双语阅读·外国故事：毯子的经历
A mom’s job is never truly finished—Eliseknew this instinctively when her son was born.For at least the hundredthtime, she sat next to his bed in that chair mending his quilt. There was no wayof knowing, the day she bought it at a flea market, that it would become herson’s most valued possession.
妈妈的工作永远不会真正结束，当她的儿子出生时，爱丽丝本能地知道了这一点。这至少是第一百次，她坐在儿子床边的那把椅子上为他缝补毯子。那天，爱丽丝在跳蚤市场上买下这床毯子的时候，一点也没想到它将成为儿子最宝贵的财产。
To call it a quilt stretched the definitionas it was nothing more than a thousand pieces of oddly shaped swatches stitchedtogether, layer after layer, until the whole of it was thick enough to hold inthe warmth of a small boy's body as he drifted off to sleep. The person whopieced together this labor of love must have spent countless hours shaping theuseless remnants into a usable blanket.Elise felt it was her duty torepair the inevitable rips as an homage to the unknown creator and as amanifestation of her adoration for the little boy who cherished it.
说它是毯子是扩大了毯子的定义，因为它只不过是一张由成百上千块形状怪异的布条一层一层地缝在一起的东西，但是整张毯子的厚度足以让一个昏昏欲睡的小男孩感觉到温暖。拼凑这项爱心工程的人一定花了无数个小时将这些无用的零碎布料塑造成一件能用的毯子。爱丽丝觉得她有责任修复这些不可避免的裂缝，以此向这位不知名的创造者致敬，并表达她对珍惜它的小男孩的关爱之情。
“I love how cool it feels when I first getinto bed,” her little man observed the first night he wrapped himself in theold quilt. “But before long, it warms up, and I’m snug as a bug in a rug. Wheredid you get it?”
"我喜欢刚上床时凉爽的感觉，"儿子裹在毯子里的第一个晚上这么说。"没过多久，就变暖了，我就像毯子里的虫子一样舒适。你从哪里得来的？
The question was one whose answer was toomundane to inflict on a wide eyed little boy, so Elise stretched the truth justa little. “It was brought over on the Mayflower by the Pilgrims,” she answeredto her son's delight. “It’s made from pieces of fabric from all over Europe andis the first blanket used by the first Americans.”
这个问题的答案对一个瞪大眼睛的小男孩来说太平凡了，所以爱丽丝只是稍稍扩大了一下事实。"它是五月花号上的移民带来的，"这个回答让儿子很高兴。"它是由来自欧洲各地的织物碎片制成的，是第一批美国人使用的第一条毯子。"
It was just a little white lie, but it wasalso the beginning of a cherished tradition.As stitches unraveled and astears ripped the quilt and the little boy's heart, Elise sat by his bed andmended the heirloom. Then she would continue the "true" story of howthe quilthad found its way to her son.
这只是一个小小的善意的谎言，也是一个宝贵“传统”的开始。每当针脚散开，毯子扯破时，小男孩会很伤心，爱丽丝就会坐在他床边，修补这个“传家之宝”。然后，她就会继续讲述这个毯子是如何来到她儿子手中的 "真实 "故事。
“During the Revolutionary War, your quiltwas captured by General Cornwallis and used to keep his legs warm on the coldwinter nights.” Elise said, weaving a story as intricate as the blanket itself.“It wasn’t until the surrender at Yorktown that it was returned.”
"在美国独立战争期间，你的毯子被康沃利斯将军缴获。在寒冷的冬夜，他用这床毯子给他的双腿保暖。" 爱丽丝说，编织着一个和毯子本身一样复杂的故事。"直到约克镇投降后，才被归还毯子。"
“Yorktown?”
“约克镇？”
“Yes, Yorktown,'' she said smiling, “GeorgeWashington took it from Cornwallis and used it during his eight years aspresident.”
"是的，约克镇，''她笑着说，"乔治华盛顿从康沃利斯手中夺走了它，并在他担任总统的八年中用过它。"
“You mean my blanket has been to the WhiteHouse?”
"你是说我的毯子去过白宫？"
“Of course it has,” Elise answered with awink. “But not because of George Washington, silly. John Adams was the firstpresident to live in the White House.”
"当然啦，"爱丽丝眨着眼睛回答道。"但不是乔治华盛顿带去白宫的，亲爱的。约翰亚当斯是第一位住在白宫的总统。"
“Who then, Mom? ``The little boy asked.,“Who took my blanket to the White House?”
