84                     Things My Mother Taught Me

How interesting is your life? The answer is how clever you are when you turn the dull routines of life into laughter. I learned the meanings of these words from my mother when I was a teenager.

My Mother taught me to MEET A CHALLENGE ... "What were you thinking? Answer me when I talk to you ... Don's talk back to me! "

My Mother taught me LOGIC... "If you fall out off that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."My Mother taught me to THINK AHEAD... "If you don's pass your test, you'll never get into a university."My Mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT... "If you don's eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

My Mother taught me about GENETICS... "You're just like your father."

My Mother taught me about WISDOM OF AGE... "When you get to be my age, you will understand."

And my all time favourite ... JUSTICE ... "One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you ... Then you'll see what it's like.

   dull routines     枯燥的日常生活琐事     meet a challenge  迎接挑战 

   talk back         回嘴     logic             逻辑，逻辑学 

   university       （综合）大学     genetics          遗传学 

   wisdom            智慧，学识     justice           公平，正义，公正 

                                 我妈妈教我的事情

你的生活有多少乐趣？答案在于，你是否能够聪明地把枯燥的生活琐事变成笑声。在十几岁时，我从妈妈那里知道了下面这些话的含义。 

妈妈教会我迎接挑战……“你在想什么？我和你说话时要回答我……别顶嘴！”  妈妈教会我逻辑学……“如果你从秋千上掉下来摔断了脖子，你就不能和我一起去商店了。” 

妈妈教我凡事要想在前面……“如果你通不过考试，你就上不了大学。”  妈妈教我如何成为一个大人……“如果你不吃蔬菜，你就长不大。”  妈妈教我遗传学……“你跟你爸爸一模一样。”  妈妈教我关于年龄的智慧……“当你到我这个年纪时，你会明白的。”  以及我一贯的最爱……公平……“有一天，你会有孩子，我希望他们像你一样……那样你就会明白怎么回事了。”