My Father's Son

　　It's hard being an astronaut's son. I mean， everybody expects you to be special or perfect， and I'm just an average eleven year-old kid. I'm an average student， and I'm average， too， when it comes to basketball， football， soccer， and baseball.

　　I often wonder how my father ever had a son like me. I mean he's so special and so good at everything he does. In high school he was captain of the football team， class president， and editor of the school newspaper.

　　Well， to tell you the truth， I do have a little talent that nobody knows about. I write poems and stories and keep them in a red notebook in my bottom desk drawer.

　　Nowadays I dream about being a famous writer， but I used to dream about doing something spectacular to impress my father and make him proud of me-something like rescuing a child from a burning building or chasing a robber away from an old lady.

　　I was daydreaming in school one morning （ which I do often）。 I was daydreaming about being some kind of hero， like discovering an instant cure for cancer or a shot for mental illness， when I heard my English teacher announce a Father's Day essay contest for the whole school.

　　"I hope we have a winner right here in my English class，she said. "The PTA has donated three cash prizes- one hundred dollars for first prize， fifty dollars for second， and twenty-five dollars for third prize. "

　　After school I walked home， thinking about the essay I would write. My father is an astronaut， I would start out. No， I decided. I wouldn't do that. The whole country and maybe even the whole world saw my father as an astronaut ， but that wasn't the way I saw him.

　　When I got home， I kissed my mom quickly. Then I went upstairs to my room and sat down with a pen and a pad of paper. I started to think about what I would write.

　　How did I see my father. Hmm.

　　I saw him sitting with me in the dark23 when I was a little kid and had a nightmare.

　　I saw him teaching me how to use a bat and how to throw a baseball.

　　I remembered how he hugged me for hours when my dog Spotty was hit and killed by a car.

　　And I remembered how he surprised me with a new puppy at my eighth birthday party. When I started to cry， he told all the kids that I had a bad allergy. "David's allergy bothers him a lot this time of year，" Dad said.

　　And I remembered how he sat and tried to explain death to me when Grandpa Bob died.

　　These were the things I was going to write about my dad. To me， he wasn't just a world-famous astronaut. He was my dad.

　　I wrote about all these memories and put them in my essay. I handed it in the next day and was surprised to find out that the winning essays would be read in the auditorium on Thursday night. A11 the parents and students were invited.

　　My parents and I went to school Thursday night. One of our neighbors said， "I bet you'll win the contest， David. I bet you wrote what it's like to be the son of an astronaut， and you're the only one in town who could write about that. "

　　My dad looked at me， and I shrugged. I hadn't shown him the essay， and now I almost hoped I wouldn't win. I didn't want； to win just because my father was an astronaut.

　　When third prize was announced and it wasn't me， I was relieved and disappointed at the same time， Ellen Gordon won third prize， and she read her essay. Ellen. is adopted， and she wrote about her "better than real" father. When she got to the end，I heard people in the audience sniffing and blowing their noses. My mother sniffed， and my father cleared his throat.

　　The second-prize winner was announced next. It was me.

　　I went up to the stage， my knees shaking. I read my essay and wondered if my voice was shaking， too. It was scary standing up in front of all those people. I called my essay "My Father's Son. " I watched my parents as I read. When I finished reading， the audience applauded. I saw my father blowing his nose. Tears were running down my mother's face. I went back to my seat.

　　"I see you have an allergy ， too ， Dad ， " I tried to joke.

　　Dad nodded， cleared his throat， and put his hand on my shoulder. "Son， this is the proudest moment of my life，" he said.

　　It was the proudest moment of my life， too. Maybe I'll never be a great hero or win a Nobel Prize， but just then， it was enough just to be my father's son.

My Father's Son
我父亲的儿子
　　It's hard being an astronaut's son. I mean， everybody expects you to be special or perfect， and I'm just an average eleven year-old kid. I'm an average student， and I'm average， too， when it comes to basketball， football， soccer， and baseball. 宇航员的儿子不好当。我是说，大家都期望你是特别的，或完美的，而我仅仅是一个普通的十一岁小孩。我学习一般，篮球，橄榄球，足球，棒球也不出色。
　　I often wonder how my father ever had a son like me. I mean he's so special and so good at everything he does. In high school he was captain of the football team， class president， and editor of the school newspaper. 我经常奇怪我爸怎么会生出我这么一个儿子。我是说，他是如此特别，事事都出色。在高中，他是橄榄球队长，班长，还是校报编辑。

　　Well， to tell you the truth， I do have a little talent that nobody knows about. I write poems and stories and keep them in a red notebook in my bottom desk drawer. 哎，说实话，我倒确实有点别人不知道的小才能。我会创作一些诗歌和故事，把它们记在一个红色的笔记本里，放在我写字台最下面的那个抽屉里。

