英語散文欣賞：多莉姨媽的帽子

即使到了現在，當我在生活中遇到挫折時，還會想起多莉姑姑和她的“天使帽子”。她讓我們相信天使就在身邊，讓我們對自己充滿自信。下面是本站小編爲大家帶來英語散文欣賞：多莉姨媽的帽子，希望大家喜歡!

Three things I was sure of as a child: My family loved me. The sun would come up tomorrow. I had a wonderful voice.I figured that was unquestionably true because I participated at the top of my lungs in all the family sing-alongs, and no one ever stopped me. So I was delighted when my second-grade teacher announced her plans for a musical pageant at Christmas.

當我還是小孩子時，曾對3件事情篤信不疑：我的家人都愛我;太陽每天早上都會升起;我的嗓音很美妙。對最後一點我尤其有把握。因爲每當全家一起唱歌時，我都會扯着嗓門大喊，從來沒有人阻止過我。所以當我的二年級老師凱瑟琳嬤嬤宣佈她要在聖誕節當天舉行一場演唱會時，我別提有多高興了。

"Singing," said Sister Kathleen to our class, "is one of the most important ways you can tell God how much you love him." She said she would cast singers according to ability. All 26 of us students raised our hands in eager anticipation.

凱瑟琳嬤嬤對全班同學說：“歌唱是我們向上帝表達愛意的最重要的方式之一。”她說要根據我們的演唱天賦來編排節目，全班26個人都迫不及待地舉起了手。

"Those who feel confident about a solo role, form a line to the right of the piano," Sister said. "If you feel more comfortable as a chorus member, stand to the left."

“想獨唱的同學請站在鋼琴右側，想參加合唱的同學請站在鋼琴左側。”

I was first on the solo line before Sister reached the piano. She showed me a list of tunes, and I picked a family favorite, "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling." Sister played, and I sang with all the emotion a seven-year-old could muster. "Thank you, Jacquelyn," Sister said, interrupting. "Next, please." I'd barely sung a dozen lines. Some of the kids snickered as I returned to my seat. What had I done wrong?

我就第一個站到了鋼琴右側。她給了我幾支曲子，我從中挑選了我們家最喜歡唱的《當愛爾蘭眼睛微笑時》。嬤嬤開始彈琴，我則以一個7歲女孩兒所能展示的最豐富的感情開始演唱。可沒唱幾句就被嬤嬤打斷了：“謝謝你，下一位。”當我回到座位上時，看到有些同學在竊笑。難道我做錯什麼事了嗎?

One by one the solo roles were filled. The rest of us were put into the chorus audition line. Sister listened to each student, then arranged us into small groups of similar voices. I was left alone.

獨唱的名額很快就招滿了。嬤嬤聽了每位同學的試唱，然後將聲音接近的人編排在同一個聲部，最後只剩下我孤零零的一個人。

While the other children studied their music, Sister Kathleen motioned me to her desk. She looked kindly at me.

當其他同學開始熟悉歌譜時，嬤嬤把我叫到她的桌前，溫和地看着我。

"Jacquelyn, have you heard the expression tone-deaf?"

“傑奎琳，你聽說過‘音盲’這個詞嗎?”

I shook my head.

我搖了搖頭。

"It means what you think you are singing is different from the music." Sister patted my hand. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, dear. You will still be in the pageant. You will be a lip-syncher. You may mouth the words, but no sound must be uttered. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

“就是說你發出來的聲音與你自己想像的不一樣，”她拉着我的手說。“這沒什麼值得害羞的，親愛的。你仍然可以參加合唱隊。在演唱時，你做出發音的口型就可以了，但不要發聲。你明白我的意思嗎?”

I understood, all right. I was so ashamed, I didn't go home after school. I took the bus straight to Aunt Dolly's house. She had an answer for pendently single in an era when most women wed, she'd gone on safari, shook hands with President Eisenhower, kissed Clark Gable on the cheek, and planned to visit every country in the world. More than anyone else, she would understand that my world had been turned upside down by this terrible revelation.

“我明白。”我是如此羞愧，以至於放學後我沒有回家，而是直接坐公共汽車來到了多莉姑姑家。在我眼裏，沒有什麼事情能夠難得倒她。在那個大多數女性都要嫁人的年代裏，她勇敢地選擇獨身生活。她還參加過狩獵遠征隊，和艾森豪威爾總統握過手，吻過克拉克·蓋博(好萊塢著名男影星)的臉，並打算環遊整個世界。她能理解我的世界是如何被這個可怕的發現搞得翻了天。

Aunt Dolly served me cookies and milk. "What will I do?" I sobbed. "If I don't sing, God will think I don't love him."

多莉姑姑給我端來餅乾和牛奶。“我該怎麼辦?”我抽泣着說，“如果我不能唱歌，上帝會以爲我不愛他的。”

Aunt Dolly dunked her cookie in my milk. She drummed her fingers on the kitchen table as her brow creased in thought. Finally her eyes grew wide. "I've got it!" she said. "I will wear my hat!"

