◎ Anonymous
One night when my wife was preparing dinner, our little son took a piece of paper to her which read:
一天晚上，当妻子在厨房准备晚餐时，我们的小儿子拿着一张纸走向他的母亲。上面写道：
For washing the car...........................................$5.00
洗车 5美元
For making my own bed this week...................$1.00
本周整理我的房间 1美元
Going to the provision shop..............................$0.50
为你去商店 0.5美元
Playing with little sister ...................................$0.25
照管小妹妹 0.25美元
Taking out the rubbish......................................$1.00
外出倒垃圾 1美元
Getting a good report card................................$5.00
成绩报告单获得良好 5美元
And for sweeping the common corridor...........$2.00
清扫走廊 2美元
Total ...............................................................$14.75
总计 14.75美元
His mother looked at him standing there expecting payment. I could see a thousand memories flashed through her mind. So she picked up the pen and turning the paper over, this is what she wrote:
他母亲看着她儿子满怀希望地站在那儿等着付款。我能看到她的脑海中翻腾着记忆的浪花。她拿起钢笔把儿子写过的纸翻过来，在上面写道：
For 9 months I carried you, growing inside me.....................................No Charge
你待在我的腹中，在我身体里生长9个月....................................不收取任何费用
For the nights I sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you..........................No Charge
我陪伴着你、呵护你、为你祈祷的那些晚上.................................. 不收取任何费用
For the toys, food and clothes and wiping your nose..................................No Charge
为你准备玩具、食物、衣服，为你擦鼻涕..................................不收取任何费用
When you add it all up, the full cost of my love....................................No Charge
你把以上所有的累加起来，我为你付出的全部的爱..................................不收取任何费用
Well, when he finished reading, he had great big tears in his eyes. He looked at his mother and said, “Mummy, I love you.” Then he took the pen and in great big letters wrote on the “bill”: “All paid.”
儿子读完母亲写的话，双眼含着豆大的泪花。他看着他的妈妈，说：“妈妈，我爱你。”然后，他拿出钢笔在他的“账单”上用大写字母写道：“全部还清。”