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　　"妈妈，"她低头看着坐在轮椅上的老妇人说道。她忽略了周围养老院的其他居民。妈妈，我现在知道了。我明白，" 　　

　　'妈妈，'她看着轮椅上的老妇人说道，好像没有察觉到周围疗养院的其他居民，'妈妈，我现在知道了，我懂了.' 　　

　　年长的女人抬起头对她微笑。索尼娅，见到你总是很高兴。她说。 　　

　　老妇人抬起头，笑着对她说：'索尼娅，每次见到你，我都非常高兴.' 　　

　　"你为什么不告诉我你在做什么，"索尼娅问。她坐到轮椅旁边的一把椅子上，这样她和母亲就可以在同一水平线上了。这么多年来，你从来没有告诉过我。 　　

　　'为什么不早点儿告诉我您所做的一切呢？'索尼娅问道，她在轮椅旁边的椅子上坐了下来，和妈妈并肩坐在一起，'这些年来，您从没对我说过.' 　　

　　"我不知道你在说什么，"年长的女人说。你的工作进展如何？"你如愿得到提升了吗，" 　　

　　'我不知道你在说什么，'老妇人说，'你的工作还好吗？提拔到你追求的位置了吗？' 　　

　　我不想谈论我的工作。我想和你谈谈你为我的成功所做的一切。 　　

　　'我不想谈工作。只想和您谈谈，为了我的成功，您做出了多大的牺牲!' 　　

　　我什么也没做。你都做到了。所有的教育，所有的努力工作. 　　

　　'我什么都没做，都是你自己努力的结果，你学业有成，工作卖力……' 　　

　　"不!"索尼娅又站了起来，无法保持静止。你一直都在做！当我上高中时，我说我需要帮助学习更高层次的数学课程，因为我一点也想不出来，你说我不应该担心。 　　

　　'不!'索尼娅腾地站起来，身子有些摇晃，'所有的一切都是您的付出！读高中时，我说自己的高等数学需要帮助，因为我根本算不出来。您让我不必担心.' 　　

　　你做得很好。她妈妈说。 　　

"Yes! Because you gave me your math ability! After that, you couldn't even balance your checkbook, remember?"

"是的!因为您把您的数学才能给了我!从那以后,您连自己的账本都算不清楚了,您还记得吗?"

She shrugged. "When people get older, they start to slow down."

她耸了耸肩："人一旦衰老,大脑就反应迟钝了."

"You had a graduate degree in mathematics. You were a brilliant teacher. But after I started doing well in high school math, you lost all your abilities. Tell me it was a coincidence!"

"您有大学数学学位,是一名优秀的教师,但是,自从我高中数学有所起色后,您却失去了所有的能力,告诉我,这难道是巧合吗?"

"Darling, you're upset. Probably too much stress."

"亲爱的,你太紧张了,可能是压力太大了."

"No! No! I can't stand taking from you anymore! I never wanted to go to grad school for that MBA. I never had the ambition. But you did. You had more ambition than ten women! Until I needed it, and then - then suddenly I burned with the desire to prove myself and you - you gave up. That's when you started working at the supermarket."

"不!不是的!我不能再剥夺您的任何东西了!简直令我无法忍受!我从来没想过要去念MBA,我没有雄心大志.但是,您有,您的志气比十个女人的还要大,直到我需要它,突然强烈地想要证明自己能力时,但是,您-您却放弃了,开始在超市干活儿."

"I wanted a lower stress job."

"我想要一份压力小些的工作."

"I told you I was lonely but I thought I would never find anyone who would want to marry me, and then suddenly Bob turned into the most committed man I could ever imagine, and Dad suddenly lost interest in you and wandered off with that stupid woman across the street."

"我告诉您我很孤独,觉得不会有人愿意娶我.可是,突然,鲍勃成为我期待中的最适合托付终身的人.但是,爸爸突然对您失去了兴趣,与街对面的蠢妇走到一起."

"Now surely you're not saying I'm responsible for your father's failings, are you?" asked her mother, smiling weakly.

"你不是在责备我对你父亲的失职吧?"妈妈问道,虚弱地笑了.

