疯狂英语口语绝招-语音突破经典第20课
Graduation Day
by Mary Ann Detzler
Today Cathy will be going to kindergarten. Cathy is my youngest and I am feeling nostalgic. If I had the courage to admit it, I'd say I'm feeling sad and a little scared. Why am I feeling this way? I didn't feel sad when Renata, her older sister, went to school. Why, I was excited and rejoiced about her new freedom.
It seems like yesterday that Cathy was such a quiet, contented baby. She was always a real joy to have around. She played quietly with her stuffed animals or our family dog. She and the dog loved to hide together under the blanket tent I'd throw over the big lounger chair.
Her life and mind would dramatically change now. She would be part of the world out there. I would have a harder time protecting her from the bumps and scrapes of life.
Perhaps I was being overprotective now because Cathy had been diagnosed at three as having a rare disease. No one but the family knew or even saw anything different about her.
I'm about to leave the kitchen to awaken Cathy for her big day. But here she comes, all bright eyes and smiles, dressed in new red plaid skirt and blouse. She gives me a big hug as we say our good mornings.
"Good morning, you're up early!" I greet her.
"Morning, Mom," is mumbled into my apron because of her big hug. "See Mom, I got dressed all by myself and even brushed my hair." She proudly twirls a pirouette to show me.
"But I can't put this ribbon in my hair." She hands me the brush, rubber band and red ribbon. I am amazed at how efficient she is this particular morning.
As I tend to her hair and ribbon, I ask her once more, "Would you like me to walk you to school this first day?"
I get the same answer as yesterday, "No, Mom, I can find my way all by myself. Renata, Leslie and I walked to the school yesterday and they showed me how to find the path through the woods right to the playground.
"And Mom, they have it all finished now and everything is brand new - the slide, swings and basketball hoops. It's going to be great!"
My reply to her enthusiasm is, "Stand still so I can finish your hair ribbon."
Then I gently push her toward the table. She quickly slides into her chair and attacks her breakfast. I turn back to the kitchen cupboards and take a deep breath, but it doesn't melt the lump in my throat or dull the ache in my chest.
I glance at the clock. "You can't leave before 8:30, so just slow down and chew your food."
In a few minutes she has finished that last drop of milk. Without prompting, she goes off to brush her teeth and comes back with her sweater.
"Is it time to go now?" she pleads.
"When this hand reaches 6," I point out to her on the clock.
I tentatively venture for the umpteenth time, "You're sure you don't want me to walk you to school?"
"No, Mom, I want to go alone." She goes out onto the deck to call to the dog and check the back yard.
"Is it time now?" She is hopping up and down.
With a sigh, I say, "Yes, dear."
I give her a big lingering hug, and off she races down the split-level stairs and out the front door. Standing at the top of our stairs, I can watch through the window. She is running down the sidewalk. Then suddenly she stops, turns and races back toward the house. "Oh, no," I think, expecting to have to change out of slippers for a walk to school after all.
The front door bangs open and up the stairs she flies to throw her little arms around me and press her cheek into my tummy. The long tight hug ends as she turns her eyes up to mine and seriously proclaims, "You'll be all right, Mom. I'll be home at noon."
Then off she dashes into her new world of school adventures, excited and happy to be graduating from babyhood. My misty eyes follow her progress to the end of our walk. She turns around again and waves to me. I wave back and find I can now smile.
The lump in my chest has melted as I think about her display of love. Yes, I will be all right as I go on to my own adventures. This is my graduation day, too.
译文参考：
毕业
玛丽•安•德兹勒
今天，卡西要上幼儿园了。卡西是我最小的孩子，这勾起我的怀旧情绪。如果我有勇气承认的话，我会说我感到伤感，还有一点害怕。为什么我会有这种感觉呢？卡西的姐姐雷娜塔上学的时候，我可没有伤感。那，我为什么对她获得的自由感到兴奋和激动？
想起来，卡西好像昨天还是一个既安静又满足的婴儿。有她在身边是一件令人高兴的事。她安静地同她的洋娃娃或家里的狗玩，卡西和狗都喜欢藏在我铺在大躺椅上的毯子下面。
如今，卡西的生活和心思都将有不少变化。她将成为外面世界的一部分，我要像以前那样保护她，使她不受生活挫折，不遭遇困境就会更难。
也许，我过分溺爱卡西，因为她在三岁时就被诊断患有一种罕见的疾病，这件事除了家人外谁也不知道。
我打算离开厨房去叫醒卡西，让她为这个大日子作准备。就在这时，她来了，两只明亮的眼睛，脸上带着笑容，身上穿着一条新的格子裙和衬衣。在我们互道早安时，她紧紧地拥抱我。
“早上好，你起得真早！”我向她打招呼。
“妈妈早。”她对着我的围裙含糊的说。“妈妈，看，我自己穿好衣服，还梳好头发。”她得意地快速转着圈让我看。
“不过，我不会用这条带子扎头发。”她把梳子、橡皮筋和和红发带递给我。她今天早上竟然如此迅速，我感到很吃惊。
我在帮她梳头时，又一次问她：“这是第一天，要不要我陪你走到学校？”
她的答复与昨天一样：“不用，妈妈，我自己认得路。昨天，我、雷娜塔，还有莱斯莉一起走到学校，她们教我怎样穿过树林的小路走到操场去。
“对了，妈妈，学校全都准备好了，所有的东西——滑梯、秋千和篮球架——都是新的。以后一定很好玩！”
我对兴高采烈的她说：“站着别动，等我把你的发带弄好。”
然后，我把她轻轻地推向饭桌。她马上坐到她的椅子上，对早餐发起进攻。我转过身，对着厨房的橱柜，深深地吸了一口气，但这也无法止住我的哽咽，或缓解胸口的疼痛。
我扫了一眼钟，“你不能在八点半以前出门，慢点，用心嚼你的早餐。”
她在几分钟后就喝完了牛奶。不用别人提醒，她自己去刷牙，然后拿着一件套衫又回来了。
“到时间走了吗？”她恳求道。
“要等这指针走到六字时，”我指着钟对她说。
我迟疑着，再作第无数次尝试，“你真的不用我陪你去学校吗？”
“妈妈，不用，我要自己去。”她走出露台去叫狗，又到后院找。
“到时间了吗？”她不停地跳着。
我叹了一口气，说：“时间到了，亲爱的。”
我与她紧紧拥抱，不愿放手。然后，她冲下了错层式的梯级，出了前门。我站在梯级口，从窗口望去，她正在人行道上跑。突然，她停下来，转过身来，向着屋子快跑。“哎呀，不好，”我想，闹了半天，我还是要换鞋，陪她到学校去。
门砰地打开，她飞快地跑上梯级，用她的小手抱住我，她的小脸蛋压住我的肚子。我们拥抱了很长时间，接着，她抬头看着我，严肃地说道，“妈妈，你会没事的。我中午就回家。”
然后，她又冲进她学校的新世界，她既兴奋又高兴，因为她终于从婴儿阶段毕业了。我模糊的眼睛跟随她到了门前小路的尽头，她再次转过身来，向我招手。我也向她招招手，发觉自己终于会笑了。
想想她表现出的爱，我不再哽咽了。是的，我会没事的，我会去做自己的事。我也毕业了。
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