The Tantrum

佚名 / Anonymous

My mother was a vocal supporter of corporal punishment， but for all her talking she had never spanked my siblings， and me only once. Instead she found ways of punishment that left a more lasting memory than the short sting of a swat on our rumps. One of the most memorable of these occasions occurred when I was four.

In the early 70s’my mother attended college during the day while my sister was in school and I was in daycare. One day at daycare I watched an extremely tired mother attempt to pick up her daughter. The little girl asked， “Momma， are we going to McDonalds for dinner？” The mother replied， “Honey， not tonight. Momma has to run a few errands and then we have to go home and cook dinner for Daddy.” “But I want to go.” “Susie， I said not tonight. Maybe， if you are a good girl we can go tomorrow.” Susie immediately dropped to the floor， kicking and screaming， “I want to go to McDonalds.”

No amount of pleading or scolding her mother tried stopped Susie’s tantrum. Finally her mother gave in， “Okay， Susie， let’s go to McDonalds.” Susie stopped yelling and smiling， she grabbed her mother’s hand and they left. To say I was amazed would be inaccurate； I was delighted that anything I wanted could be had by throwing a tantrum.

That day my mother picked me up early from daycare because we were going to Sears & Roebuck to pay on a Christmas Layaway. I was excited by the lights and decorations， and as we walked through the toy section on the way to the Layaway Department， I saw a toy I had to have. It was a white and red telephone whose bells rang as it was pulled along on a string. Looking lovingly up at my mother I asked， “Mama， can I have that telephone？”

She replied， “Baby， not now， but if you are a good girl maybe Santa will bring it to you.” “But Mama， I want that telephone right now.” Her eyes narrowed and her hand tightened on mine. “Becky， you can’t have that telephone today， but if you misbehave you can have a spanking.”

By now we were standing in the long holiday line in the Layaway Department， and I figure it was now or never. I lay down on the ground and began screaming， “I want that telephone，” over and over again. Weary Christmas shoppers looked as my mother calmly said， “Becky， you had better get up by the count of three or else. One...Two...Three.”

Nothing. I was still in full tantrum. So then she lay down beside me on the floor， and began kicking and screaming， “I want a new car， I want a new house， I want some jewelry， I want...” Shocked， I stood up.

“Mama， stop. Mama get up，” I tearfully pleaded.

She stood， and brushed herself off. At first stunned， the others waiting in line began to sporadically clap， and before I knew it they were cheering and laughing and patting my mother on her back. She blushed and took a little bow and the next thirty minutes in line was pure misery for me as various parents leaving the Layaway Department， shaked their heads at me and said with a smile， “Your mom got you good. I bet you’ll never try that again.”

And I didn’t， because it left a lasting mental picture more effective than any physical mark.

母親常說她贊成體罰，雖然她嘴上這么說，但卻從不動手打我的兄弟姐妹，而我也僅挨過一次打。相反，跟打屁股所帶來的疼痛相比，她所用的一些懲罰方法總會給我們留下更深刻的印象。四歲時發生的那件事是我最難忘的事件之一。

那是70年代初，白天，姐姐去學校，我上托兒所，而媽媽就去大學里讀書。一天在托兒所里，我看到一位非常疲憊的媽媽來接她的女兒。小女孩問道：“媽媽，我們去吃麥當勞好嗎？”那位媽媽回答說：“寶貝，改天好嗎？媽媽還有很多事要做，我們還得趕緊回家給爸爸做飯呢。”“但我就是想去嘛。”“蘇茜，我說過了，今晚不去。如果你乖的話，媽媽明天就帶你去。”蘇茜馬上一屁股坐在地板上，蹬著腿叫著：“我就要去麥當勞。”

不論她媽媽怎么說，蘇茜都哭鬧不停。最后那位媽媽做出了妥協，說：“好吧，我們就去麥當勞吧。”蘇茜立刻不鬧了，并笑著拉著媽媽的手離開了。看到這一切，我不僅僅是驚訝，而且開心極了，心想，要得到想要的東西，只要發發脾氣就可以了。

我們那天要去西爾斯羅巴克商場取訂購的圣誕禮物，因此媽媽很早就來接我了。一路上看到的那些漂亮的燈和裝飾品讓我興奮不已，當我們穿過玩具區往訂購部走去時，我看中了一件玩具。那是一個紅白相間的電話機，一拉上面的繩子，就會有美妙的鈴聲響起。我抬頭很乖巧地看著媽媽，說：“媽媽，給我買那個電話機好嗎？”

媽媽回答說：“寶貝，現在不行。你要是乖的話，圣誕老人也許會送你一個的。”“但是媽媽，我現在就要。”她皺起了眉頭，緊緊地抓著我的手說：“貝基，今天不能給你買，你再不聽話，我就打你屁股了。”

人們在訂購部前排起了長隊，而我們當時已經站在隊列中了。我覺得現在正是機會，決不能錯過。于是我往地板上一躺開始不停地哭鬧：“我要電話機……”旁邊買東西的人全都看了過來，只見媽媽鎮定地說：“貝基，我數三下，你最好站起來。一……二……三。”

我沒有動，仍然哭鬧著。于是媽媽在我旁邊坐了下來，開始又踢又嚷：“我要新車，我要新房子，我要珠寶，我還要……”我嚇得馬上站了起來。

我哭著懇求道：“媽媽，不要這樣。媽媽，站起來好嗎？”

她站起身來并拍了拍衣服。人們先是一愣，接著陸陸續續地鼓起了掌。他們笑著，并拍拍媽媽的背以示喝彩，而我卻還沒明白是怎么回事。媽媽紅著臉，向大家鞠躬致謝。接下來的三十多分鐘，對我來說簡直是煎熬。人們離開時，都對我搖搖頭并笑著說：“你媽媽這么做都是為你好。我敢肯定你今后不會再這樣了。”

我真的沒有再那樣做過。因為它在我心底留下了永久的烙印，比身體上的疤痕更深刻。

記憶填空

1. In the early 70s’my attended college during the day my sister was in school and I was in daycare. day at daycare I watched an extremely tired mother attempt pick up her daughter.

2. Susie stopped yelling and smiling she grabbed her mother’s and they left. say I was amazed would be inaccurate； I was delighted that I wanted could be had by throwing a tantrum.

3. By now we were in the long holiday line in the Layaway Department， and I figure it was now or .

佳句翻譯

1. 相反，跟打屁股所帶來的疼痛相比，她所用的一些懲罰方法總會給我們留下更深刻的印象。

2. 我覺得現在正是機會，決不能錯過。

3. 因為它在我心底留下了永久的烙印，比身體上的疤痕更深刻。

短語應用

1. Momma has to run a few errands and then we have to go home and cook dinner for Daddy.

run errands：辦差事；跑腿

2. Finally her mother gave in，“Okay， Susie， let’s go to McDonalds.”

give in：屈服；讓步；交上