My BestMistake我最棒的错误

Diane Stark

景一选译

"It's the most wonderful time of the year，" my seven-year-old son. Nathan， sang with ahuge grin 1. I love Christmas. I do. It' s wonderful and warm and brings families together. It' sa chance to show the people we love how we really feel about them.

But it's also busy， bordering 2 0n chaotic 3. My to-do list is longer during the month ofDecember than at any other time of the year.

But I really do love Christmas.

One evening in early December. I flopped 4 down on the couch next to my husband， Erie.I'd spent all day decorating 5 the house for the season， and I was tired.

"The tree looks great， honey，" Eric said.

"Thanks. It's a shame it will only be up for three weeks before I have to spend anotherwhole day taking it all down again，" I shrugged 6. “It's pretty， but sometimes I wonder if it'sworth all the effort."

He smiled. "I told you last year that it's okay with me if we don't decorate. I know it'sa lot of work."

I looked around the house， loving the cozy feel the decorations provided. "I can't stopdecorating for Christmas，" I said. "Think of how upset the kids would be."

His smirk grew bigger. "Oh， yes， it's all for the kids."

I nudged 7 him with my elbow 8. "Okay， I admit it. I love it. too."

But the next day， I was not loving it quite as much. I had a long list of other Christmas-related tasks. and nothing was going right. The previous 9 week. I'd sent my kids' wish lists tomy mom， my mother-in-law， and my former mother-in-law. who was still very much a part ofour family. I'd been careful to monitor Nathan's lists to make sure that he didn't ask morethan one grandma for the same toy. I'd told him to make three separate lists， one for eachgrandma. He 'd done a great job creating the lists with about the same number of toys on eachlist but no duplicate 10 items. He brought them to me， clearly excited about his carefullycrafted ll lists.

I set them by the computer. "I'll send them to your grandmas tomorrow morning，" I toldhim. The next morning， I scanned12 the three lists into the computer. And then I e-mailed theexacl same list to each grandma. （I don't know how it happened except to say it was early，and I hadn' t had coffee yet.）

“這是一年中最美好的时光。”我七岁的儿子内森大笑着唱道。我喜欢圣诞节，我确实喜欢。它美妙而温暖，将家人聚集在一起。这是个向我们所爱的人展示我们对他们真实感受的机会。

但那也会很忙，近乎混乱。12月份，我的待办事项比一年中任何时候都长。

但我真的很喜欢圣诞节。

12月初的一个晚上，我重重地倒在丈夫埃里克旁边的沙发上。为了这一季，我花了一整天的时间装饰房子，我累了。

“这棵树看起来很棒，亲爱的。”埃里克说。

“謝谢。遗憾的是，只会留三个星期的时间，然后我得再花一整天的时间把它全部拆掉。”我耸耸肩说，“它很漂亮，但有时我想知道所有的努力是否值得。”

他笑了，说：“我去年告诉过你，我觉得我们不装饰也可以。我知道这是一个大工程。”

我环顾了一下房子，喜欢上了装饰带来的温暖感觉。“我不能不为圣诞节做装饰。”我说，“想想孩子们会有多难过。”

他的笑容越来越大。“哦，是的，都是为了孩子们。”

我用胳膊肘轻推他。“好吧，我承认。我也喜欢。”

但第二天，我就不是那么喜欢它了。我有一长串与圣诞节有关的任务，但全都不顺利。上个星期，我把孩子们的心愿单发给了我的妈妈、我的婆婆，还有我以前的婆婆，她仍然是我们家的一员。我一直小心地盯着内森的清单，以确保他不会向一个以上的（外）祖母要同样的玩具。我让他列三张不同的单子，每个（外）祖母一张。他在列清单上做得很好，每个清单上的玩具数量差不多，但没有重复的东西。他把它们交给我，显然对精心列出的清单感到兴奋。

我把它们放留在了电脑旁。“我明天早上把它们送到你（外）祖母那儿去。”我告诉他说。第二天早上，我把三张清单扫描进电脑。然后我给每位（外）祖母发了一份完全一样的清单。（我不知道是怎么回事，只能说是因为时间太早，我还没喝咖啡。）

Worse still. I didn't realize the mistake until the grandmas started texting me pictures ofthe toys they'd bought. Three Star Wars lighr sabers 13_even in the same color. Threeidentica1 14 Star Wars Lego sets. Three of the same video game. Three of everything he'd askfor on one list. And nothing on the other two lists.

And it was all my fault.

"I was so careless." I moaned 15 to Eric. "How can I tell the grandmas that two of themhave to return all of the toys they just bought？ And how do I choose which two to tell？"

"I'm sorry， honey，" he said. "But I'm sure they 'll understand. Mistakes happen."

"What mistake'？" Nathan said.

