A mother and her son learn more from a moment of defeat than they ever could from a victory. Her ex- ample of never giving up gives him courage for the rest of his life. THE DAY MOTHER CRIED Gerald Moore Coming home from school that dark winter's day so long ago, I was filled with anticipation. I had a new issue of my favorite sports magazine tucked under my arm, and the house to myself. Dad was at work, my sis- ter was away, and Mother wouldn't be home from her new job for an hour. 5 I bounded up the steps, burst into the living room and lipped on a light. I was shocked into stillness by what I saw. Mother, pulled into a tight ball with her face in her hands, sat at the far end of the coueh.She was crying. I had never seen her cry. I approached cautiously and touched her shoulder. "Mother?" I said. 10 "What's happened?" She took a long breath and managed a weak smile. "It's nothing, real- ly. Nothing important. Just that I'm going to lose this new job. I can't type fast enough. " "But you've only been there three days, "I said. "You'll catch on. "I 15 was repeating a line she had spoken to me a hundred times when I was hav- ing trouble learning or doing something important to me. "No, "she said sadly. "I always s aid I could do anything I set my mind to, and I still think I can in most things. But I can't do this." I felt helpless and out of place. At age 16 I still assumed Mother could 20 do anything. Some years before, when we sold our ranch, and moved to town, Mother had decided to open a day nursery. She had had no training, but that didn't stand in her way. She sent away for correspondence courses in child care,did the lessons and in six months formally qualified herself for the task. It wasn't long before she had a full enrollment and a waiting list. 25 I accepted all this as a perfectly normal instance of Mother's ability. But neither the nursery nor the motel my parents bought later had pro- vided enough income to send my sister and me to college. In two years I would be ready for college. In three more my sister would want to go. Time was running out, and Mother was frantic for ways to save money. It 30 was clear that Dad could do no more than he was doing already -- farming 80 acres in addition to holding a fulltime job. A few months after we'd sold the motel, Mother arrived home with a used typewriter. It skipped between certain letters and the keyboard was soft. At dinner that night I pronounced the machine a "piece of junk." 35 "That's all we can afford, "Mother said. "It's good enough to learn on. "And from that day on,as soon as the table was cleared and the dishes were done, Mother would disappear into her sewing room to practice. The slow tap, tap, tap went on some, nights until midnight. It was nearly Christmas when I heard Mother got a job at the radio 40 station. I was not the least bit surprised, or impressed. But she was ecstat- ic. Monday, after her first day at work, I could see that the excitement was gone. Mother looked tired and drawn. I responded by ignoring her. Tuesday, Dad made dinner and cleaned the kitchen. Mother stayed in 45 her sewing room, practicing. "Is Mother all right? "I asked Dad. "She's having a little trouble with her typing, "he said."She needs to practice. I think she'd appreciate it if we all helped out a bit more." "I already do a lot, "I said, immediately on guard. "I know you do, "Dad said evenly. "And you may have to do more. 50 You might just remember that she is working primarily so you can go to college. " I honestly didn't care.I wished she would just forget the whole thing. My shock and embarrassment at finding Mother in tears on Wednesday was a perfect index of how little I understood the pressures on her.Sitting 55 beside her on the couch, I began very slowly to understand. "I guess we all have to fail sometime, "Mother said quietly. I could sense her pain and the tension of holding back the strong emotions that were interrupted by my arrival. Suddenly, something inside me turned. I reached out and put my arms around her. 60 She broke then. She put her face against my shoulder and sobbed. I held her close and didn't try to talk. I knew I was doing what I should, what I could, and that it was enough. In that moment, feeling Mother's back racked with emotion,I understood for the first time her vulnerability. She was still my mother,but she was something more: a person like me, 65 capable of fear and hurt and failure.I could feel her pain as she must have felt mine on a thousand occasions when I had sought comfort in her arms. A week later Mother took a job selling dry goods at half the salary radio station had offered. "It's a job I can do, "she said simply. But the evening practice sessions on the old green typewriter continued. I had a 70 very different feeling now when I passed her door at night and heard her tapping away. I knew there was something