6-3 无人能替代的活儿

A Unique Job

 

A father's job is unique.

　　

If parents had job descriptions mine would read: organize bills, playmates, laundry, meals, laundry, carpool¹, laundry, snacks, outings and shopping, and laundry.

　　

The only thing on my husband's description would be the word “fun” written in big red letters along the top. Although he is a selfless caregiver and provider, our children think of him more as a combination of a jungle gym² and bozo³ and clown.

　　

Our parenting styles compliment each other. His style is a nonstop adventure where no one has to worry about washing their hands, eating vegetables, or getting cavities⁴. My style is similar to Mussolini⁵. I'm too busy worrying to be fun. Besides, every time I try, I am constantly outdone by my husband.

　　

I bought my children bubble gum flavored toothpaste and I taught them how to brush their teeth in tiny circles so they wouldn't get cavities. They thought it was neat until my husband taught them how to rinse¹⁶ by spitting out water between their two front teeth like a fountain.

　　

I took the children on a walk in the woods and, after two hours, I managed to corral⁷ a slow ladybug⁸ into my son's insect cage. I was “cool” until their father came home, spent two minutes in the backyard, and captured a beetle² the size of a Chihuahua⁹.

　　

I try to tell myself I am a good parent even if my husband does things I can't do. I can make sure my children are safe, warm, and dry. I'll stand in line for five hours so the children can see Santa at the mall -- or be first in line to see the latest Disney movie. But I can't wire the VCR¹⁰so my children can watch their favorite video.

　　

I can carry my children in my arms when they are tired, tuck them into bed, and kiss them goodnight. But I can't flip³ them upside down so they can walk on the ceiling or prop⁴ them on my shoulders so they can see the moths⁵ flying inside of the light fixture⁶¹¹.

　　

I can take them to doctor appointments, scout⁷ meetings, or field trips to the aquarium⁸¹², but I'll never go into the wilderness⁹, skewer¹⁰¹³ a worm on a hook, reel in¹⁴ a fish, and cook it over an open flame on a piece of tin foil¹⁵.

　　

I'll even sit in the first row of every Little League game and cheer until my throat is sore and my tonsils¹⁶ are raw¹⁷, but I'll never teach my son how to hit a home run¹⁸or slide into first base¹⁹.

　

As a mother I can do a lot of things for my children, but no matter how hard I try --I can never be their father.

 

注释：

1.carpool [5kB:pu:l] vi. 参加合伙用车；轮流用各人的车运送

2.jungle gym 儿童攀缘游戏立体构架（源出美国商标名Junglegym）

3.bozo [5bEuzEu] n.〈美俚〉（尤指四肢发达、头脑简单的）人；笨蛋

4.cavity [5kAviti] n. [医]（病变所形成的）（空）洞；龋洞

5.Mussolini [7musE5li:ni(:)] 墨索里尼（1883～1945，意大利首相[1922～1943]、独裁者、意大利法西斯党魁，第二次世界大战的主要战犯之一，二战中被意大利游击队处死，并倒悬暴尸。）文中喻意指专断独裁

6.rinse [rins] vi. 漱（口）

7.corral [kC:5rB:l] vt 捕捉；把…关进（围栏）

8.ladybug [5leidibQ^] n. [昆] 瓢虫

9.Chihuahua [tFi5wB:wE] n. 奇瓦瓦小狗（一种毛光滑的圆头小狗，原产墨西哥的奇瓦瓦）

10.VCR abbr.（videocassette recorder）盒式磁带录像机

11.light fixture点灯组件；点灯器具

12.aquarium [E5kwZEriEm] n. 水族馆

13.skewer [5skjuE] vt. 叉住；刺穿

14.reel in（用螺旋轮）收绕钓丝钓起

15.tin foil 锡纸

16.tonsil [5tCnsil] n. [解] 扁桃体

17.raw [rC:] a. 因发炎而疼痛的；创痛的

18.home run [棒] 本垒打

19.first base [棒] 一垒；一垒手的防卫位置

无人能替代的活儿

 

当爸是件无人能替代的活儿。

 

如果为人父母有职务简述的话，我的“职务简述”将会包括如下内容：管理账单和孩子们的玩耍同伴、洗衣、做饭、洗衣、安排与人合伙用车、洗衣、准备小吃、安排短途旅游、购物、洗衣。

 

　　我先生的“职务简述”是在上端用红色写出的两个大字——“乐子”。尽管他无私地给予孩子们百般关爱，尽其所能为他们提供所需，我们的孩子们更多的时候还是把他看作攀缘游戏架、大傻瓜和小丑的三合一。

 

