[双语]*贴心的母亲节礼物

 

I''m not going to beat around the bush here. I''ll just say it like it is. All the hype around Mother''s Day is ridiculous. For a holiday that''s supposed to celebrate the precious relationship between a mother and her child, there sure is a lot to distract me from that relationship.

我不打算在这里绕圈子，直话直说好了。所有有关母亲节的宣传炒作都那么滑稽可笑。对于一个人们应该庆祝母亲和*之间的珍贵关系的节日，肯定有许多东西会分散我对这种关系的注意力。

I mean, give me a break. My mother does not need any more bath stuff. If she''s at all like me, she''s gotten enough lotion over the years to soothe her skin into the 23rd century! And she doesn''t want any chocolate. In fact, it''s my dad who likes that, way more than she does. Let''s face it. If you have a strong enough relationship with your mother to want to buy her a gift for Mother''s Day, most of the gifts out there scream GENERIC!!!

我的意思是，饶了我吧。我母亲不需要什么沐浴用品，如果她真的完全跟我一样，她会有足够的护肤品来*护自己的皮肤，到23世纪也不怕变老！而且她根本不想要巧克力。实际上，是我的爸爸喜欢巧克力，比她更喜欢。面对现实吧。如果你深爱自己的母亲想要给她买一份母亲节礼物的话，大多数礼物都那么“普通”！！！

Over the years, I''ve come up with some ways to give to my mom that avoid all the hype and the sappy generic-ness of the holiday as its often celebrated. As a bonus, if you think about it now, you''ll be ready for the day when it comes!

这些年来，我想出了很多避免炒作和流俗的方法来给母亲过节。作为奖励，如果你现在正在思考母亲节怎么过，那么当那一天到来时你就会有充足的准备！

Spend time with your mom

跟妈妈共度美好时光

I know, it''s a shocker. But the truth is that most moms I know want to hear from their kids more than they do. You can even do this if you live far away from your mom. Give her a call and let her know you want to talk for a while, or set up a phone date ahead of time so you''ll both be free to focus on each other. Then ask her about herself, how her days are going and what she''s feeling. Focus on hearing her heart. After all, this is the woman who birthed you...maybe knowing her will help you know yourself better, and that''s never a bad thing.

我知道你会对此大吃一惊。然而事实是，我认识的大多数妈妈都想得到*的消息，*跟妈妈的联系太少了。即便你和妈妈住得很远，你仍然可以这样做。给她打个电话，让她知道你想跟她聊一会儿，或者提前定好一个打电话的日子，从而你们两个都有时间集中精力交流。问问妈妈的近况，她每天都是怎么过的，都有什么感受。集中精力倾听她内心的声音。毕竟，这是那个生育了你的女人……或许了解她能够帮你更好地了解你自己，这从来就不是一件坏事儿。

Write down your memories of her

写下你对她的回忆

Many moms love to know what their kids remember from childhood and how they perceived the things that happened then. Make a list of these for your mom, focusing on ones that highlight positive changes in your relationship with her. Make the list pretty, and give it to her. Or, tear each memory off in a strip, fold it up and put it in a jar. Give her the sealed jar for Mother''s Day, and she can pull out a memory every day until they''re gone. If you run short on memories, do the same with lessons you''ve learned from her.

许多妈妈想要知道她们的*从童年时代起就记住的事情，以及他们是如何感知当时所发生的事情的。为你的妈妈列这样一个清单，主要记录那些能够突出使你们的关系积极发展的事情。把清单做得漂亮一些，送给妈妈。或者，把每条回忆写在一个小纸条上，折起来放到一个广口瓶里。在母亲节那天把密封的瓶子送给她，这样她就能每天拿出一小张来回忆。如果你能回忆起的事情并不多，那么可以以同样的方式总结妈妈教会你的人生经验。

Take photos with her

和她拍照

Was your mom one of those people who has every family event for the last 30 years documented in extensive photographic detail? Then spend some time getting pictures taken with her. Take her to a favorite park or garden, or do it in your own backyard. While you can hire a professional photographer, all you really need is a digital camera and someone who knows how to operate it. Your poses can be silly or serene, but no matter how they turn out, taking them will make your mom''s day.

你妈妈是那种把过去30年的每一项家庭活动的细节都记录下来的人吗？那么花些时间跟她一起拍照吧。带她去她*喜欢的公园或者花园，或者去自己家的后院。虽然你可以雇一位专业的摄影师，但其实你真正需要的只是一台数码相机和一个会使用相机的人。你的姿势可以傻傻的，也可以看上去很安静，但无论拍出来效果如何，拍摄这些照片会让你的妈妈很开心。

Clean her house

打扫房间

I know a few people who like to clean, but even they can find it overwhelming when life gets busy. So pick up a bucket and a mop and show mom that you really do remember all her lessons on scrubbing the house. You don''t have to clean everything and you don''t even have to to the best job ever. As long as you''re willing to get your hands dirty, she''ll be happy, and relieved that she didn''t have to do it herself!

我认识一些喜欢打扫的人，但即便是他们也会在忙碌的时候觉得打扫卫生这件事让人不知所措。因此，拿起水桶和拖把，让妈妈知道你真的记住了她在打扫屋子的问题上教给你的一切。你不需要把所有东西都打扫一遍，甚至不需要做得*好。只要你愿意动手打扫，她就会很开心，她会因为自己不必亲自去打扫而减轻了负担！

Remember her

记住她

Instead of focusing your love on your mom only at Mother''s Day, come up with a comprehensive plan to love her year-round. This doesn''t have to be hard. Maybe it means you call her every-other Sunday instead of whenever-you-feel-like-it-which-sometimes-means-a-month-goes-by-without-talking. Put her in your calendar, or ask an assistant to put it in theirs and remind you when the time comes. Your mom might not notice the difference on Mother''s Day, but she''ll appreciate the thought throughout the year.

不要只在母亲节的时候才将你的爱倾注在妈妈身上，想出一个全面的计划可以一年到头地去爱她吧。这不需要多么费劲。或许也就是你每隔一个周日给她打电话，而不是只有在你想打电话的时候才打，因为有时就意味着一个月过去了你都没有跟妈妈说上一句话。将与妈妈有关的事情写在日历上，或者请一个帮手让他记在日历上到时候可以提醒你。你的妈妈或许不会注意到母亲节那天有何不同，但是她喜欢这个一年到头的计划。

Here''s hoping that one of these ideas will work for you, or will spark a desire in you to do something that will show your mom how much you value that relationship.

在此，希望这些想法能够对你有帮助，或者能给你一些灵感，来向你的妈妈展示你有多么珍视你们之间的关系。