Part 1 The History of Mother's Day 母亲节的历史

The earliest Mother's Day celebrations are traced back to the spring celebrations of ancient Greece in honor of Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. During the 1600's, England celebrated a day called "Mothering Sunday", celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent. "Mothering Sunday" honored the mothers of England.

During this time many of the England's poor worked as servants for the wealthy. As most jobs were located far from their homes, the servants would live at the houses of their employers. On Mothering Sunday the servants would have the day off and were encouraged to return home and spend the day with their mothers. A special cake, called the mothering cake, was often brought along to provide a festive touch.

As Christianity spread throughout Europe the celebration changed to honor the "Mother Church" -- the spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from harm. Over time the church festival blended with the Mothering Sunday celebration. People began honoring their mothers as well as the church.

All across the world, more than 46 countries honor mothers with a special day, but not all nations celebrate on the same day. We honor mothers with cards, candy, flowers and dinner out. But have you ever considered how this became a legal holiday in the United States?

In the United States Mother's Day was first suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe as a day dedicated to peace. In 1907 Ana Jarvis, from Philadelphia, began a campaign to establish a national Mother's Day. Ms. Jarvis persuaded her mother's church in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother's Day on the second anniversary of her mother's death, the 2nd Sunday of May. By the next year Mother's Day was also celebrated in Philadelphia.

Ms. Jarvis and her supporters began to write to ministers, businessman, and politicians in their quest to establish a national Mother's Day. It was successful, by 1911 Mother's Day was celebrated in almost every state. President Woodrow Wilson, in 1914, made the official announcement proclaiming Mother's Day a national holiday that was to be held each year on the 2nd Sunday of May.

The one-woman crusade of Ana Jarvis is often overlooked in history books because women during the early 1900s were engaged in so many other reform efforts, but it is likely that these other reforms helped pave the way for Anna Jarvis to succeed in her campaign for Mother's Day.

While many countries of the world celebrate their own Mother's Day at different times throughout the year, there are some countries such as Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, and Belgium which also celebrate Mother's Day on the second Sunday of May.

五月，一个美丽如花的季节，因为一个特殊的节日，而将它点缀得更加多姿多彩，那就是母亲节。

关于母亲节的来源，有历史学家声称最早可能是在古希腊，人们庆祝“莉雅”女神的节日。这个女神就是宙斯的母亲。

但是到了十七世纪的英国，教会把庆祝“莉雅”女神的节日改为表达对耶稣之母马利亚的崇敬，订四旬斋的第四个星期日为 Mothering Sunday。甚至后来人们加入教会的受洗仪式都订在母亲节这一天。象征人们从教会（Mother Church）重生（rebirth）。

另外还有一个关于英国母亲节的传说。那时许多穷人，叫孩子去有钱人家帮佣，住在主人家里。直到 Mothering Sunday这一天，主人们会放他们假，让大家可以返家与母亲团聚。那天这些年轻人就会带着一种特别的蛋糕（mothering cake），与一些小礼物送给母亲。

在美国，母亲节后来也成为安慰在战争中失去儿子或先生的女性的节日。在当天，人们配戴康乃馨向母亲致敬。母亲若尚健在者，佩带红色康乃馨；若母亲已过世，则佩带白色，以表示怀念。

在美国，以写《共和国战歌》而闻名的女作家朱莉亚·瓦德·霍耶（Julia Ward Howe），曾建议在六月中选定某一天为“母亲节”。由于美国内战的爆发，许多母亲感受到战争的恐怖，及失去爱子的痛苦，朱莉亚极力鼓吹订一个节日以提倡和平。她的建议只被少数几个地方采纳了。

一九○七年，一位叫做Ana Jarvis的美国妇女写信给格拉夫顿教堂的牧师，请他为已逝世两周年的妈妈做个特别的追思礼拜。当天，Ana捐赠了五百朵妈妈生前最喜欢的花─白色的康乃馨，送给所有参加仪式的小孩和母亲。

第二年，教堂便正式宣布，Ana Jarvis母亲逝世的三周年忌日为母亲节。但是当天Jarvis却没有出席，因为她正在费城忙着组织一个母亲节委员会。 在这个委员会的协助下，安娜开始发动大规模的写信运动。她写信给数以百计的教堂、商业领袖、报纸编辑、政治家等，要求他们加入制定母亲节为国定假日的活动。