more going on in there than a woman learning to type. When I left for college two years later,Mother had an office job with better pay and more responsibility. I have to believe that in some strange 75 way she learned as much from her moment of defeat as I did,because several years later,when I had finished school and proudly accepted a job as a newspaper reporter; she had already been a journalist with our hometown paper for six months. The old green typewriter sits in my office now, unrepaired. It is a me- 80 mento, but what it recalls for me is not quite what it recalled for Mother. When I'm having trouble with a story and think about giving up or when I start to feel sorry for myself and think things should be easier for me, I roll a piece of pape into that cranky old machine and type, word by painful word, just the way Mother did. What I remember then is not her 85 faiharer; but her courage, the courage to go ahead. It's the best memento anyone ever gave me. New Words anticipation/ n. expectation anticipate/ vt. issue / n. 发行物(刊物的)一期 tuck / vt. put or push into a desired convenient position so as to hold tightly; draw together into a small space 塞(进);卷(起) bound /vi. move along quickly by jumping or leaping move- ments 跳跃 flip /v. turn or move quickly or with a jerk tight / a. drawn, fixed or fastened together firmly 紧的,牢的 ad. firmly, closely couch / n. a long comfortable seat with a back and arms on which more than one person may sit; sofa 长沙发椅 approach/ v. come near or nearer (to) cautiously/ad. very carefully 细心地,谨慎地 cautious/ a. type/ vt. write (sth.) with a typewriter line/ n. a row of words in a poem; a row of words on a page of writing or in print(诗,文的一行) helpless/ a. unable to look after oneself or take action to help others, powerless assume/ vt. take as true without actual proof; suppose 假使,主观认为 ranch / n. a very large farm for raising horses, cattle or sheep 大牧场,大农场 nursery / n. a place where small children are temporarily cared for 托儿所 day nursery/ n. a place where small children are cared for during the day trtaining/ n. the process of training or being trained; instruc- tion corresponderice/ n. the act of exchanging letters 通信 correspondence course/ n. an educational course in which instructions and work are exchanged between the teacher and student by post 函授课程 formally / ad. according to proper rules or lawful forms 正式地 formal/ a. qualify / vt. make fit or competent for a special purpose 使具有资格 enrol(1)ment / n. the number of people who have registered them- selves as members of a school, a program, etc. ;registering 注册人数; 注册,登记 enrol(l) v. 注册,登记 motel / n. aroadside hotel providing overnight lodging for motorists 汽车旅馆 frantic / a. wildly anxious, afraid, happy; etc. acre / n. 英亩 addition/ n. the act of adding 加,加法 full-time/ a. occupying all normal working hours typewriter/n. 打字机 keylioard / n. the set of keys on a typewriter, piano, etc. 键盘 jnnk / n. old useless things 破烂,垃圾 tap/ n a short light blow 轻叩 midnight/ n. the middle of the night 午夜 ecstatic / a. marked by a state of overwhelming emotion, esp. great joy 欣喜若狂的 drawn /a. (of the face) looking very tired or worned or tense 憔悴的;紧张的 respond /vi. act in answer to the action of another; answer dad / n. (colloq.) father evenly/ ad. calmly, peacefully even/ a. primarily praimarali/ ad. mainly; chiefly embarrassment/ n. a feeling of shyness, shame or guilt index / n. sign or indication 指数,指标 pressure /n. a constraining influence upon the mind (心理上的)压力 tension / n. (a feeling of) nervous anxiety, worry, or pressure 紧张 arrival/ n. the act of arriving rack / vt. shake violently 猛力摇动 vulnerability/n. being liable to be damaged or hurt 易受 伤的,脆弱性 vulnerable /a. dry goods (AmE) cloth, ribbons, laces, curtains and similar textile fabrics 织物类商品 session / n. a meeting or period of time devoted to a particu- lar activity 会议;(从事某项 活动的)一段时间 journalist/ n. a person whose profession is writing for, edit- ing, or publishing newspapers or magazines, a reporter 新闻工作者;记者 memento / n. sth. which reminds one of a holiday, a friend, etc. 纪念品 cranky / a. (of a machine) shaky; malfunctioning 不稳的;有毛病的 Phrase.s & Expressions have sth. to oneself have sth. for one's own private use at work working; operating catch on (to) (informal) learn; understand 学会,懂得 set one's mind to (or on) pull all one's efforts into doing (sth.) 决心做 stand/be in sb's way be in a position to delay or prevent someone from his in- tended actions 阻碍,妨碍 send away for request (sth.) or order (goods) to be sent by post 函索 run out come to an end ; be used up 到期;用完,耗尽 in addition (to) besides; as well (as) help out give help; help (sb.) at a time of need 帮助;帮助(某人)摆脱困境 on guard ready to defend or protect; watchful 警惕 提防 in tears ciying hold back control; make (sth.) stay in place 抑制,阻止 go on take place or happen go ahead make progress; advance |
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