My BestMistake我最棒的錯(cuò)誤

Diane Stark

景一選譯

"It's the most wonderful time of the year，" my seven-year-old son. Nathan， sang with ahuge grin 1. I love Christmas. I do. It' s wonderful and warm and brings families together. It' sa chance to show the people we love how we really feel about them.

But it's also busy， bordering 2 0n chaotic 3. My to-do list is longer during the month ofDecember than at any other time of the year.

But I really do love Christmas.

One evening in early December. I flopped 4 down on the couch next to my husband， Erie.I'd spent all day decorating 5 the house for the season， and I was tired.

"The tree looks great， honey，" Eric said.

"Thanks. It's a shame it will only be up for three weeks before I have to spend anotherwhole day taking it all down again，" I shrugged 6. “It's pretty， but sometimes I wonder if it'sworth all the effort."

He smiled. "I told you last year that it's okay with me if we don't decorate. I know it'sa lot of work."

I looked around the house， loving the cozy feel the decorations provided. "I can't stopdecorating for Christmas，" I said. "Think of how upset the kids would be."

His smirk grew bigger. "Oh， yes， it's all for the kids."

I nudged 7 him with my elbow 8. "Okay， I admit it. I love it. too."

But the next day， I was not loving it quite as much. I had a long list of other Christmas-related tasks. and nothing was going right. The previous 9 week. I'd sent my kids' wish lists tomy mom， my mother-in-law， and my former mother-in-law. who was still very much a part ofour family. I'd been careful to monitor Nathan's lists to make sure that he didn't ask morethan one grandma for the same toy. I'd told him to make three separate lists， one for eachgrandma. He 'd done a great job creating the lists with about the same number of toys on eachlist but no duplicate 10 items. He brought them to me， clearly excited about his carefullycrafted ll lists.

I set them by the computer. "I'll send them to your grandmas tomorrow morning，" I toldhim. The next morning， I scanned12 the three lists into the computer. And then I e-mailed theexacl same list to each grandma. （I don't know how it happened except to say it was early，and I hadn' t had coffee yet.）

“這是一年中最美好的時(shí)光。”我七歲的兒子內(nèi)森大笑著唱道。我喜歡圣誕節(jié)，我確實(shí)喜歡。它美妙而溫暖，將家人聚集在一起。這是個(gè)向我們所愛的人展示我們對(duì)他們真實(shí)感受的機(jī)會(huì)。

但那也會(huì)很忙，近乎混亂。12月份，我的待辦事項(xiàng)比一年中任何時(shí)候都長(zhǎng)。

但我真的很喜歡圣誕節(jié)。

12月初的一個(gè)晚上，我重重地倒在丈夫埃里克旁邊的沙發(fā)上。為了這一季，我花了一整天的時(shí)間裝飾房子，我累了。

“這棵樹看起來(lái)很棒，親愛的?！卑＠锟苏f(shuō)。

“謝謝。遺憾的是，只會(huì)留三個(gè)星期的時(shí)間，然后我得再花一整天的時(shí)間把它全部拆掉。”我聳聳肩說(shuō)，“它很漂亮，但有時(shí)我想知道所有的努力是否值得?！?/p>

他笑了，說(shuō)：“我去年告訴過(guò)你，我覺得我們不裝飾也可以。我知道這是一個(gè)大工程?！?/p>

我環(huán)顧了一下房子，喜歡上了裝飾帶來(lái)的溫暖感覺。“我不能不為圣誕節(jié)做裝飾。”我說(shuō)，“想想孩子們會(huì)有多難過(guò)?！?/p>

他的笑容越來(lái)越大。“哦，是的，都是為了孩子們?！?/p>

我用胳膊肘輕推他?！昂冒?，我承認(rèn)。我也喜歡?！?/p>

但第二天，我就不是那么喜歡它了。我有一長(zhǎng)串與圣誕節(jié)有關(guān)的任務(wù)，但全都不順利。上個(gè)星期，我把孩子們的心愿單發(fā)給了我的媽媽、我的婆婆，還有我以前的婆婆，她仍然是我們家的一員。我一直小心地盯著內(nèi)森的清單，以確保他不會(huì)向一個(gè)以上的（外）祖母要同樣的玩具。我讓他列三張不同的單子，每個(gè)（外）祖母一張。他在列清單上做得很好，每個(gè)清單上的玩具數(shù)量差不多，但沒有重復(fù)的東西。他把它們交給我，顯然對(duì)精心列出的清單感到興奮。

我把它們放留在了電腦旁?！拔颐魈煸缟习阉鼈兯偷侥悖ㄍ猓┳婺改莾喝??！蔽腋嬖V他說(shuō)。第二天早上，我把三張清單掃描進(jìn)電腦。然后我給每位（外）祖母發(fā)了一份完全一樣的清單。（我不知道是怎么回事，只能說(shuō)是因?yàn)闀r(shí)間太早，我還沒喝咖啡。）

Worse still. I didn't realize the mistake until the grandmas started texting me pictures ofthe toys they'd bought. Three Star Wars lighr sabers 13_even in the same color. Threeidentica1 14 Star Wars Lego sets. Three of the same video game. Three of everything he'd askfor on one list. And nothing on the other two lists.

And it was all my fault.

"I was so careless." I moaned 15 to Eric. "How can I tell the grandmas that two of themhave to return all of the toys they just bought？ And how do I choose which two to tell？"

"I'm sorry， honey，" he said. "But I'm sure they 'll understand. Mistakes happen."

"What mistake'？" Nathan said.

I didn't realize he was listening to our conversation. I sighed and explained thesituation. "I'm really sorry，" I said. "I goofed 16， but I'm going to talk to the grandmas andtry to fix it."

