It is so beautiful. Your mother would have loved it.
Mother and Child
It was Christmas 1961. I was teaching in a small town in Ohio where my twentyseven third graders eagerly anticipated the great day of gifts giving.
这条项链很漂亮。她一定会喜欢的。
母亲与孩子
故事发生在1961年的圣诞节那天。我在俄亥俄州的一个小镇上教三年级。班上27个学生都在热情参加“礼物赠送日”的活动。
Each day the children produced some new wonder—strings of popcornpopcorn n.爆米花， handmade trinketstrinket n.小装饰品， 琐物，无关紧要的小事， and German bells made from wallpaper samplessample n.标本、样品，例子， which we hung from the ceiling. Through it all she remained aloofaloof adj.孤零的， 冷淡的adv.避开， 远离， watching from afar， seemingly miles away.
I wondered what would happen to this quiet child， once so happy， now so suddenly withdrawn. I hoped the festivities would appeal to her. But nothing did.
We made cards and gifts for mothers and dads， for sisters and brothers， for grandparents， and for each other. At home the students made the popular fried marblesmarble n.大理石， (玩具)弹球，石弹子， 雕刻品 and vied with one another to bring in the prettiest ones.
孩子们每天都会做出新的礼物——爆米花串联起来的链子、手工小装饰品和用墙纸样做的德式风铃，我们把这些风铃挂在了天花板上。但她始终都是孤零零地远远望着，好像是有几里远。
我在猜想这个恬静的孩子怎么了，以前她很快乐怎么突然间就变得一言不发起来。我希望节日活动能引起她的兴趣，可仍毫无作用。
我们为爸爸妈妈、兄弟姐妹、祖父母和身边的同学制作了许多卡片和礼物。在家里学生们做了当时很受欢迎的“油炸”玻璃弹子，并且互相比较着，争着要拿出最好看的。
“You put them in a hot frying pan， Teacher. And you let them get real hot， and then you watch what happens inside. But you dont fry them too long or they break.”
So， as my gift to them， I made each of my students a little pouchpouch 小袋；囊 for carrying their fried marbles. And I knew they had each made something for me： bookmarksbookmark n.书签 carefully cut， colored， and sometimes pasted together； cards and special drawings； liquid embroideryembroidery n.绣花，刺绣；绣制品 doilies， handfringed， of course.
The day of giftgiving finally came. We oohed and aahed over our handiworkhandiwork n.手工， 手艺， 手工 as the presents were exchangedexchange vt.交换；交流 . Through it all， she sat quietly watching. I had made a special pouch for her， red and green with white lace. I wanted very much to see her smile.
“老师，您把它们放在热油锅里，再烧热，然后看里面的变化。但时间不要炸得过长，不然会破裂。”
所以，作为礼物，我给每个学生做了一个装“油炸弹子”的小袋送给他们。我知道他们各自也为我做了礼物：认真剪裁、上色，或者粘在一起成串的书签、卡片和精心绘制的图片；还有透明的镶边碗碟垫布，当然这是手工做成的流苏。
终于到了赠送礼物的那天。在互换礼物的时候，我们彼此都为对方亲手做的礼物啧啧称赞。在整个过程当中，她安静地坐着观看。我给她做了个很特别的小袋，红绿相间还镶着白边。我很想看她微笑。
She opened the package so slowly and carefully. I waited but she turned away. I had not penetratedpenetrate vt.穿透， 渗透， 看穿， 洞察 the wall of isolationisolation n.隔离，孤立状态 she had built around herself.
After school the children left in little groups， chatteringchatter vi.& n.喋喋不休 about the great day yet to come when longhopedfor twowheelers and bright sleds would appear beside their trees at home. She lingered， watching them bundle up and go out the door.
I sat down in a childsized chair to catch my breath， hardly aware of what was happening， when she came to me with outstretched hands， bearing a small white box， unwrapped and slightlyslightly adv.些微地， 苗条地 soiled， as though it had been held many times by unwashed， childish hands. She said nothing.
她慢慢地小心打开包装。我等着，而她却转过去。我还是没能穿透她在自己身边树起的孤立高墙。
放学后，孩子们三五成群地离开了，边走边说着将要到来的圣诞节：盼着在家中的圣诞树旁发现自己心仪已久的自行车和崭新发亮的雪橇。她跟在后面，看着大家簇拥着往外走。
我坐在孩子们的椅子上，松了口气，我没有意识到将要发生什么。这时她走到我跟前，双手向我伸过来一个白色的盒子。盒子没有包装，显得些脏。像是被孩子没有洗过的小手摸过了好多次。她没有出声。
“For me？” I asked with a weak smile. She said not a word， but nodded her head.
I took the box and gingerlygingerly adv.小心翼翼地， 谨慎的， 极为小心地 opened it. There inside， glistening green， a fried marble hung from a golden chain. Then I looked into that elderly eightyearold face and saw the question in her dark brown eyes.
In a flash I knew—she had made it for her mother， a mother she would never see again， a mother who would never hold her or brush her hair or share a funny story， a mother who would never again hear her childishchildish adj.孩子的；幼稚的 joys or sorrows. A mother who had taken her own life just three weeks before.
I held out the chain. She took it in both her hands， reached forward， and securedsecure adj.安全的， 可靠的， 放心的， 无虑的v.保护 the simple clasp at the back of my neck.
“给我？”我微微笑了笑。她没说话，只是点头。
我接过盒子，小心翼翼地打开它。放在盒子里的是一条金色的链子，坠着一块闪光的“油炸”玻璃弹子。然后我看着她的脸，虽然她只有8岁，却显得比实际年龄要大一些。我在她深棕色的眼里，找到了问题的答案。
一瞬间，我忽然明白过来——这是她为她的妈妈做的项链，她再也见不到的妈妈，再也不能呵护她、为她梳头或讲故事给她听的妈妈，再也不能和她一起分享充满童稚快乐的妈妈，为她分担孩子气或忧伤的妈妈。就在三个星期前她的妈妈去世了。
我拿起链子，她双手接过它，向前靠了靠，把简易的项链钩在我的脖子后系好。
She stepped back then as if to see that all was well. I looked down at the shiny piece of glass and the tarnished golden chain， then back at the giver. I meant it when I whispered， “Oh， Maria， it is so beautiful. She would have loved it.” Neither of us could stop the tears. She stumbled into my arms and we wept together. And for that brief moment I became her mother， for she had given me the greatest gift of all： herself.
然后她向退后，好像在看是否合适。我低下头看了看闪光的玻璃珠和失去了光泽的金链子，然后抬头看着她。我小声说道：“哦，玛丽亚，这条项链很漂亮。她一定会喜欢的。”我们都情不自禁地流泪了。她踉跄地拥向我的怀里，我们都哭了。在那一刻，我变成了她的妈妈，而她把一份世间最最宝贵的礼物送给我：信任和爱。
爱是相互的，付出就有回报。教师的一点点关怀却得到了最昂贵的回馈：孩子对母亲的信任和爱。这正是：只要人人都献出一点爱，世界将变成美好的人间。母爱都是一样的，而升华在师生之间的母爱，则是一位女性的本真，带着人世间唯美的感动。