多莉姑姑的手指在桌上敲着，眉頭皺在一起。最後她眼睛一亮，“有辦法了!我將帽子戴上!”

Her hat? How can a hat help me with being tone-deaf? Aunt Dolly leveled her brown eyes on my face. Her voice dropped. "Jacquelyn, I'm about to reveal a bit of secret information about angels, but first you must swear that you will never tell a soul."

帽子?它能幫我解決“音盲”這個大問題嗎?她那棕色的眼睛盯着我，聲音忽然降了下來。“傑奎琳，我得透露一點兒天使的祕密，但首先你得發誓不會告訴任何人。”

"I swear," I whispered.

“我發誓。”我低聲說。

Aunt Dolly took my hand in hers. "When I was in Rome, praying in St. Peter's," she said, "I overheard a conversation in the next pew. It seems that other tone-deaf people also have concerns about God not understanding their silence in song. They were told, in the strictest confidence, of course, that a simple piece of aluminum foil is the answer."

多莉姑姑抓着我的手說：“當我在羅馬聖彼得教堂祈禱時，曾聽到旁邊座位上一個人講話。他也是個音盲，也擔心上帝聽不到他的歌聲。那裏的牧師悄悄告訴他，一小塊鋁箔就可以解決這個問題。”

"I don't understand."

“我不明白。”

"You mouth the words," she said. "Your silent words reflect off the foil. Angels capture the words and put them in special pouches they carry up to God."

“你在嘴裏默默地念出歌詞，它們會通過鋁箔反射，天使就能捕捉到這些聲音，把它們放到特製的袋子裏，然後送給上帝。”

As fantastic as it seemed, I could picture angels doing this. Absolute faith shone in Aunt Dolly's face. I knew she could see the angels too.

雖然聽起來有些玄妙，但我相信萬能的天使還是能夠做到這一點的。況且多莉姑姑表情嚴肅，她是不會欺騙我的。

"The result," she said, "is that God hears your beautiful voice, singing in his praise along with your classmates."

這樣上帝就能聽到你和同學們一起唱讚美詩的美妙聲音了。

"Where will I hide the foil?"

“那我把鋁箔藏在哪兒呢?”

"My hat!" said Aunt Dolly. "I'll hide it in my hat. I'll sit in the front row. As for Sister Kathleen and your parents? Not a single word to them."

“藏在我的帽子裏，”多莉姑姑說。“我會坐在演唱會的前排。不要對凱瑟琳嬤嬤和你的父母泄漏一個字。”

My entire family attended the pageant. I gave what Aunt Dolly called "an Oscar-winning performance." With my eyes firmly on her hat, the fact that none present could hear my voice didn't matter. My silent singing was for God's ears alone.

聖誕節那天，全家都去觀看我的表演。我緊緊盯着她的帽子，根本不去考慮在場的人能否聽到我的聲音，我沉默的歌聲是唱給上帝一個人聽的。演出非常成功，多莉姑姑誇我的表演具有“奧斯卡水準”。

Four years ago Aunt Dolly died at the age of 90. When the nieces and nephews gathered to reminisce about her, we discovered something many of us had in common. Her angelic hat.A stutterer made it through a dreaded speech by concentrating on the hat. The family klutz didn't knock anyone over during his high school commencement march because he kept his eyes glued to the hat. Even the most timid of us took part in school plays, spelling bees and talent shows because Aunt Dolly sat in the front row wearingher surefire faith that God's angels are here to help us overcome life's stumbling blocks enabled us kids to do things we thought were impossible.

4年前多莉姑姑去世了，享年90歲。葬禮結束後，我們晚輩聚在一起，追憶這位令人尊敬的姑媽。我們吃驚地發現，她的“天使帽子”曾幫過我們許多人。一個口吃的外甥盯着她的帽子，完成了自己首次登臺演講;一個膽小的侄女勇敢地參加學校戲劇演出，並在拼寫比賽和天才競賽中獲獎。就因爲多莉姑姑戴着帽子坐在前排，她讓我們相信天使就在我們身邊，幫我們完成了許多自以爲不可能完成的任務。

Even now at times, when my world is turned upside down, I think of Aunt Dolly and remember that my childhood beliefs still hold true. My family loves me. The sun will come up tomorrow. And for one unforgettable Christmas pageant, I had a wonderful voice. I guess just about anything is possible when angels are on our side.

即使到了現在，當我在生活中遇到挫折時，還會想起多莉姑姑和她的“天使帽子”。我童年時的信仰仍然沒有改變：我的家人都愛我;太陽每天早上都會升起;在那個難忘的聖誕節表演中，我擁有最美妙的聲音。她讓我們相信天使就在身邊，讓我們對自己充滿自信。