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在20世纪30年代,罗蒂姑姑打破了"老姑娘"的模式,给一个小姑娘的童年增添了活力。 When I was growing up in the 1930s, it seemed that almost every family had an unmarried aunt--one who always wore sensible shoes, aprons and a hair net. 在我成长的20世纪30年代,每个家庭几乎都有一个没有出嫁的姑或姨,她们总是穿着实用的鞋子,系着一条围裙,戴着一个发网。 [2] There seemed to be an unwritten rule that all unmarried women had to pull their hair back, twist it into a bun and secure it with a tortoiseshell comb. 对于所有没有出嫁的女人来说,似乎存在着一条不成文的规则:她们一律得把头发朝后梳,盘成一个圆髻,上面再插上一把玳瑁梳。 [3] These long-suffering martyrs often lived with a relative, helped with the housework and read stories to the children. They had a room of their own but not a life of their own. 这些长期受苦的殉难者常常与一个近亲住在一起,帮那家干家务活,给孩子们朗读故事。她们有属于自己的一个房间,却没有属于自己的生活。 [4] We also had a maiden aunt in our family--Aunt Rhodie. But she was different. She didn't help around the house--she took us to museums. Instead of reading us Grimm's Fairy Tales, she read tea leaves. 我们家也有一个没有出嫁的姑姑,名叫罗蒂。但她与众不同。她不帮家里干家务,而是带我们去博物馆。她看杯中剩余的茶叶渣来占卜命运,而不是给我们朗读《格林童话故事》。 
罗蒂姑姑的父母是爱尔兰移民,定居在康涅狄格州。她的四个兄弟总是毫不留情地取笑她,但是事实证明她远远超过他们。 [6] When Aunt Rhodie was 20, she became engaged to her childhood sweetheart. Shortly after, she was stricken with an incurable illness and sent to a sanitarium. She released her fiance from his proposal and returned the engagement ring. 罗蒂姑姑20岁的时候,与青梅竹马的恋人订了婚。之后不久,她得了"不治之症",被送到一家隔离病院。她将订婚戒指退还给了未婚夫,与他解除了婚约。 Rough Times Ahead? 艰难的岁月在等待着她? [7] After 2 years, she learned that her illness had been misdiagnosed and returned home. Reconciled to a life of spinsterhood, she enrolled in school and earned a degree in business. 两年后她得知她的病是被误诊了,便回了家。认命于独身生活,她去上学了,而且获得了商学学位。 [8] Aunt Rhodie began a career in accounting and landed a position with a large hotel chain. She was met by the other accountants with restrained hostility, but she ignored them. Eventually the staff overlooked the fact that a female had invaded their inner circle. 罗蒂姑姑开始从事会计工作,在一家大型连锁饭店中谋到了一个职位。在那里,她遇到了其他一些会计人员,他们对她怀有克制着的敌意,但是她不去理会他们。结果,全体工作人员对于一位女性侵入到他们圈内的事实也就不闻不问了。 
坚强的决心与雄心壮志激励了她,使她在男性占统治地位的领域中获得了成功。她的职务还给她提供了旅行的机会。 Made Parents Proud 使父母为她骄傲 [10] This increased freedom caused her strict old-world parents to pray for her safety, but they couldn't conceal their pride in their independent daughter. 这种自由程度的增长,使她那严格守旧的父母常常为她的安全而祈祷,但是他们掩饰不了为独立自主的女儿所感到的骄傲。 [11] As the years passed, Aunt Rhodie's flaming red hair became a honey blond. Her willowy figure showed off her glamorous clothes. 日月流逝,罗蒂姑姑那满头发亮的红头发变成了蜂蜜般的淡黄色。她那婀娜多姿的体态使她华美的衣裳变得更加光彩夺目。 [12] Aunt Rhodie never married. She filled the void of not having children with her many nieces and nephews. She never forgot a birthday, and her cards always contained a generous gift. 罗蒂姑姑一直没有结婚。她有众多的侄儿侄女来填补她没有儿女的空隙。她从不忘记每个孩子的生日,而她赠送的生日卡片总是伴随着一件慷慨的礼物。 
她时不时地要给我及我的姐妹们(多萝西、琼和安)寄来一件令人惊喜的包裹。其中有已经用掉了一部分的花露水、唇膏、香粉、围巾和服装上的首饰。 [14] But the greatest thrill of all was the arrival of the box. Every year before Christmas, Aunt Rhodie sent a huge parcel containing our Christmas presents. 但是,最激动人心的是"邮盒"的到来。每年圣诞节前,罗蒂姑姑都要寄来一个特大的包裹,其中装有给我们的圣诞礼物。 [15] As we got older, the dolls and toys were replaced by clothes and accessories. One thing was always included, however--a box of ribbon candy. It was Aunt Rhodie's signature. 随着我们一天天长大,娃娃和其他玩具便被衣裳和配饰取代了。然而有一样东西是总也少不了的,那就是一盒绞丝糖,它是罗蒂姑姑的标志。 [16] In an age when "a woman's place was in the home", Aunt Rhodie had a career. When a single woman over 30 was considered an "old maid, Aunt Rhodie led a successful, independent life. I remember her fondly and realize now the courage it must have taken for her to travel that road. " 在那"女人的位置在家庭中"的年月里,罗蒂姑姑却有着她不平常的工作经历。当年过30岁的单身女子被人看作"老姑娘"时,罗蒂姑姑却过着她那成功的、独立自主的生活。我回想起她时总是满怀喜爱,现在还认识到,她肯定需要莫大的勇气去走她所走的那条道路。
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