我爲什麼不再和婆婆爭來爭去了?
I had always dreamed that my future mother-in-law would be like the one Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City had for a while when she dated fiction writer Vaughn Wysel. They adored one another. This is what I wanted: a woman who'd only had sons and who would drop the 'in-law' and see me simply as a daughter. Who'd take me under her wing and love me and be super excited her son was with a girl like me. Who would tell him how lucky he was; who would be proud of my achievements. Who'd tell me I look gorgeous when I'm all done up and ready to go out.
我想象中的婆婆是《慾望都市》中與小說家沃恩·維塞約會時的凱莉·布拉德肖的形象。他們彼此喜歡。這也是我想要的：一位只有兒子的女性，願意把我當作親生女兒而非媳婦的女性。願意保護我、愛我，會因爲兒子和我在一起而興奮不已的女性。她會爲兒子感到幸運，爲我的成就感到自豪，當我收拾妥當準備外出時，她會毫不保留的誇讚。
Instead, I got my mother-in-law. A traditional woman born in a small village in 1950s Spain, who grew up in a time of poverty and persecution, has a tendency toward negativity, who doesn't put up Christmas decorations. She once asked me if I was going to get braces as we sat down to lunch, and another day, she gave me advice on shaving in the shower.
事與願違，我的婆婆是一位傳統女性，她於20世紀50年代出生在西班牙的一個小村莊。她在貧困和迫害的環境中長大，對事情持消極態度，也不會在聖誕來臨之際，給家中裝飾。有一次，她在午餐桌上問我要不要矯正牙齒；還有一次，她建議我在洗澡時刮毛。I am a Londoner who looks for a celebration in every small accomplishment and loves to travel, eat out, and glug wine. For a long time, I couldn't get past our differences. Nor could I forgive her for not openly adoring and loving me, and for clearly loving her son more. She thought he was the best ever, that I was the one who was so lucky to be with him.
我是個倫敦人，希望每一次小有成就時都能慶祝；我愛旅行、愛出去吃、愛喝酒。很長一段時間，我們無法達成一致，我也無法原諒她沒有公開對我表達愛意，因爲很顯然，她更愛她的兒子。她認爲她的兒子是最棒的，認爲能和他在一起是我的幸運。
When we first met, we had little in common apart from her son. But years, a marriage and a daughter later, we share two of the people we love most dearly in the world. We share moments and make memories together.
第一次和婆婆見面時，我們鮮有共同點，除了都喜歡她兒子。但結婚多年有了女兒後，我們有了兩個在世間最深愛的人。我們會分享在一起的時光、共同製造回憶。
It's taken becoming a mother for me to understand why she adores her sons more than she could ever dote on a daughter-in-law. As a stay-at-home mother, they are the fruits of her life's work. They are the products of her hours - years - of hard work, dedication, and love. And of course, they are hers her darlings.
當了媽媽後，我開始理解爲什麼她那麼愛她的兒子，但對我卻沒有那麼喜歡。她是一名全職母親，孩子就是她的全部。孩子是她多年來辛苦培養、奉獻和愛的結果。他們當然是她的摯愛。
