看完这篇文章，想起小时侯看《西游记》时，对于“孙悟空是从石头缝里蹦出来”的说法很好奇，心想着：他怎么会是从石头缝里蹦出来的呢？……对于人类的孕育、出生等秘密，天真无邪的孩子不免充满好奇。因为好奇，所以探寻；因为好奇，所以想象。稚气的童言让人忍俊不禁，会心微笑的同时，却也被孩子那颗纯真的心所触动。
She had followed me around all week, either 1)literally or with her eyes. Melissa was one of the brightest children in my first grade. She always watched and listened very carefully to my teaching, but this was different. I felt like she was trying to catch me doing something 2)secretive.
整整一个星期她都围着我转，不是步步跟随就是目光紧追。我教的一年级学生里，梅莉莎是最聪明的几个小孩之一。在我的课上，她总是认真听讲，仔细观察。但这次的情况却完全不同。我觉得她在极力窥伺，想在我做某件隐秘的事情时逮个正着。
I had enough problems of my own without worrying over Melissa's 3)atypical behavior. It was only early afternoon and already I felt really tired. And my lower back hurt. I guess I should expect that, I thought. After all, I am seven months pregnant.
由于我有很多烦事缠身，所以也没什么时间和精力来猜测梅莉莎反常举动的原因。一天，刚过正午，我就感觉到很累，而且我的腰也开始疼痛。但我认为，这种症状对我而言是正常的，毕竟我已经怀孕七个月了。
I was surprised that none of my pupils had asked me about my pregnancy. It was May now, and most of the children had reached the age of six. Many six-year-olds knew the signs. Someone in a friend’s first grade had asked his 4)portly 5)principal, “Are you pregnant” “and the poor man had been so shocked that he went 6)on a diet! But no one had asked me.
我很吃惊自己教的这些小学生里居然没有一个询问我关于怀孕的事情。此时已经是五月，多数小孩子都已经满六周岁了。很多六岁的小孩是知道这些迹象代表什么意思的。我一个朋友教的一年级的班上，就有一个小孩询问他那身材圆胖的校长:“您是不是怀孕了呢？” 这个可怜的男人感到十分震惊，于是立即去减肥。但却没有一个人问过我这个问题。
The bell rang. Good, it was 7)recess and soon I’d have a few minutes to put my feet up and rest. But what was Melissa doing” She didn’t leave the room with the others. She was at my “teacher 8)closet,”a very 9)sacred place. All the children knew they could never open the doors to this closet unless specifically requested to do so by me. The only 10)glimpse any of them ever got of the inside was when I asked someone to bring out the 11)scissors or the 12)crayons.
下课铃响了。谢天谢地，休息时间到了。我总算可以抬起我的双脚好好休息几分钟了。但是梅莉莎在做什么呢？她没有和其他小孩子一起离开教室。她站在我的教师专用橱柜前——这是一个很私人的地方。所有小孩都知道如果没得到我的特别允许，他们是不能打开橱柜的门的。只有当我叫某个人从橱柜里拿出剪刀和蜡笔的时候，他们才得以向里面投去一瞥。
But now Melissa was 13)rummaging around in my closet. She had opened the doors without permission and was actually moving things around, 14)albeit carefully, to see what was behind them. I couldn’t believe it! Not this child. This pupil never disobeyed the rules. What could be motivating such strange behavior”
但是现在梅莉莎却在我的橱柜里到处翻寻，似乎在找什么东西。她没有经过我的允许便打开了柜门，很小心地把里面的东西四处搬弄着，想看看后面藏着什么。我简直不敢相信这一切！这不是我心目中的梅莉莎会做的事情。这个孩子一向循规蹈矩。是什么驱使她做出这种奇怪的举动呢？
“Melissa,”I asked. “Why are you looking in my closet”?
“梅莉莎，” 我问道，“你在我的柜子里找什么呢？”
Melissa turned and looked at me. Tears started to run down her cheeks.
梅莉莎转过身来，看着我。泪水开始淌过她的双颊。
Tears of guilt, I thought at first. But I was wrong. No apology 15)ventured forth from the little girl’s mouth. Instead I heard a tiny, frustrated voice.
我一开始以为这是羞愧的泪水，但是我错了。这个小女孩的嘴里并没有冒出任何道歉之词。相反，我听到了一个微弱而沮丧的声音。
“Mrs. Peppler, where do you hide it” I heard my mother tell my father that you were 16)carrying a baby, and I watch you all the time, but I never see you carry it. I thought maybe you hid it in your closet.”
“佩普勒老师，您把它藏在哪儿了？我听见我妈妈对爸爸说，您正带着一个小婴儿。我一直都在注意您，但是却从来没有看见您带着它啊。我还猜想您可能是把它藏在您的橱柜里了呢。”
I stood, 17)dumbfounded, wondering if I should be the one to answer this child’s first question about 18)the birds and the bees. Melissa walked over to me, put her arms around my big 19)tummy, and looked up at me.
我目瞪口呆地站在原地，寻思着该不该回答这个小孩所提出的第一个关于性知识的问题。梅莉莎走到我跟前，举起双臂搂住我大大的肚子，抬头看着我。
“Where is it, Mrs. Peppler” Where’s the baby Am I close”
“它在哪儿？佩普勒老师。小婴儿在哪儿？我是不是已经靠近它了？”