"那是谁，妈妈？``小男孩问道。"谁把我的毯子带到了白宫？"
“That’s a story for later,” Elise replied,kissing her son on his forehead. “Now you get some sleep, and I’ll continue thestory next time.”
"这个以后再说，"爱丽丝回答说，在她儿子的额头上亲了一下。"现在你该睡觉了，我下次再继续讲这个故事。"
Elise, unfortunately, had far too manyopportunities to continue the blanket’s tale as her son was given todebilitating headaches. At first, the doctors thought he was prone to systemicmigraines, but the truth was much worse. Many nights, too many, the little boywould curl up in pain, his teeth clenched in a faux smile. The headaches wereexcruciating, only soothed by a cold wash cloth, his mother’s gentle voice, andthe telling of the quilt’s tale as he drifted off to sleep.
不幸的是，爱丽丝有太多的机会来延续这个毯子的故事，因为她的儿子得了衰竭性头疼。起初，医生认为他得的是系统性偏头痛，但事实要糟糕得多。很多很多个夜晚，小男孩痛得身体蜷缩起来，牙关紧咬，面部扭曲。头痛是非常折磨人的，只有在额头敷上冰冷的湿毛巾，听着母亲温柔的声音讲述着毯子的故事，这样才能缓解他的头痛，才能逐渐入睡。
There were also many a night where Elisewould sit with her son as he slept, meticulously piecing back together thetears that threatened the blanket entirely, wishing there was a way she couldalso mend her son. The room would be completely quiet save for the sound ofElise’s song. It was something she had done since she was his age.Inadvertently yet intentionally she would let the air slip through her lips,creating a tune just for him that would live for that moment, replaced the nexttime by one equally beautiful and equally unique.
无数个夜晚，在儿子睡觉时爱丽丝坐在他身边，一丝不苟地把那些可能威胁到毯子的裂口重新缝合起来。她盼望着能够找到治愈儿子的办法。除了爱丽丝的歌声，房间里没有任何其他声音。那是她还是她儿子的这个年龄时就已经学会的歌。无意抑或有意，空气从她的嘴唇滑过，创造出一支只属于她儿子，只属于那一刻的曲调，而下一次，被另一支同样美丽，同样独特的曲调替代。
“As it turns out, the first time the quiltmade it to the White House was just after Abraham Lincoln was electedpresident,” Elise said the next night, continuing the story from where they’dleft off. The pain had become more frequent and more intense, requiring morechapters more often. The story's continuation, however, had the desiredresults, a distraction and a smile.
"事实证明，毯子第一次被带进白宫是在亚伯拉罕林肯当选总统之后，"爱丽丝在第二天晚上说，接着上次讲到的地方继续讲故事。疼痛变得更加频繁，更加强烈，需要更多故事章节，更多故事时间。故事的继续取得了预期的效果，让痛苦减弱，让亲人微笑。
“Abraham Lincoln, he used my quilt, too?”her son asked, too young to doubt his mother.
"亚伯拉罕林肯，他也用过我的毯子？"孩子问道，幼小的心灵，从不怀疑他的母亲。
“Of course he did,” Elise responded,tickling her son just to hear him laugh. “It’s a little known fact, but MountRushmore was actually created to show all of the presidents who used yourblanket.”
"当然，"母亲答道，轻拨儿子的胳肢窝逗他笑。"这是一个鲜为人知的事实，但是拉什莫尔总统山实际上是为了展示所有用过你的毯子的总统而修建的。”
Elise always had a basin of cold water byher side whenever she sat with her son. Very early on she learned that thecoolness of the cloth would help quiet the pain in his head. It was hergreatest joy to moisten the cloth keeping it cold throughout her story. Thelittle boy’s head still throbbed, but while his mom was telling the story shewould gently wipe his forehead with the cold cloth, and it was almost as if heforgot the pain for a time. If all went well, he would fall asleep listening tothe tale of his blanket, as sleep was becoming his only relief from the pain.
