6-2 我父亲是我的英雄

My Father Was My Hero

 

My father was my hero, all throughout my life.

 

The father of eight children, he saw his share of strife¹¹.

 

When I was very little, he appeared to be so large.

 

In my eyes he could do anything, we all knew he was in charge².

 

He was a man of great strength both physically² and in mind, but in him there was a gentleness, he found ways to be outgoing³ and kind.

 

Many days of childhood were greeted with a kiss, and songs to me as I awoke, those days I surely miss.

 

He made me feel so special, “ Miss America” he would sing.

 

I knew I had my father's love. It gave me courage to do most⁴ anything.

 

From him I learned to stand up tall, to be proud of who I am.

 

Strength and determination were the qualities of this fine man.

 

As the years of his life dwindled⁴ down⁵, that strength kept him alive.

 

Plus the unfailing determination to help my ailing⁵⁶ mother have the care she needed to survive.

 

He loved her and his children, so much he gave up years of his life caring for this woman, his soul-mate, his wife.

 

Day and night he struggled for years with her disease.

 

A lesser⁶ man would have been brought down to his knees⁷.

 

With illnesses of his own, he still stood by her side caring for her and loving her until the day she died.

 

Twenty days later his own time was at an end.

 

I lost my hero, my father, a man who was my friend.

 

A few years have passed, and life just isn't the same.

 

But as Father's Day approaches, I will celebrate⁸ his name.

 

With prayers to him and God above to stay by my side, to watch over me and guide me, to look down on me with pride.

 

For I am my father's daughter, one day we will meet again.

 

But until then I will remember, and the love will never end.

 

注释：

1.strife [straif] n. 奋力，尽力

2.in charge 主管，管理，看管，负责

3.outgoing [5aut^EuiN] a. 友好的；乐于助人的；爽直的

4.most〈美口〉=almost

5.dwindle³ down 逐渐衰落；逐渐退化

6.ailing [5eiliN] a. 生病的；体衰的

7.bring down toone's knees 跪下，屈服

8.celebrate [5selibreit] vt. 颂扬，当众赞美

我父亲是我的英雄

 

我父亲是我的英雄，在我一生从未改变。

 

身为八个孩子的父亲，他清楚自己重任在肩。

 

当我还是小不点，他显得是如此高大。

 

在我眼中他无所不能，我们知道是他当家。

 

他的身心都蕴藏着无穷的力量，但他也温柔，能让人感到他友善直爽。

 

　　儿时的许多早晨，我都是被他的亲吻和歌声唤醒，那些日子令我怀念万分。

 

他让我感觉如此特殊，“美国小姐”他轻声吟唱。

 

我知道我拥有父亲的爱。这爱给我勇气去做，去闯。

 

从他那里我学会昂首挺胸，为自己骄傲。

 

力量和决心将这位优秀的男人打造。

 

虽然日渐衰老，但他的力量使他活力依然。

 

　　还有他坚定的决心，要让我体弱多病的母亲得到她需要的关爱继续留在人寰。

 

他爱她，他爱孩子，于是他把生命中的许多春秋投入照顾这位女人，他的妻子，他心心相印的伴侣。

 

多少年的日日夜夜他奋力抗争，为了她的疾病。

 

换个不太坚强的男人恐怕早已认命。

 

虽然他有自己的病痛，但他一直守在她的身边，关照她，爱她，直到她永远合上了眼。

 

二十天后他的生命也走到尽头。

 

我失去了我的英雄，我的父亲，我的朋友。

 

几年过去了，生活已是另一番风景。

 

但随着父亲节的来临，我要颂扬他的美名。

 

　　祈祷他和在天的上帝能陪伴我，看护我，引导我，自豪地俯视我。

 

因为我是我父亲的女儿，总有一天我们会重逢。

 

　　但在此以前我会怀念他，会永远爱他。

 

 

1 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。

2 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

3 dwindle   

v.逐渐变小（或减少）

参考例句：

• The factory's workforce has dwindled from over 4,000 to a few hundred.工厂雇员总数已经从4,000多人减少到几百人。
• He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority.他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。

4 dwindled   

v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Support for the party has dwindled away to nothing. 支持这个党派的人渐渐化为乌有。
• His wealth dwindled to nothingness. 他的钱财化为乌有。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 ailing   

v.生病

参考例句：

• They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
• She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。

6 lesser   

adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地

参考例句：

• Kept some of the lesser players out.不让那些次要的球员参加联赛。
• She has also been affected,but to a lesser degree.她也受到波及，但程度较轻。