【正文】 然后是切從他喜歡的面包店里買(mǎi)來(lái)的巧克力蛋糕當(dāng)然還唱了“生日歌”否則宴會(huì)就不算完整了。 My friends—people Jimmy had e to know over the years—brought the ideal presents: country music CDs, a sweatshirt, one leather belt with JIMMY on it, a knitted wool hat and a cowboy costume. 我的朋友──吉米認(rèn)識(shí)他們多年了──帶來(lái)了中意的禮物鄉(xiāng)村音樂(lè)CD、一件長(zhǎng)袖運(yùn)動(dòng)衫、一條有“吉米”字樣的皮帶、一頂編織的羊毛帽還有一套牛仔服。 I called on my faithful friends to help make it a merry and festive occasion, ignoring the fact that most of them were emotionally drained and exhausted. 我邀請(qǐng)了我的好友請(qǐng)他們來(lái)幫忙把宴會(huì)弄得熱鬧些增加點(diǎn)歡快氣氛沒(méi)去理會(huì)他們多數(shù)人在情感上都有些疲憊這一事實(shí)。那天是吉米57歲生日。s 57th birthday. 這一點(diǎn)在9 In fact, caring for someone who loves as deeply and appreciates my efforts as much as Jimmy does has enriched my life more than anything else ever could have. 事實(shí)上關(guān)照像吉米這樣一個(gè)深?lèi)?ài)又感激我的人更加豐富了我的生活其他任何東西都不能與之相比。 When you have any mail to be picked up or your dog needs walking, he is your man. 如果你有郵件要收或有狗要遛他就是你所要的人。 He has lived there for 11 years now with many different caretakers and blossomed on his own. 如今他在那里生活了11年在許多人的照料下同時(shí)依靠自己生活得有聲有色。我答應(yīng)把他送回去。 Still, Jimmy longed to live in my parents39。t adjust to going to work without my father right away, so he came and lived with me in New York City for a while. 吉米不能馬上適應(yīng)去上班時(shí)沒(méi)有父親陪著因此搬來(lái)紐約和我一起住了一段時(shí)間。” Our tears began to flow. 接著我倆都流下了眼淚My mother died of lung cancer six months later and I alone was left to look after Jimmy. 六個(gè)月后母親因肺癌去世剩下我一人來(lái)照顧吉米。 One day I asked, You miss Dad, don39。d known was gone. 我雇了一個(gè)人和他住在一起開(kāi)車(chē)送他去上班。 Usually very agreeable, he now quit speaking altogether and no amount of words could penetrate the vacant expression he wore on his face. 通常他是一個(gè)令人愉快的人現(xiàn)在卻一言不發(fā)無(wú)論說(shuō)多少話(huà)都不能透過(guò)他木然的臉部表情了解他的心事。So when my father died of a heart attack in 1991, Jimmy was a wreck, beneath his careful disguise.所以父親1991年因心臟病去世時(shí)吉米幾乎崩潰了盡管他盡量不表現(xiàn)出來(lái)。 At night after dinner, they would talk and play games late into the evening. 晚飯后他們一道交談玩游戲直到深夜。My father and Jimmy were inseparable. 父親和吉米形影不離。 My father, a saint, simply held the house together with his patience and understanding. 我父親宅心仁厚他的耐心和理解使一家人心貼著心。t go anywhere without him, so I urged the neighborhood kids to e to my house for some outofcontrol kidcentered fun. 不帶上他我是哪里也去不了的。 Acpanying my growing up was always go out and play and take your brother with you. 伴隨我成長(zhǎng)的是“到外面去玩把你哥哥也帶上。 Since then, my life revolved around my brother39。Love without limitationsMy brother, Jimmy, did not get enough oxygen during a difficult delivery, leaving him with brain damage, and two years later I was born. 我哥哥吉米出生時(shí)遇上難產(chǎn)因?yàn)槿毖鯇?dǎo)致大腦受損。兩年后我出生了。s. 從此以后我的生活便圍繞我哥哥轉(zhuǎn)?！?I couldn39。因此我慫恿鄰居的孩子到我家來(lái)盡情地玩孩子們玩的游戲My mother taught Jimmy practical things like how to brush his teeth or put on a belt. 我母親教吉米學(xué)習(xí)日常自理比如刷牙或系皮帶什么的。 I was in charge outside where I administered justice by tracking down the parents of the kids who picked on my brother, and telling on them. 我則負(fù)責(zé)外面的事找到那些欺負(fù)我哥哥的孩子們的父母告他們的狀為我哥哥討回公道。 They ate breakfast together and on weekdays drove off to the navy shipping center every morning where they both worked—Jimmy unloaded colorcoded boxes. 他們一道吃早飯平時(shí)每天早上一道開(kāi)車(chē)去海軍航運(yùn)中心他們都在那里工作吉米在那搬卸標(biāo)有彩色代號(hào)的箱子。 They even whistled the same tunes. 他們甚至用口哨吹相同的曲調(diào)。 He was simply in disbelief. 他就是不能相信父親去世這一事實(shí)。 I hired someone to live with him and drive him to work, but no matter how much I tried to make things stay the same, even Jimmy grasped that the world he39。然而不管我怎么努力地維持原狀吉米還是認(rèn)為他熟悉的世界已經(jīng)消失了。t you? 有一天我問(wèn)他“你是不是想念爸爸” His lips quivered and then he asked, What do you think, Margaret? He was my best friend. 他的嘴唇顫抖了幾下然后問(wèn)我?！澳阍趺纯椽敻覃愄鬲に俏易詈玫呐笥?。 He didn39。 He went wherever I went and seemed to adjust pretty well. 我走到哪里他就跟到哪里他好像適應(yīng)得很好。 house and work at his old job and I pledged to help him return. 但吉米依然想住在我父母的房子里繼續(xù)干他原來(lái)的工作。 Eventually, I was able to work it out. 此事最后做成了。 He has bee essential to the neighborhood. 他已成了鄰里間不可或缺的人物。 My mother was right, of course: It was possible to have a home with room for both his limitations and my ambitions. 當(dāng)然母親的話(huà)沒(méi)錯(cuò)?？梢杂幸粋€(gè)家既能容納他的缺陷又能裝下我的雄心。 This hit home a few days after the September 11th disaster on Jimmy39。11災(zāi)難后幾天更顯真切。 I had a party for him in my home in New York, but none of our family could join us because travel was diffi