Photographer: Judita Tamoiūnait link: Pexels

"I'm saying you gave up your own desirability, to give it to me! At tremendous cost to you! But that wasn't all, either, was it?"

"我是说您放弃了自己的希求,把它给了我!您付出了极大的代价!但这还不是全部,对吗?"

"Sonya, you really shouldn't get yourself worked up this way. It can't be good for you."

"索尼娅,你真的不要这么激动,这对你不好."

"And then," Sonya continued, ignoring the older woman, "when I needed that extra energy to do all the work I had to do in my first executive position, suddenly I had the energy I needed, and you could barely drag yourself out of bed in the morning!"

"然后,"索尼亚不顾老妇人的话,继续说道,"当我第一次当上主管时,我需要更大的勇气来应付所有的工作.突然,我拥有了自己需要的所有能量,可您却连早上起床的力气都没有了!"

"I just wanted to see you succeed."

"我只是想看到你成功."

"Why?" Sonya dropped down on her knees in front of her mother's wheelchair, clutching her mother's frail hands. "Why did you do all this to yourself? Why? I'm not worth it, Mom! No success I've had in my life is worth what you've done to yourself, for me!"

"为什么?"索尼娅在妈妈的轮椅前跪了下来,抓住母亲虚弱的双手,"您为什么要这样对自己?为什么?我不值得您这么做.妈,我生命中的任何一次成功都不值得您这样做!"

"Oh," said her mother, stroking Sonya's hair, "you're wrong about that. Everything I did, everything I gave up, was worth it because of you, of what you've made of yourself."

"噢,"妈妈抚摸着她的头说,"你这样想就错了.我所做的、所放弃的每一件事都是有价值的,因为你,因为你的成功而有了价值."

"Mom, Mom, please, I'm begging you, take it back. I don't want my success on these terms! I don't want to see you grow more and more frail, more and more helpless, just so that I can grow stronger and richer and more famous!"

"妈妈,我请求您,把放弃的拿回去吧,我不要自己的成功建立在您的牺牲之上!我不想看着您越来越虚弱,越来越无助,只是为了让我更强壮,更富有,更出名!"

"What's holding you back now?" asked her mother. "Why didn't you get the promotion?"

"现在是什么让你退缩了?"妈妈问道,"为什么你没有得到提升?"

"I'm not going to tell you! Aren't you listening to me? I don't want you to do more to yourself for me!"

"我不想说这些!您在听我说吗?我不想让您为我放弃更多!"

Her mother looked down at her for a few seconds, and then nodded. "Ah, yes, I see. I understand, dear. You're almost there, aren't you? You just need a little more, just a tad more strength, but it's all right. You're going to get it, don't worry."

妈妈低下头来,久久地看着她,然后又点了点头："啊,是的,我知道了,我懂了,亲爱的,你很快就能晋升了,不是吗?你只是需要再努力一点点,但是没关系,你很快就会得到的,不要担心."

Photographer:Ylanite Koppens link: Pexels

Sonya raised her head, horrified. "No, Mom! I told you, I don't want it! Don't - whatever you're going to do, don't do it!"

索尼娅抬起头来,惊悸地说道："不,妈妈,我跟您说过,我不想要!不管您要做什么,请不要再做了!"

Her mother's head snapped backwards, and her eyes rolled in her head. Sonya, horrified, clutched at her mother's wrist. The pulse was barely discernible. Sonya screamed, and the personnel at the nursing home rushed toward them.

妈妈的头猛地往后一仰,眼珠直往上翻.索尼娅惊恐地抓住妈妈的手腕,脉搏几乎感觉不到了.索尼娅尖叫着,护理员很快向她们跑来.

But before they arrived, her mother's eyes opened for a second, and for the last time, Sonya saw the intelligence she always remembered in her mother. "Have a daughter," her mother breathed. "Do it for her."

在他们到达之前,妈妈的眼睛睁开了一秒钟,最后一次,索尼娅看到了妈妈眼里闪烁的智慧之光,"生一个女儿,"妈妈喘息着,"为她活着."