His shoulders slumped 17 with disappointment. But an hour later. he came back， wearinga determined look on his face. "Mom. don't talk to the grandmas，" he said. "The number oftoys on just one of my lists is more than some kids get. I don't need all those toys."

"But the grandmas already bought them." I said. "So. if I don't call them， you 'll havethree of the exact same toy."

He nodded. "I know. That's why I'm going lo give away the other two to kids who don'tget much for Christmas.

Tears flooded my eyes. My silly mistake had turned into a proud parenting moment.

We talked to the grandmas. who all agreed that Nathan's selfless 18 decision should bepraised. The grandmas kindly understood that I'd sent the lists before being properlycaffeinated 19.

It's true that Christmas is the busiest time of the year. But no doubt. it' s also the best-especially when our kids remind us that it's not only about the decorations we put up， thegifts we receive. or even the food we enjoy. It' s about loving one another. It's about puttingothers ahead of ourselves.

Christmas is about giving to others to show them they are importanl to us.

Even when the giver is a seven-year-old boy and the gift is a Star Wars light saber.

And the recipient 20 is another child. A stranger whose only gift this Christmas might bethat toy.

It was the best mistake I ever made.

更糟糕的是，直到（外）祖母?jìng)冮_始給我發(fā)她們買的玩具的照片，我才意識(shí)到這個(gè)錯(cuò)誤。三把《星球大戰(zhàn)》的光劍——甚至連顏色也是相同的，三套完全相同的《星球大戰(zhàn)》樂(lè)高玩具，三個(gè)相同的電子游戲。他其中一張?jiān)竿鍐紊系乃袞|西都有三份，而其他兩張清單上的東西則一個(gè)都沒有。

都是我的錯(cuò)。

“我太不小心了。”我對(duì)埃里克抱怨道，“我怎么能告訴孩子的（外）祖母?jìng)?，她們中有兩個(gè)人必須把剛買的玩具都退了呢？我該如何選擇告訴哪兩個(gè)人呢？”

“很遺憾，親愛的?！彼f(shuō)，“但我相信她們會(huì)理解的。總有出錯(cuò)的時(shí)候?！?/p>

“什么錯(cuò)誤？”內(nèi)森說(shuō)。

我不知道他在聽我們的談話。我嘆了口氣，解釋了現(xiàn)在的情況?！拔艺娴暮鼙?。”我說(shuō)，“我搞砸了，但我要和你（外）祖母?jìng)冋務(wù)?，想辦法解決這個(gè)問(wèn)題?！?/p>

他的肩膀因失望而耷拉下來(lái)。但一個(gè)小時(shí)后，他回來(lái)了，臉上帶著堅(jiān)定的神情?！皨寢專瑒e跟（外）祖母?jìng)冋f(shuō)?！彼f(shuō)，“我僅一個(gè)清單上的玩具數(shù)量就比有些孩子得到的還要多。我不需要得到所有的那些玩具。”

“但是（外）祖母?jìng)円呀?jīng)買了?！蔽艺f(shuō)，“所以，如果我不給她們打電話，你會(huì)有三份完全一樣的玩具。

他點(diǎn)頭?！拔抑馈＿@就是為什么我要把另外兩份送給圣誕節(jié)沒什么收獲的孩子的原因，”

我的眼中涌出淚水。我愚蠢的錯(cuò)誤變成了一個(gè)令人驕傲的育兒時(shí)刻。

我們和孩子的（外）祖母?jìng)冋劻诉@事，她們都認(rèn)為內(nèi)森無(wú)私的決定值得稱贊。（外）祖母?jìng)兒眯牡乩斫鉃槲沂窃谶m當(dāng)攝入咖啡因之前把清單發(fā)出去的。

圣誕節(jié)確實(shí)是一年中最忙的時(shí)候。但毫無(wú)疑問(wèn)，也是最棒的一天——尤其是我們的孩子提醒了我們，這一天不在于擺放的裝飾、我們收到的禮物，甚至是我們喜歡的食物，而在于彼此相愛，先想到他人。

圣誕節(jié)在于送禮物給別人，讓他們知道他們對(duì)我們很重要。

即使送禮者是一個(gè)7歲的男孩，而禮物是一把《星球大戰(zhàn)》的光劍。

接受禮物的是另一個(gè)孩子，一個(gè)陌生人。他今年圣誕節(jié)唯一的禮物可能就是那個(gè)玩具。

這是我犯過(guò)的最棒的錯(cuò)誤。

（英語(yǔ)原文選自：chickensoup.com）

[Notes]

1.grin[ɡr?n] v.露齒而笑

2.border[?b??d?（r）] v在……上鑲邊

3.chaotic[ke???t?k] adj.混亂的

4.flop[fl?p]v.撲通坐下

5.decorate [?dek??re?t] v.裝飾;布置

6.shrug[?r?ɡ]v，聳肩

7.nudge [n?d?]v.（用肘）輕推

8.elbow[?elb??] n.肘部

9.prcvious [?pri?v??s] adj。以前的;早先的10. duplicate [?dju?pl?k?t] adj.復(fù)制的

II. craft [krɑ?ft] v.精巧地制作

12. scan [sk?n]v.掃描;瀏覽

13. saber[?se?b?]n.軍刀;佩劍

14. identical [a??dent?kl] adj.完全相同的

15. moan [m??n] n.抱怨;呻吟

16. goof [ɡu?f] v.犯愚蠢的錯(cuò)誤

17. slump [sl?mp] v.耷拉著

18. selfless [?selfl?s] adj.無(wú)私的

19. caffeinated [?k?f??ne?t?d] adj.受咖啡因刺激的

20. recipient [r??s?p??nt] n.接受者