和儿子坐在一起时，爱丽丝身边总是放着一盆冷水。很早以前，她得知，冰冷的湿毛巾能减轻他头部的疼痛。在讲故事的过程中，把毛巾弄湿并保持冰凉是她最大的快乐。小男孩的头仍然很痛，但是妈妈讲故事时，会用湿毛巾轻轻地擦拭他的额头，这个时候他几乎像忘记了疼痛一般。如果一切顺利，他会听着毯子的故事入睡，睡眠成了他缓解疼痛的唯一方法。
“Did you know your blanket went to themoon?” Elise asked one day when her son seemed particularly down. “NeilArmstrong may have been the first man to set foot on the moon, but he laid outyour quilt so he and Buzz Aldrin could have a picnic.”
"你知道你的毯子去过月球吗？"有一天，她的儿子看起来特别沮丧，爱丽丝如此问道。"尼尔阿姆斯特朗可能是第一个踏上月球的人，但是他在月球上铺上了你的毯子，才能和巴兹奥尔德林坐在那里野餐。"
The idea of two astronauts having a picnicon the moon resulted in spontaneous laughter for both mother and son.
两名宇航员在月球上野餐的画面引起母子俩情不自禁地欢笑起来。
“Is Buzz Lightyear named after BuzzAldrin?” he asked his mom, as both continued to laugh.
"巴斯光年是以巴斯奥尔德林的名字命名的吗？"他问妈妈，两人都继续笑着。
“As a matter of fact he was,” Elise repliedwith a smile. “If you must know, Buzz Aldrin presented your quilt to BuzzLightyear as a gift which means your blanket has been…”
"事实的确如此，"爱丽丝笑着回答。"如果你一定要知道，巴斯奥尔德林把你的毯子作为礼物送给了巴斯光年，这意味着你的毯子已经被......"
“To infinity and beyond!”
"到无限远，还要更远！"
“Exactly,” Elise confirmed as she refreshedhis cloth and placed it back on his head.
"没错，"爱丽丝表示赞同，一边重新浸湿毛巾，重新敷在他的头上。
Day after day she would take her boy todoctors and then specialists and eventually to the hospital. Then, night afternight, she would sit by his bed and tell the story of the quilt. Elise dideverything she could to stretch out the story, and as each new adventure waspassed from mother to son so too was hope, in the only way she knewhow.
日复一日，她带着孩子去看医生，去看专家，最后住进医院。一个又一个夜晚，她坐在他的床边，讲述着毯子的故事。爱丽丝尽其所能地延续着这个故事，毯子的每一次新的经历，从母亲传递给儿子，希望也随之传递，这是她知道的唯一方式。
The night that she finished the story was,in so many ways, just like most of the other nights. Elise was home in herfavorite chair next to her son’s bed. Her breathing was labored and her voiceunsteady. “And then I stopped by a flea market on my way home from the storeand there it was, your beautiful, wonderful blanket. I knew you must have it,so I scooped it up, paid the nice woman, and brought it home to you.”
故事完结的那个晚上，依旧和其他多数的夜晚一样，没多少不同。在家里，爱丽丝坐在她最喜欢的椅子上，旁边是她儿子的床。她尽力地保持正常的呼吸和语调。"然后在从商店回家的路上，我顺便去了旧货市场，然后就发现了它，你那条漂亮、神奇的毯子。我想你一定想要它，所以我付钱给那个好心的女人，抱起毯子，带回家给你。"
Tears filled Elise’s eyes as she sewed thelast stitch on the old quilt. Holding it up, she remembered the first time herson covered himself with the blanket. I love how cool it feels when I first get intobed.
在旧毯子上缝上最后一针时，泪水遮住了爱丽丝的双眼。捧着毯子，想起了儿子第一次用这条毯子盖着睡觉的情景。“我喜欢刚上床时凉爽的感觉。”
“It’s finally fixed. It’sperfect.”Elise said out loud, tears continuing to flow. “I love how coolit feels, too.”
"终于补好了。非常好。"爱丽丝叫道，止不住的泪水。"我也喜欢它凉爽的感觉。"
Summoning every bit of her strength, shelay the beloved blanket on the empty bed in front of her.
用尽所有的力量，她将心爱的毯子铺在面前空荡的床上。
Being a mom is a job that is never trulyfinished, at least she had hoped so. With nothing else left to do for her son,she sat back in the chair and silently sobbed.
母亲这个工作，是一项永远无法真正完成的工作，至少她曾希望如此。在没有其他事情她可以为她的儿子做的情况下，爱丽丝回到椅子上，默默地抽泣起来。