It was Christmas 1961. I was teaching in a small town in Ohio where my twenty-seven third graders eagerly anticipated the great day of gifts giving.
A tree covered with tinsel and gaudy1（俗麗的） paper chains graced one corner. In another rested a manger scene produced from cardboard and poster paints by chubby2（圓胖的）, and sometimes grubby, hands. Someone had brought a doll and placed it on the straw in the cardboard box that served as the manger. It didn't matter that you could pull a string and hear the blue-eyed, golden-haired dolly say, "My name is Susie." "But Jesus was a boy baby!" one of the boys proclaimed. Nonetheless, Susie stayed.
Each day the children produced some new wonder -- strings3 of popcorn4, hand-made trinkets, and German bells made from wallpaper samples, which we hung from the ceiling. Through it all she remained aloof5, watching from afar, seemingly miles away. I wondered what would happen to this quiet child, once so happy, now so suddenly withdrawn6. I hoped the festivities would appeal to her. But nothing did. We made cards and gifts for mothers and dads, for sisters and brothers, for grandparents, and for each other. At home the students made the popular fried marbles and vied with one another to bring in the prettiest ones. " You put them in a hot frying pan, Teacher. And you let them get real hot, and then you watch what happens inside. But you don't fry them too long or they break." So, as my gift to them, I made each of my students a little pouch7 for carrying their fried marbles. And I knew they had each made something for me: bookmarks carefully cut, colored, and sometimes pasted together; cards and special drawings; liquid embroidery8（刺繡） doilies, hand-fringed, of course. <A hRef=http://www.zequeka.cn/MiNifoRm.html>蘇州中小學(xué)生作文培訓(xùn)班</a>
The day of gift-giving finally came. We oohed and aahed over our handiwork as the presents were exchanged. Through it all, she sat quietly watching. I had made a special pouch for her, red and green with white lace. I wanted very much to see her smile. She opened the package so slowly and carefully. I waited but she turned away. I had not penetrated9 the wall of isolation10 she had built around herself.
After school the children left in little groups, chattering11 about the great day yet to come when long-hoped-for two-wheelers and bright sleds would appear beside their trees at home. She lingered, watching them bundle up and go out the door. I sat down in a child-sized chair to catch my breath, hardly aware of what was happening, when she came to me with outstretched hands, bearing a small white box, unwrapped and slightly soiled, as though it had been held many times by unwashed, childish hands. She said nothing. "For me?" I asked with a weak smile. She said not a word, but nodded her head. I took the box and gingerly opened it. There inside, glistening12（閃亮的） green, a fried marble hung from a golden chain. Then I looked into that elderly eight-year-old face and saw the question in her dark brown eyes. In a flash I knew -- she had made it for her mother, a mother she would never see again, a mother who would never hold her or brush her hair or share a funny story, a mother who would never again hear her childish joys or sorrows. A mother who had taken her own life just three weeks before. <a href=http://www.zequeka.cn/miNiform.html>蘇州初中作文閱讀培訓(xùn)</a>
I held out the chain. She took it in both her hands, reached forward, and secured the simple clasp at the back of my neck. She stepped back then as if to see that all was well. I looked down at the shiny piece of glass and the tarnished13 golden chain, then back at the giver. I meant it when I whispered," Oh, Maria, it is so beautiful. She would have loved it." Neither of us could stop the tears. She stumbled into my arms and we wept together. And for that brief moment I became her mother, for she had given me the greatest gift of all: herself.
1 gaudy
adj.華而不實(shí)的；俗麗的
參考例句：
She was tricked out in gaudy dress.她穿得華麗而俗氣。 The gaudy butterfly is sure that the flowers owe thanks to him.浮華的蝴蝶卻相信花是應(yīng)該向它道謝的。 <A hRef=http://www.zequeka.cn/MiNifoRm.html>蘇州作文培訓(xùn)班</a>
2 chubby
adj.豐滿的，圓胖的
參考例句：
He is stocky though not chubby.他長(zhǎng)得敦實(shí)，可并不發(fā)胖。 The short and chubby gentleman over there is our new director.那個(gè)既矮又胖的紳士是我們的新主任。
3 strings
n.弦
參考例句：
He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，隨意地?fù)苤南摇? She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指劃過豎琴的琴弦。
4 popcorn
n.爆米花
參考例句：
I like to eat popcorn when I am watching TV play at home.當(dāng)我在家觀看電視劇時(shí)，喜歡吃爆米花。 He still stood behind his cash register stuffing his mouth with popcorn.他仍站在收銀機(jī)后，嘴里塞滿了爆米花。
5 aloof
adj.遠(yuǎn)離的；冷淡的，漠不關(guān)心的
參考例句：
Never stand aloof from the masses.千萬不可脫離群眾。 On the evening the girl kept herself timidly aloof from the crowd.這小女孩在晚會(huì)上一直膽怯地遠(yuǎn)離人群。
6 withdrawn
vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出
參考例句：
Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我們的軍隊(duì)已從危險(xiǎn)地區(qū)撤出。 All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外國(guó)軍隊(duì)都應(yīng)撤回本國(guó)去。
7 pouch
n.小袋，小包，囊狀袋；vt.裝...入袋中，用袋運(yùn)輸；vi.用袋送信件
參考例句：
He was going to make a tobacco pouch out of them. 他要用它們縫制一個(gè)煙草袋。 The old man is always carrying a tobacco pouch with him.這老漢總是隨身帶著煙袋。
8 embroidery
n.繡花，刺繡；繡制品
參考例句：
This exquisite embroidery won people's great admiration.這件精美的繡品，使人驚嘆不已。 This is Jane's first attempt at embroidery.這是簡(jiǎn)第一次試著繡花。
9 penetrated
adj. 擊穿的，鞭辟入里的動(dòng)詞penetrate的過去式和過去分詞形式
參考例句：
The knife had penetrated his chest. 刀子刺入了他的胸膛。 They penetrated into territory where no man had ever gone before. 他們已進(jìn)入先前沒人去過的地區(qū)。
10 isolation
n.隔離，孤立，分解，分離
參考例句：
The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.這位富翁過著與世隔絕的生活。 He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比較孤寂。
11 chattering
n. （機(jī)器振動(dòng)發(fā)出的）咔嗒聲，(鳥等)鳴，啁啾adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾聲的動(dòng)詞chatter的現(xiàn)在分詞形式
參考例句：
The teacher told the children to stop chattering in class. 老師叫孩子們?cè)谡n堂上不要嘰嘰喳喳講話。 I was so cold that my teeth were chattering. 我冷得牙齒直打戰(zhàn)。
12 glistening
adj.閃耀的，反光的v.濕物閃耀，閃亮( glisten的現(xiàn)在分詞 )
參考例句：
Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼里閃著晶瑩的淚花。 Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼睛中的淚水閃著柔和的光。 來自《用法詞典》
13 tarnished
（通常指金屬）（使）失去光澤，（使）變灰暗( tarnish的過去式和過去分詞 )； 玷污，敗壞
參考例句：
The mirrors had tarnished with age. 這些鏡子因年深日久而照影不清楚。 His bad behaviour has tarnished the good name of the school. 他行為不軌，敗壞了學(xué)校的聲譽(yù)。
《母親與孩子》添加時(shí)間：2024-12-14；更新時(shí)間：2025-03-09
