指南英語沙龍的閱讀文章1

英語沙龍的閱讀文章1ShiningBrightly熠熠閃爍

byGraceWitwerHousholder明達譯閱讀難度☆☆☆I(lǐng)nFebruarywhenweseetheheartsandcupidsassociatedwithValentine’sDay,wenaturallythinkofromanticlove.Buttherearemanyotherkindsoflove—theloveparentshavefortheirchildren,thelovechildrenhavefortheirgrandparents,thelovewehaveforoursiblingsandourdearfriends.Asfarasromanticlove,childrenareoftenconfusedastheytrytomakesenseofimpressionstheyseeandhear.Forexample,inacolumnanumberofyearsagoItoldabouttwolittlegirlswhowereplayingweddingwiththeirdolls,justafewdaysafterattendingarealwedding.Thepretendpastoraskedthepretendgroom,“Doyoutakethiswomantobeyour‘a(chǎn)wful-headed’(lawfullywedded)wife?”We’dliketothinkthatchildren’squestforromancewouldstickwiththeirdollsuntiltheyaregrownup.Inreality,eveninelementaryschoollittleboysandlittlegirlsareeyeingeachother.WhenoursonPaulwassixhehadacrushonagirlinhiskindergartenclass.Findingoutaboutit,histhreeoldersistersteasedhimunmercifully.“Haveyoukissedher?”onesisterasked.“No!”hereplied.“Haveyouheldherhand?”“No!”Thenafteramomenthesaid,“ButItouchedherchair!”Sometimesyoungchildrengofartherthantouchingachair.Theyevenmakeplansformarriage.Morethan10yearsago,St.JohnLutheranButyoungchildrendon’talwaysplanmarriagewiththeirclassmates.Sometimeslittleboyshavefutureplansfortheirteachers.Forexample,Wanetta,themotheroffour-year-oldChristopher,wasreadingTheNews-SunwhenshecameacrossthestoryandpictureabouttheweddingofMissHartmann.“Oh,look,Christopher!”Wanettasaid.“YourSundayschoolteacher’spictureisinthepaper!”Christopherglaredatthegroom.“Iwantedhertowait’tilIgrewupsoIcouldmarryher!”hesaid.Soonerorlatereveryparentneedstodiscussthe“factsoflife”withtheirchildren.Nearly20yearsagoaco-worker,thefatherofthree,toldmyhusbandthathehadexplainedthefactsoflifetohis9-year-oldson,withalotofembarrassment.Whenthefatherwasdone,theboylookedathimwithamazement,andthenasked,“YouandMomdidthatTHREEtimes?”Movingonfromromanticlove,thereisthelovesiblingshaveforeachother.Parentshopethattheirchildrenwillloveeachotherdearlyandstandbyeachotherthroughoutwhateverlifebrings,sharingandhelpingwithoutbeingasked.Butasthechildrenaregrowingup,theoppositeisoftentrue.Children’snaturaltendencyistoprotectwhattheythinkistheirsandtoacquireevenmore.It’samazinghowquick-thinkingsometotscanbewhenitcomestodefendingtheirtoys.WhenKathy’stwodaughtersweretoddlerstheyhadidenticalgoldfishthatlivedinthesamefishbowl.Onemorningtheysadlydiscoveredonepoorfishfloatingbellyup,deadasadoornail.Itwasapathetic6sight.Buteveninhergrief,littleJaimedidn’tmissabeat.Withoutasecondtospare,sheputaconsolingarmaroundherlittlesisterandsaid,“OhKatie,sosorryYOURfishdied!”Whenitcomestograndparents,kidshaveaspeciallovethatisexpressedinanumberofdifferentways.In2001Beverly(motherofsix,grandmotherof16)toldmeshehadalotof“senior”moments.HergranddaughterBriannaintroducedBeverlytosomeonethisway,“Thisismygrandma.UsuallyIfinishhersentencesforher!”

Alsoin2001,MikeandDebbiebroughttwooftheirgrandchildrenhomewiththemforaboutaweek.Whentheirdaughtertoldherson,Michael,4,thathewouldbecominghomewithhisgrandparentshewasalittleconfused.Hewasluckyenoughtohavethreegrandmotherssincegreat-grandparentsandgreat-greatgrandparentsarestillliving.“WhichGrandmaandGrandpa?”heasked.HismomexplainedwhoMikeandDebbiewere,andhesaid,“Oh,good,that’stheSqueezyGrandma!”Herefereedtotwoofhisothergrandmasas“TheGrandmaWithWhiteHair”and“TheGrandmaThatCanTakeHerTeethOut!”Kidsoftengetconfusedbythetermgrandparentandgreat-grandparent.

