The Mother With One Eye

只有一只眼睛的母亲

My mother had only one eye. When I was growing up, I hated her for it. I hated the uninvited attention it got me at school. I hated how the other children stared at her and looked away in disgust. My mother worked two jobs to provide for the family, but I was just embarrassed by her and didn't want to be seen with her.

我妈妈只有一只眼睛。在我成长的过程中，我非常讨厌这样的她。我讨厌在学校受到的不请自来的关注的眼神。我讨厌别的孩子盯着她然后厌恶地转过头去。为了支撑这个家，我妈妈要做两份工作，但我却只觉得她令我很尴尬，不想被看到和她在一起。

Every time my mother came to visit me at school, I wanted her to disappear. I felt a surge¹ of hatred² towards the woman who made me the laughing stock of the school. In a moment of extreme anger, I even once told my mother I wanted her to die. I was completely unconcerned about her feelings.

每次妈妈来学校看我，我都希望她消失。我非常憎恨这个让我在学校里成为笑柄的女人。在极度愤怒之下，我甚至曾经对妈妈说希望她死了算了。我完全不关心她的感受。

As I grew up, I did whatever was in my power to distance myself from my mother. I studied hard and got a job overseas so I wouldn't have to meet her. I got married and started raising a family of my own. I got busy with my job and family and with providing a comfortable life for my beloved children. I didn't even think about my mother anymore.

随着我慢慢长大，我一直尽一切所能去远离我的母亲。为了出国工作我努力学习，这样就可以再也不见到她。我结婚了建立了自己的家庭。我忙于工作，家庭，为我爱的孩子提供舒适的生活。我甚至不再去想我的妈妈了。

Out of the blue, my mother came to visit one day. Her one-eyed face scared my young children and they started crying. I was angry at my mother for showing up unannounced and I forbid her to ever return to my home and new family life. I yelled³ and screamed, but my mother quietly apologized and left without saying another word.

突然有一天，妈妈来看我。她的一只眼睛吓哭了我年幼的孩子。对于我母亲的突然造访我非常生气，我禁止她永远不要来我家，接触我现在的家庭生活。我尖声叫喊着，但是母亲安静地道了歉，没有再多说一句话。

An invitation to a high school reunion took me back to my hometown after decades. I could not resist driving past my childhood home and stopping by the old shack⁴. My neighbors told me my mother had passed away and left a letter for me.

几十年后受高中聚会的邀请我回到了我的故乡。我忍不住开车路过儿时的家，在一幢老屋门口停了下来。邻居们告诉我，母亲已经去世了，留下了一封信给我。

"My dear child:

“我亲爱的孩子：

I must begin by apologizing for visiting your home unannounced and frightening your beautiful children. I am also deeply sorry that I was such an embarrassment⁵ and source of humiliation⁶ to you when you were growing up.

在开头我必须为突然出现在你家并吓坏了你的可爱的孩子们而道歉。在你成长过程中我是如此令你尴尬，让你受辱，对此我也深深地自责。

I have learned that you may be coming back to town for your reunion. I may no longer be there when you come, and I think it is time to tell you an incident that happened when you were a young child. You see, my dear child, you were involved in an accident and lost one eye. I was devastated⁷ at the thought of my beloved child growing up with only one eye. I wanted you to see the beautiful world in all its glory, so I gave you my eye.

我得知你会在聚会的时候回来，但那时候我可能已经不在了，我想是时候该告诉你，在你小时候发生过一场意外。你知道的，我亲爱的孩子，你在那场事故中失去了一只眼睛。我无法接受和想象自己亲爱的孩子只能拥有一只眼睛。我想让你骄傲地看看这个美丽的世界，所以我把我的眼睛给了你。

My dear child, I always have and always will love you from the bottom of my heart. I have never regretted my decision to give you my eye, and I am at peace that I was able to give you the ability to enjoy a complete life.

我亲爱的孩子，我真心爱你，无论从前还是未来。我从没后悔把眼睛给了你，让你能够享受完整的生命，我死而无憾。

Your loving mother."

爱你的妈妈。”