　　Nowadays I dream about being a famous writer， but I used to dream about doing something spectacular to impress my father and make him proud of me-something like rescuing a child from a burning building or chasing a robber away from an old lady. 现在，我梦想着成为一个著名作家，但过去我常常梦想的，则是能做出能让我爸爸吃惊并为我骄傲的大成就，比如从着火的大楼里救出一个小孩，或把强盗从一个老妇人身边赶走。
　　I was daydreaming in school one morning （ which I do often）。 I was daydreaming about being some kind of hero， like discovering an instant cure for cancer or a shot for mental illness， when I heard my English teacher announce a Father's Day essay contest for the whole school.一天上午，我在学校里正做白日梦（我经常在学校做白日梦）。我梦想着自己变成了个英雄， 像发现了治愈癌症的特效药或精神病注射什么的。突然我听到英文老师公布，全校要举行一个父亲节的作文比赛。
　　"I hope we have a winner right here in my English class，she said. "The PTA has donated three cash prizes- one hundred dollars for first prize， fifty dollars for second， and twenty-five dollars for third prize. "
“我希望咱们班会产生一个获胜者，”她说，“家庭教师协会集资设了一共三等奖金，第一名一百美元，第二名五十美元，第三名二十五美元。”
　　After school I walked home， thinking about the essay I would write. My father is an astronaut， I would start out. No， I decided. I wouldn't do that. The whole country and maybe even the whole world saw my father as an astronaut ， but that wasn't the way I saw him. 放学后在回家的路上我边走边构思。开头，我会写我爸爸是宇航员。不，我决定不这么写。全国，或许全球的人都把我爸爸看成一个宇航员，但我不是这么看他的。

　　When I got home， I kissed my mom quickly. Then I went upstairs to my room and sat down with a pen and a pad of paper. I started to think about what I would write. 回家后，我飞快地吻了妈妈，就跑上楼回到自己房间，坐下来拿出纸笔。我开始思考我该写什么。

　　How did I see my father. Hmm. 我是怎么看我父亲的。嗯。。

　　I saw him sitting with me in the dark23 when I was a little kid and had a nightmare.我看着他在我幼年做噩梦时陪着我坐在黑暗里。

　　I saw him teaching me how to use a bat and how to throw a baseball. 我看着他较我怎么挥棒球棒，怎么投球。
　　
I remembered how he hugged me for hours when my do
g Spotty was hit and killed by a car. 我记得当我的狗点点被汽车撞死时，他连着几个小时一直抱着我。

　　And I remembered how he surprised me with a new puppy at my eighth birthday party. When I started to cry， he told all the kids that I had a bad allergy. "David's allergy bothers him a lot this time of year，" Dad said. 我还记得在接下来的8岁生日，他给了我怎样的惊喜——送给我一只新的小狗。我当时哭了，他就告诉别的孩子说我是因为过敏才哭的。他说：“大卫在这个季节最爱过敏。 ”

　　And I remembered how he sat and tried to explain death to me when Grandpa Bob died. 我还记得，外公死时，他坐下来对我细细解释死亡。

　　These were the things I was going to write about my dad. To me， he wasn't just a world-famous astronaut. He was my dad. 这些就是我要写的。对我来说，他不仅是一个世界知名的宇航员。他是我的爸爸。

　　I wrote about all these memories and put them in my essay. I handed it in the next day and was surprised to find out that the winning essays would be read in the auditorium on Thursday night. A11 the parents and students were invited. 我把这些回忆都写入了我的作文里。第二天交作文的时候，我惊讶的得知，获奖作文要在周四晚上在礼堂朗读出来。所有的家长和学生都被邀请参加。

　　My parents and I went to school Thursday night. One of our neighbors said， "I bet you'll win the contest， David. I bet you wrote what it's like to be the son of an astronaut， and you're the only one in town who could write about that. " 我爸妈和我周四晚上去了学校。一个邻居说：“大卫，我打赌你会得奖。我打赌你写了做宇航员的儿子是怎样的，城里没有别人可以写得和你一样。”

　　My dad looked at me， and I shrugged. I hadn't shown him the essay， and now I almost hoped I wouldn't win. I didn't want； to win just because my father was an astronaut. 我的爸爸看了看我，我耸了耸肩。我还没给他看我的作文；我几乎开始希望我不要得奖。我不想仅仅因为我爸爸是宇航员而得奖。
　　When third prize was announced and it wasn't me， I was relieved and disappointed at the same time， Ellen Gordon won third prize， and she read her essay. Ellen. is adopted， and she wrote about her "better than real" father. When she got to the end，I heard people in the audience sniffing and blowing their noses. My mother sniffed， and my father cleared his throat. 三等奖获奖者公布了，不是我。我松了口气，又有些失望。艾伦·格尔顿获了奖。她是被收养的。她写了她那比亲生父亲还好的父亲。当她读完的时候，我听到观众里吸鼻子和擤鼻涕的声音。我爸爸清了清喉咙。

　　The second-prize winner was announced next. It was me. 接下来公布的是二等奖获奖者。我获奖了。

　　I went up to the stage， my knees shaking. I read my essay and wondered if my voice was shaking， too. It was scary standing up in front of all those people. I called my essay "My Father's Son. " I watched my parents as I read. When I finished reading， the audience applauded. I saw my father blowing his nose. Tears were running down my mother's face. I went back to my seat. 我走上台，膝盖在抖。我边读文章边想是不是我的声音也在抖。站在那么多人前是很吓人的。我给文章起名为《我父亲的儿子》。我读完，观众鼓掌。我看到我爸爸在擤鼻子。妈妈的脸上躺着两行泪。我回到我的座位。

　　"I see you have an allergy ， too ， Dad ， " I tried to joke.“爸，我看啊，你也有过敏症哦。”我试着开个玩笑。

　　Dad nodded， cleared his throat， and put his hand on my shoulder. "Son， this is the proudest moment of my life，" he said. 爸爸点了点头，请了清嗓子，把手放在我肩膀上，说：“儿子，这是我一生中最骄傲的时刻。”

　　It was the proudest moment of my life， too. Maybe I'll never be a great hero or win a Nobel Prize， but just then， it was enough just to be my father's son. 这也是我一生中最骄傲的时刻。或许我永远也当不了一个大英雄或获诺贝尔奖，但就在那个时刻，仅仅身为我爸爸的儿子，就足够了。