I didn't realize he was listening to our conversation. I sighed and explained thesituation. "I'm really sorry，" I said. "I goofed 16， but I'm going to talk to the grandmas andtry to fix it."

His shoulders slumped 17 with disappointment. But an hour later. he came back， wearinga determined look on his face. "Mom. don't talk to the grandmas，" he said. "The number oftoys on just one of my lists is more than some kids get. I don't need all those toys."

"But the grandmas already bought them." I said. "So. if I don't call them， you 'll havethree of the exact same toy."

He nodded. "I know. That's why I'm going lo give away the other two to kids who don'tget much for Christmas.

Tears flooded my eyes. My silly mistake had turned into a proud parenting moment.

We talked to the grandmas. who all agreed that Nathan's selfless 18 decision should bepraised. The grandmas kindly understood that I'd sent the lists before being properlycaffeinated 19.

It's true that Christmas is the busiest time of the year. But no doubt. it' s also the best-especially when our kids remind us that it's not only about the decorations we put up， thegifts we receive. or even the food we enjoy. It' s about loving one another. It's about puttingothers ahead of ourselves.

Christmas is about giving to others to show them they are importanl to us.

Even when the giver is a seven-year-old boy and the gift is a Star Wars light saber.

And the recipient 20 is another child. A stranger whose only gift this Christmas might bethat toy.

It was the best mistake I ever made.

更糟糕的是，直到（外）祖母们开始给我发她们买的玩具的照片，我才意识到这个错误。三把《星球大战》的光剑——甚至连颜色也是相同的，三套完全相同的《星球大战》乐高玩具，三个相同的电子游戏。他其中一张愿望清单上的所有东西都有三份，而其他两张清单上的东西则一个都没有。

都是我的错。

“我太不小心了。”我对埃里克抱怨道，“我怎么能告诉孩子的（外）祖母们，她们中有两个人必须把刚买的玩具都退了呢？我该如何选择告诉哪两个人呢？”

“很遗憾，亲爱的。”他说，“但我相信她们会理解的。总有出错的时候。”

“什么错误？”内森说。

我不知道他在听我们的谈话。我叹了口气，解释了现在的情况。“我真的很抱歉。”我说，“我搞砸了，但我要和你（外）祖母们谈谈，想办法解决这个问题。”

他的肩膀因失望而耷拉下来。但一个小时后，他回来了，脸上带着坚定的神情。“妈妈，别跟（外）祖母们说。”他说，“我仅一个清单上的玩具数量就比有些孩子得到的还要多。我不需要得到所有的那些玩具。”

“但是（外）祖母们已经买了。”我说，“所以，如果我不给她们打电话，你会有三份完全一样的玩具。

他点头。“我知道。这就是为什么我要把另外两份送给圣诞节没什么收获的孩子的原因，”

我的眼中涌出泪水。我愚蠢的错误变成了一个令人骄傲的育儿时刻。

我们和孩子的（外）祖母们谈了这事，她们都认为内森无私的决定值得称赞。（外）祖母们好心地理解为我是在适当摄入咖啡因之前把清单发出去的。

圣诞节确实是一年中最忙的时候。但毫无疑问，也是最棒的一天——尤其是我们的孩子提醒了我们，这一天不在于摆放的装饰、我们收到的礼物，甚至是我们喜欢的食物，而在于彼此相爱，先想到他人。

圣诞节在于送礼物给别人，让他们知道他们对我们很重要。

即使送礼者是一個7岁的男孩，而礼物是一把《星球大战》的光剑。

接受礼物的是另一个孩子，一个陌生人。他今年圣诞节唯一的礼物可能就是那个玩具。

这是我犯过的最棒的错误。

（英语原文选自：chickensoup.com）

[Notes]

1.grin[ɡr?n] v.露齿而笑

2.border[?b??d?（r）] v在……上镶边

3.chaotic[ke???t?k] adj.混乱的

4.flop[fl?p]v.扑通坐下

5.decorate [?dek??re?t] v.装饰;布置

6.shrug[?r?ɡ]v，耸肩

7.nudge [n?d?]v.（用肘）轻推

8.elbow[?elb??] n.肘部

9.prcvious [?pri?v??s] adj。以前的;早先的10. duplicate [?dju?pl?k?t] adj.复制的

II. craft [krɑ?ft] v.精巧地制作

12. scan [sk?n]v.扫描;浏览

13. saber[?se?b?]n.军刀;佩剑

14. identical [a??dent?kl] adj.完全相同的

15. moan [m??n] n.抱怨;呻吟

16. goof [ɡu?f] v.犯愚蠢的错误

17. slump [sl?mp] v.耷拉着

18. selfless [?selfl?s] adj.无私的

19. caffeinated [?k?f??ne?t?d] adj.受咖啡因刺激的

20. recipient [r??s?p??nt] n.接受者