What Is a Father?

Hirofan

A father is a person who is forced to suffer childbirth without an anesthetic1. He complains when he feels good, and laughs very loud when he is scared half-to-death. A father never feels entirely worthy of the worship2 in a child’s eyes. He is never quite the hero his daughter thinks. Never quite the man his son believes him to be, and this worries him sometimes. So he works very hard to try to flatten the rough places in the roads of those who will follow him. A father is a person who goes to war sometimes, if that war is part of an important job in his life which is making the world better for his child than it has been for him. Fathers grow older faster, because they, in other wars, have to stand at the train station and wave goodbye to their uniformed children who climb onboard, and, while mothers cry, fathers stand and smile ... outside ... and weep inside. Fathers are men who give daughters away to other men who are not nearly good enough, so that they can have children that are smarter than anybody’s. Fathers fight dragons almost daily. They hurry away from the breakfast table off to the office or a workshop. There they deal with the dragon with three heads: Tiredness, Work, and Boredom. They never quite win the fight, but they never give up. Knights3 in shining armor4; fathers in shiny trousers. There is little difference as they march away each workday.

Notes:

1. anesthetic n.麻醉剂

2. worship n.崇拜

3. knight n.(欧洲中世纪的)骑士

4. armor n.盔甲



赏析与理解

在孩子的眼中,父亲是严肃的、严格的,甚至是严厉的。然而,别忘了,父亲其实也是个爱心浓浓的人。在面对来自社会和生活的各种压力的时候,外表坚强的父亲也需要我们的关怀。学会去爱和体谅有点沉默寡言却勇挑重担的父亲吧！

这篇短文写的非常深情,感人肺腑,塑造了平凡而伟岸的父亲形象,值得我们细细品读。下面就请你安静地感受父亲那至纯至深的爱吧。

译文对照

何为父亲？

父亲也被迫承受分娩之苦,却没有麻醉剂可注射。他假意抱怨,却掩藏不住内心得意；他哈哈大笑只为掩饰内心恐惧。父亲总觉得自己做得不够好,不值得孩子百分之百地崇拜。他总是担心自己不是女儿心目中的英雄,或儿子眼中的男子汉。因此,他竭尽全力为后辈铲平前进的道路。

假如战争是他生命中的一项重要使命,父亲会扛枪走上战场。而这个重要使命就是为孩子创造一个比自己生活的世界更美好的家园。父亲总是衰老得很快,因为他们还会经历其他战争。他们在站台上向身着军装的孩子们挥手道别。孩子们即将登上离去的列车,母亲因为与孩子们离别而纵情泪下,而父亲却面带微笑站立着——当然这只是表面,他们的内心也在哭泣。

父亲把女儿嫁给不太称心如意的小伙子,为的是能让他们生个无比聪明的宝贝。

父亲几乎每天都在和"蛟龙"搏斗。他们匆匆咽下饭菜就向办公室或者车间奔去。在那里他们要对付三头之龙:疲倦、工作和无聊。尽管他们从来都没有彻底打赢过,但是他们永不言弃。

骑士的盔甲熠熠生辉,父亲的工服磨得锃亮。当父亲每天工作时,他们看起来和骑士一样英武、勇敢。

恋父的男孩

是的着就是我心目中的爸爸……

Hui.

不知说什么...