Morethanonechild,whenaskedifheorshewasreferringtoa“great-grandparent”orsimplya“grandparent,”hasgiventhequickresponse—“They’reallgreat!”Anotherconfusingtermcanbe“son.”Whilegettingreadyforchurch,BrendaoverheardherhusbandteachingtheirdaughterAriel,3,andtheirsonJordan,2,themeaningof“son.”AllofasuddenArielcamerunningtoBrendaandsaid,“Mommy,Mommy!Guesswhat?JordanisDaddy’ssonandI’mhismoon!”ThatremindsmeofwhenWendysaid,“PeterPan7,youarethesun,themoonandthestars!”AndPeterPanreplied,“Yes,Iknow!”Childrenthinktheworldrevolvesaroundthem.

Fortunatearethechildrenwhoseparentsunderstandhowtheirlove,guidanceandencouragementcanhelptheirchildren—thestarsintheirlife—shinebrightly!當我們在二月份看見與情人節(jié)相關(guān)的紅心和丘比特畫像時，我們自然想到浪漫的愛。但是世間還有很多其他種類的愛——父母對兒女的愛，孩子對祖父祖母的愛，我們對兄弟姐妹的愛和對親密朋友的愛。說到浪漫的愛，孩子們在試圖理解他們從所見所聞中得到的印象時常常感到困惑。比如說幾年前，我在一個專欄中講到了兩個小姑娘剛剛參加過一個真正的婚禮后沒幾天，用她們的玩具娃娃玩結(jié)婚的游戲。假裝的牧師問假裝的新郎：“你愿意讓這個女人成為你‘大腦混亂的’（應(yīng)是‘合法的’）妻子嗎？”我們希望孩子們對浪漫的探求一直附著在他們的玩具娃娃上，直到他們長大為止。事實上，甚至在小學的時候，小男孩小女孩就注意彼此了。當我們的兒子保羅六歲時，他迷戀上了他幼兒園的一個女同學。發(fā)現(xiàn)此事后，他的三個姐姐毫不留情地戲弄他。“你吻過她嗎？”一個姐姐問。“沒有！”他回答。“你拉過她的手嗎？”“沒有！”

過了一會兒，他說：“但我碰過她的椅子！”有時，小孩子們可不僅僅是碰碰椅子，他們甚至計劃結(jié)婚呢。十多年前，圣約翰路德學校的學齡前兒童尼古拉斯和蕾絲決定他們長大后要結(jié)婚。有一天課堂上說到農(nóng)場時，尼古拉斯說：“等我長大了，我要住在一個農(nóng)場里，早早起床去擠牛奶！”坐在他身邊的蕾絲尖聲說道：“嘿，別把我弄醒！”但是小孩子們并不總是計劃和他們的同學結(jié)婚，有時候小男孩會對他們的老師想入非非。比如說，瓦奈塔是四歲大的孩子克里斯托弗的媽媽，有一天，她在讀《新聞太陽報》時看到有關(guān)哈特曼小姐婚禮的報道和照片?！芭叮囱?，克里斯托弗！”瓦奈塔說。“你主日學校老師的照片上報紙了！”克里斯托弗怒視著新郎?！拔易屗任议L大娶她的！”他說。每個父母早晚都需要跟孩子說說性知識。大約20年前，一位同事，一個三個孩子的父親，告訴我丈夫他給他九歲的兒子講解了性知識，當時這位父親非常難為情。當他解釋完后，兒子驚異地看著他，然后問：“你和媽媽做那事做了三次？”說了浪漫之愛，讓我們再說說兄弟姐妹之間的愛。父母希望他們的孩子們深愛彼此，不管生活中出現(xiàn)什么，都能互相支持，無需對方開口，就能去分擔去幫助。但是隨著孩子們長大，截然相反的情形往往發(fā)生在現(xiàn)實生活中。孩子的本能是保護他們認為是他們自己的東西，而且要獲取更多。有些孩子保護自己的玩具時所表現(xiàn)出的機靈勁兒真是令人驚嘆。當凱西的兩個女兒還是初學走步的孩童時，她們倆有著一模一樣的金魚，養(yǎng)在同一個魚缸里。一天早晨，她們傷心地發(fā)現(xiàn)一條可憐的金魚肚子朝上漂在水面，了無生氣，那樣子真夠悲慘的。但即便處在悲痛之中，小杰米也沒有錯失先機。沒有片刻