My Daughter’s Tap Shoes 女儿的踢踏鞋

很多时候，不用在意别人的眼光，因为只有自己知道一路走来的艰辛。尽情去享受你的努力创造的奇迹吧！别管别人怎么说。

By Pauline Fraser
王蕴翎 选 安静 译
难度等级：medium

We ducked into the dimly lit thrift shop to get out of the rain. Like so many things since our daughter’s birth, I hadn’t planned on a trip to this place. But I figured we’d see what they had since we were there.
为了避雨，我们躲进了灯光昏暗的旧货商店。我从未想过来逛这个旧货商店，正如女儿出生后发生的许多意料之外的事情一样。不过我想，既然我们在这儿了，就看看有什么可买的。
“Hi, today is stuff a bag day. Would you like one?” The clerk asked.
“嗨，今天是‘塞满袋日’。您要不要来一袋？”店员问道。
“What is stuff a bag day?”
“什么是‘塞满袋日’？”
“You take a bag and stuff it with what ever you want and it’s only $3. Best deal in town.”
“拿一个袋子，想装什么就装什么，塞满为止，只要3美元。全镇最划算的买卖。”
“Okay, sounds great,” I said, despite the fact I hadn’t planned on buying anything.
“好吧，听着不错，” 我说，虽然我并没打算买什么。
I took my six-year-old daughter’s hand and we started to wander around. Suddenly there was a tug on my hand and my attention was being directed to the shoe section. She shares my weakness for shoes, so we stopped for a minute to look . I let go of her hand and she reached out to touch a pair of shiny black shoes with a strap and silver buckle.
我牵着六岁女儿的手，开始四处看。女儿突然拉了拉我的手，把我的注意力转到了鞋区。女儿跟我一样，喜欢鞋子，所以我们停下来看了一会儿。我松开她的手，她伸手去够一双银搭扣的光面黑鞋。
“Buy me?” She inquired.
“买给我？”她问道。
“Oh, Sweetie, they are tap shoes. You aren’t taking tap.”
“哦，宝贝，这是踢踏舞鞋。你现在没有学踢踏舞啊。”
“Buy me?” She repeated.
“买给我？”她又说了一遍。
“Well, let’s try them on.”
“好吧，我们来穿上试试吧。”
She sat on the floor and removed her bright pink rain boots, with Barbie on the sides, and easily slid the new shoes on. A perfect fit. When she stood up she heard “click.” She took a step. Click, Click. Slowly recognition dawned , as she made the connection between the shoes and her moving feet. Click, Click, Click.
她坐在地板上，脱下了两侧有芭比图案的亮粉色雨靴，轻而易举地穿上了新鞋。十分合脚！她站起来时，听见了“咔嗒”声。她走了一步。咔嗒、咔嗒。她慢慢地意识到脚一动就能听见鞋子的声音。咔嗒、咔嗒、咔嗒。
“Buy me?” With a hopeful look in her eyes.
“买给我吗？”她的眼里闪着希望。
“Okay Sweetie, take them off and put them in the bag.”
“好吧，宝贝，把鞋子脱了放进袋里。”
We looked around some more and got a few T-shirts, pants, books and games and a naked baby doll. Well, it’s stuff a bag day—might as well get my money’s worth, I said to myself. The sun had come back out as we emerged from our little side trip and we continued on our way. As we were near the car, Amara reached for the bag. As she climbed into the back seat, I gave her the bag wondering what treasure she was looking for. The shoes, of course. She was my daughter after all.
我们接着又逛了一会儿，买了T恤、裤子、书、游戏用具，还有一个光着身子的婴儿娃娃。不管怎么说，今天是塞满袋日，就不如钱尽其用，我对自己说。经历了这次意外之旅，从店里出来时，天已经转晴了，我们继续赶路。走到车跟前的时候，阿玛拉伸手去那个购物袋。她爬到后座上时，我把袋子给了她，纳闷她要找什么宝贝呢。当然是鞋子了，毕竟她是我的女儿！
“My wear.”
“我穿。”
It’s not a question, so I took the tag off and helped her with the buckle. Our next stop was the grocery store and these shoes were made to make noise, especially on my little girl’s feet. This could be interesting... Click, Click, Click—people turned to look as we entered the store. Click, Click, Click. I can feel the disapproving stares of the proper people. People who would never allow their daughter to wear tap shoes to the grocery store. I held my head up with pride. The click, click, click is music to my ears.
这不是问题，所以我把商标拆了，帮她把搭扣弄好。下一站是杂货店。这双鞋本身就是用来作响的，尤其在我女儿的脚上。可能会挺有意思……咔嗒、咔嗒、咔嗒——进杂货店的时候，人们转过头看我们。咔嗒、咔嗒、咔嗒。我能感觉到一些人不赞同的目光，那些永远不让女儿穿踢踏鞋进杂货店的人。我高抬着头，满脸自豪。这咔嗒、咔嗒、咔嗒声在我听起来就是美妙的音乐。
“Excuse me. Is your daughter in tap this year?”
“打扰一下。你女儿今年上踢踏舞课吗？”
“No.” I replied.
“没上。”我回答。
“Well why on earth would you allow her to wear tap shoes, here, of all places? They make such a noise.”
“那你究竟为什么让你女儿穿踢踏鞋来这儿，哪儿也不去，偏偏挑这儿？这鞋太吵了！”
“Yes, isn’t it wonderful?”
“是啊，不是很美妙吗？”
“Wonderful? My dear, this is not the place to wear those shoes.”
“美妙？天啦，这儿可不是穿这种鞋的地方。”
“Oh, I think this is the perfect place to wear them. You see she asked for them.”
“哦，我觉得这儿穿最合适了，是她自己要穿的。”
“Just because she asked for them, doesn’t mean you have to get them for her.”
“就因为她自己要穿，不代表你就得给她穿。”
“You don’t understand,” I said.
“你不知道，”我说。
“When she was a baby, we were told she would never walk or talk. It has taken a lot of hard work and patience but she asked for the shoes and the click, click, click says that she can walk.”
“她很小的时候，医生告诉我们她永远都不会走路或者说话。我们花了很多心血和耐心。她自己要的这双鞋，而咔嗒、咔嗒、咔嗒声也说明了她能走路。”
My daughter, who is always on the move, is 18 now and will graduate from grade 12 in June. It has not always been easy, but it has all been worthwhile. She has taught me that it doesn’t matter what others think. They don’t walk in your shoes. And just like the ladies in the purple hats, sometimes you simply have to wear tap shoes to the grocery store—if for nothing else, just the sheer joy of hearing the click, click, click.
我的女儿，一直在进步，她现在已经18岁，六月就要高中毕业。虽然一直很不容易，但是一切都很值得。她教会了我不要在意别人怎么想。他们又不是穿着你的鞋子走路。就像那些戴紫色帽子的女士们，有时候你得穿着踢踏鞋进杂货店——不为别的，就为享受那咔嗒、咔嗒、咔嗒的声音。

. thrift shop: （常为慈善机构募捐而出售旧物品，尤指旧衣服的） 廉价旧货店。
. weakness: 嗜好、爱好。
. dawn: 开始出现。