童年的領悟

LESSONS OF CHILDHOOD

When I was four, I was still on an old bike with training wheels. Of course, I wanted a new bike. My parents said, “Son, when you can ride a bike without training wheels, we’ll buy you a new bike.”

Last week while on vacation, I was spending the day at the pool in my backyard. My 3-year-old son Skylar was able to swim short distances. He felt most comfortable near the edge of the pool.

 I noticed Skylar many times hanging on the edge and throwing himself underwater only to come up quickly to catch his breath. He was testing his limits. One day, without worry, I was keeping an eye on Skylar while he continued his plunge, releasing the wall, resurfacing and grabbing the wall. Suddenly, he burst up through the water with enough energy to catch my attention. He exclaimed, “Daddy! I touched the bottom all by myself!”

 Of course I praised him for his accomplishment, thinking of how far he had come lately with his confidence and ability in the water. Then, I realized. This boy had a goal! He was excited because he had accomplished a goal!

 His acts reminded me of my childhood. My parents worried that I would fall from a bike without training wheels, so they refused my demand. But life is all about pain and pleasure no matter how young or how old we are. Either we experience enough pain to stop what we are doing or we experience enough pleasure to continue. Pain, however, can stop us from taking risks. Trying the unknown can be painful, so why should we try that? Toddlers don’t have that choice. They must continue to try the unknown or they will forever remain in that state. Why should we, as adults, stop our growth by not trying the unknown?

【助讀詞匯】

◇plunge v.& n. (縱身)投入(水)；猛沖；猛跌，驟降

◇release vt. 解放，釋放；松開，解開

◇toddler  n. 蹣跚學步的兒童

【參考譯文】

童年的領悟

4歲的時候，我還在騎帶著助跑輪子的自行車。我當然想要一輛新自行車。但是爸媽說：“兒子，當你會騎沒有助跑輪子的自行車時，我們就給你買一輛新的。”

上周放假的時候，我待在后院的游泳池邊。我三歲大的兒子斯卡拉已經能游一點點遠了。他覺得挨著泳池邊緣最踏實。

我發現斯卡拉一次又一次攀在邊緣的墻上然后一頭扎進水里，又迅速地冒上來換氣。他正在測試自己的極限。一天，我看著他不停地放開墻，扎到水里，然后重新冒出來又抓穩墻，一點都不擔心。突然，他猛得從水里沖出來，引起了我的注意。他喊道：“爸爸，我能摸到池底了。”

當然我為此表揚了他，想著最近他游泳越來越有長進，越來越有自信。我突然明白了，他給自己立了個目標呢。他興奮不已那是因為他達到了自己的目標。

他的行為讓我想起了我的童年。爸媽害怕我會從沒有助跑輪子的自行車上摔下來，所以沒答應我的要求。但是，人生就是痛苦和愉快的綜合，不管你太小還是上了年紀。有時候痛苦太多，所以我們停下來，有時候快感不斷，所以我們繼續。痛苦讓我們停止冒險。嘗試未知的事物可能會帶來痛苦，那么我們為什么還要嘗試呢？蹣跚學步的小孩沒有選擇。他們必須不斷嘗試新的事物，否則只能永遠保持原狀。作為成年人，我們為什么不嘗試新事物，不再成長了呢？

【人生啟迪】

仔細觀察孩子，我們總能在他們身上發現值得學習的地方。小時候我們學習走路摔了許多跤，但是懵懂的我們哭完鼻子后繼續練習，直到能自己獨立行走。但是長大成人的我們摔了一跤，碰到一點小挫折，就不愿再嘗試了。要成長，要成功，就得付出疼痛的代價。這是我們幼時不知不覺中踐行而長大后卻忘記了的真理。