in one’s arms: 把某人抱在怀中

You thanked her by weeping your eyes out.

♦   weep one’s eyes out: 痛哭；大哭

When you were 1 year old, she fed you and bathed you.

♦   注意bathe在此处用作及物动词，意为“给……洗澡”。

You thanked her by crying all night long.

♦   all night long：整夜；如说“整天”则是all day long。

When you were 2 years old, she taught you to walk.

♦   可说teach somebody to do something（教某人做某事）

You thanked her by running away when she called.

When you were 3 years old, she made all your meals with love.

♦   do something with love: 带着爱意/心做某事。

You thanked her by tossing your plate on the floor.

♦   toss: 抛投。

When you were 4 years old, she gave you some crayons.

♦   crayon: 蜡笔。

You thanked her by coloring the dining room table.

♦   color在此句中用作动词，表示“着色”。

When you were 5 years old, she dressed you for the holidays.

♦   dress: 给……穿衣。

You thanked her by plopping into the nearest pile of mud.

♦   plop: 扑通一声地掉下去。

When you were 6 years old, she walked you to school.

♦   注意walk在此处用作及物动词，意为“陪……一起走”。

You thanked her by screaming, “I'm not going!”

♦   scream: 尖叫。

When you were 7 years old, she bought you a baseball.

♦   baseball: 棒球。

You thanked her by throwing it through the next-door-neighbor's window.

♦   next-door-neighbor: 隔壁邻居。

When you were 8 years old, she handed you an ice cream.

hand somebody something: 把某物递给某人。

You thanked her by dripping it all over your lap.

♦   drip: （液体）滴落下来。注意形近词drop指“掉下、落下”，两者有区别。

When you were 9 years old, she paid for piano lessons.

You thanked her by never even bothering to practice.

♦   bother to do something是一个重要短语，意为“劳神做某事、费神做某事”。

When you were 10 years old, she drove you all day, from soccer to gymnastics to one birthday party after another.

♦   one after another: 一个接一个。有时one后面接名词，如此句的one birthday party after another。

You thanked her by jumping out of the car and never looking back.

When you were 11 years old, she took you and your friends to the movies.

You thanked her by asking to sit in a different row.

When you were 12 years old, she warned you not to watch certain TV shows.

♦   certain在此句中表示“某些、某种”。

You thanked her by waiting until she left the house.

♦   常说wait until …形式，表示“等到……”。

When you were 13, she suggested a haircut that was becoming.

♦   becoming: 合适的；恰当的（注意此词的一词多义。

You thanked her by telling her she had no taste.

♦   have no taste: 没有品味。

When you were 14, she paid for a month away at summer camp.

♦   summer camp: 夏令营。

You thanked her by forgetting to write a single letter.

When you were 15, she came home from work, looking for a hug.

♦   looking for a hug: 希望得到你的拥抱（表示问候）。

You thanked her by having your bedroom door locked.

♦   注意have something done（此处意为“让某物被……”）结构。

When you were 16, she taught you how to drive her car.

♦   词组teach somebody how to do something（教某人怎样做某事）。

You thanked her by taking it every chance you could.

♦   利用一切机会玩车。

When you were 17, she was expecting an important call.

♦   expect: 等着。

You thanked her by being on the phone all night.

When you were 18, she cried at your high school graduation.

You thanked her by staying out partying until dawn.

♦   party在此句中作动词，表示“参加聚会/晚会”。

When you were 19, she paid your college tuition, drove you to campus, carried your bags.

♦   tuition: 学费。

You thanked her by saying good-bye outside the dorm so you wouldn't be embarrassed in front of your friends.

♦   be embarrassed: 感到困窘；感到丢人现眼。

When you were 20, she asked whether you were seeing anyone.

♦   注意此处用过去进行时表示“安排要做的事”，see在此处为“见某人”亦即“与人约会”。

You thanked her by saying, “It's none of your business.”

♦   It’s none of your business. 这不管你的事。

When you were 21, she suggested certain careers for your future.

You thanked her by saying, “I don't want to be like you.”

When you were 22, she hugged you at your college graduation.

You thanked her by asking whether she could pay for a trip to Europe.

When you were 23, she gave you furniture for your first apartment.

You thanked her by telling your friends it was ugly.

When you were 24, she met your fiance and asked about your plans for the future.

♦   fiancé: 未婚夫，这是一个法语词，如说“未婚妻”则是fiancee。

You thanked her by glaring and growling, “Muuhh-ther, please!”

When you were 25, she helped to pay for your wedding, and she cried and told you how deeply she loved you.

You thanked her by moving halfway across the country.

♦   move在此处意为“迁移”。

When you were 30, she called with some advice on the baby.

You thanked her by telling her, “Things are different now.”

When you were 40, she called to remind you of a relative's birthday.

♦   remind somebody of something: 提醒某人某事。

You thanked her by saying you were “really busy right now.”

When you were 50, she fell ill and needed you to take care of her.

You thanked her by reading about the burden parents become to their children.

♦   parents become to their children是定语从句，修饰burden。

And then one day she quietly died.

And everything you never did came crashing down like thunder.

♦   像打雷一样炸响。

“Rock me baby, rock me all night long.”

♦   rock是“摇摆”的意思。

Let us take a moment of the time just to pay tribute and show appreciation to the person called mom though some may not say it openly to their mother. There's no substitute for her. Cherish every single moment. Though at times she may not be the best of friends, may not agree to our thoughts, she is still your mother!!! She will be there for you...to listen to your woes, your braggings, your frustrations, etc. Ask yourself...have you put aside enough time for her, to listen to her “blues” of working in the kitchen, her tiredness? Be tactful, loving and still show her due respect though you may have a different view from hers. Once gone, only fond memories of the past and also regrets will be left.

♦   pay tribute to: 对……表示敬意。

♦   substitute: 替代品。

♦   cherish: 珍爱；珍惜。

♦   woe: 哀哭。

♦   bragging: 自夸、吹牛。

♦   frustration: 挫折。

♦   blues在此并不表示“蓝色”，而是指“抑郁之情”。

♦   tactful: 机智的、有技巧的。

♦   due: 应有的，due respect: 应有的尊敬。

♦   Once gone: 一旦（她）走了。

♦   fond memories: 美好的记忆。

Don’t take for granted the things closest to your heart. Love her more than you love yourself. Life is meaningless without her.

♦   ... take something for granted: 把某事作为当然。