　　我们俩为人父母的风格是互补的。他的风格是持续不断的探险，在这过程中，没有人需要操心孩子是不是洗手了，是不是吃蔬菜了，或者会不会长蛀牙。我的风格则类似墨索里尼的执政风格。我太忙了，为这操心，为那操心，哪里顾得上找什么乐子。再者，每次我试图逗孩子们开心，我总是被我先生比下去。

 

　　我给孩子们买来带泡泡糖香味的牙膏，教他们如何用牙刷转圈儿刷牙以免得蛀牙。他们认为那样刷挺好玩，直到有一天我先生教他们如何漱口——从两颗门牙间把水喷出来。他们发现这才叫好玩。

 

　　我带孩子们到小树林里去散步，两个小时后，我好不容易才逮住一个迟钝的瓢虫放进我儿子的虫笼里。在他们眼里我是够“酷”的，直到他们的父亲回家，在后院里只花了两分钟，便捕获了一只有奇瓦瓦小狗那么大的甲虫！

 

　　我劝慰自己我是个好妈妈，尽管我先生能做的事情我做不了。我可以确保我的孩子们是安全的、暖和的、干干爽爽的。我可以排队等5个小时，让孩子们在大商场里看到圣诞老人——或者第一个排队让孩子们看最新的迪斯尼影片。但是我不会给录像机接上电线，好让孩子们看他们喜欢的录像。

 

　　当孩子玩累时，我可以把他们抱到床上，亲吻他们，送他们进入梦乡。但是我无法让他们头冲下，那样他们可以脚踏天花板漫步；或者把他们扛在我的肩膀上，让他们看飞蛾如何在灯具里飞舞。

 

　　我可以带他们去看医生，参加童子军集会，或者带他们去参观水族馆，但是我永远也不会进入荒郊野地，在鱼钩上挂上虫饵，钓上一条鱼，然后把鱼用锡纸包起来在明火上烤着吃。

 

　　我甚至可以出席每一场少年棒球联合会的比赛，坐在第一排呐喊助威，直到我的嗓子喊疼了，我的扁桃体发炎了，但是我永远无法教我的儿子如何打一个本垒打或者如何巧妙进入一垒的位置。

 

　　作为一个母亲，我可以为我的孩子们做许多事情，但是不管我怎样努力——我永远成为不了他们的父亲。

 

 

1 rinse   

v.用清水漂洗，用清水冲洗

参考例句：

• Give the cup a rinse.冲洗一下杯子。
• Don't just rinse the bottles. Wash them out carefully.别只涮涮瓶子，要仔细地洗洗里面。

2 beetle   

n.甲虫，近视眼的人

参考例句：

• A firefly is a type of beetle.萤火虫是一种甲虫。
• He saw a shiny green beetle on a leaf.我看见树叶上有一只闪闪发光的绿色甲虫。

3 flip   

vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的

参考例句：

• I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书，看来似乎很有趣。
• Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。

4 prop   

vt.支撑；n.支柱，支撑物；支持者，靠山

参考例句：

• A worker put a prop against the wall of the tunnel to keep it from falling.一名工人用东西支撑住隧道壁好使它不会倒塌。
• The government does not intend to prop up declining industries.政府无意扶持不景气的企业。

5 moths   

n.蛾( moth的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The moths have eaten holes in my wool coat. 蛀虫将我的羊毛衫蛀蚀了几个小洞。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The moths tapped and blurred at the window screen. 飞蛾在窗帘上跳来跳去，弄上了许多污点。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 fixture   

n.固定设备；预定日期；比赛时间；定期存款

参考例句：

• Lighting fixture must be installed at once.必须立即安装照明设备。
• The cordless kettle may now be a fixture in most kitchens.无绳电热水壶现在可能是多数厨房的固定设备。

7 scout   

n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索

参考例句：

• He was mistaken for an enemy scout and badly wounded.他被误认为是敌人的侦察兵，受了重伤。
• The scout made a stealthy approach to the enemy position.侦察兵偷偷地靠近敌军阵地。

8 aquarium   

n.水族馆，养鱼池，玻璃缸

参考例句：

• The first time I saw seals was in an aquarium.我第一次看见海豹是在水族馆里。
• I'm going to the aquarium with my parents this Sunday.这个星期天，我要和父母一起到水族馆去。

9 wilderness   

n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

10 skewer   

n.（烤肉用的）串肉杆；v.用杆串好

参考例句：

• I used a skewer to make an extra hole in my belt.我用扦子在腰带上又打了一个眼儿。
• He skewered his victim through the neck.他用扦子刺穿了受害人的脖子。