一九一○年，西维吉尼亚州州长响应了她的请求，并发表第一个母亲节的宣言，要求所有的西维吉尼亚人，在五月的第二个星期日，佩带白色的康乃馨上教堂。而俄克拉荷马州及华盛顿州，也在那一年开始庆祝母亲节。到一九一一年，母亲节的礼拜活动便在全美各州举行。

Ana Jarvis的努力，终于在一九一四年的五月八日开花结果，因为国会通过一项联合决议，要求美国人在那一年五月的第二个星期日悬挂国旗，以表达对全美国母亲无比的尊敬和爱意。第二天早上，安娜成为美国白宫的客人，亲眼看着威尔逊总统签署这项决议。

Part 2 Mother Knows Best 妈妈知道什么对你最好

Dialogue Script 1 对话原文 1

Mom: Jimmy! Why aren't you up and ready for school?
Jimmy: I don't feel very good.
Mom: Jimmy, if you're acting sick just because you want to play hooky...
Jimmy: (Coughing) No, Mom, I'm really sick.
Mom: Oh, that's a nasty cough. Let me feel your head. (feels his forehead) You're on fire!
Jimmy: Mom!???
Mom: I know, sweetheart. Just open wide. Don't talk. (takes temperature)
Jimmy: Mmm...
Mom: (Takes thermometer out) Oh, you've got a fever. One-oh-one...time to break out the children's Tylenol.
Jimmy: I have the chills. Can you turn on the heater?
Mom: We're not turning on the heater in May! You need to take a bath. We'll heat you up and see if you can sweat this thing out.

讲解：

1. 对话中，Jimmy生病了，妈妈在家里照顾他。早上妈妈见Jimmy还没有起床，就问他，Why aren't you up and ready for school? 你怎么还不起床准备上学？这里的up做为副词，表示“不在床上”，比如说，Is Peter up yet? Peter起床了吗？ I was up late last night.我昨天很晚才睡。 She was up all night with a sick child. 她陪着生病的孩子彻夜未眠。

2. Jimmy说自己感觉不太好。开始的时候，妈妈还以为Jimmy是在装病，if you're acting sick just because you want to play hooky...如果你为了想逃课而装病的话，妈妈的话还没有说完，Jimmy就辩解说自己真的病了。act sick表示“装病”，很显然act在这里的意思就是“演出，扮演”的意思了。

3. play hooky是一个俚语，表示“旷课，逃学”。妈妈看Jimmy咳嗽得很厉害，伸手摸了摸他的额头，看他发烧没有，feel one's head，摸额头看有没有发烧，相当于feel one's forehead。结果妈妈惊叫道，You' re on fire! 你的额头烫的跟火似的。当然这是一种夸张的说法了。发烧大家都知道了，就是get/have a fever。

4. 妈妈又拿出体温计给Jimmy量体温，结果体温计显示Jimmy的体温是101度，真的是在发烧。注意这里的温度是华氏温标，也就是Fahrenheit, 而不是我们平常用的摄氏温标，Celsius，这是两个不同的温度测量方法，在美国是使用华氏来记录温度的。华氏温度计的设计者是德国物理学家Fahrenheit，所以这种温度记录方法就是以他的名字命名的。摄氏温度计的首创者是瑞典天文学家 Celsius。

5. 那么如果用F来代表Fahrenheit 华氏温度，用C来代表Celsius，摄氏温度，那么两种温度测量标准的换算公式就是F＝(C×9／5)＋32 或者C＝(F－32)×5／9。Jimmy现在的体温是101华氏温度，那换算成摄氏温度就是38度多，看来真的是发烧了。

6. 所以妈妈说time to break out the children's Tylenol. 该把儿童感冒药找出来了。Tylenol是一种美国常用的退烧药品牌，这里用品牌的名称来指这个牌子的药品，英语中经常会出现这种用品牌的名称来指代产品的现象，比如说，Kleenex就是一种盒装面巾纸的牌子，现在人们都直接用它来指这个牌子的面巾纸。

7. Jimmy还在打冷战，浑身发冷，就是have the chills。他想让妈妈把暖气打开，可是在五月份是没有人开暖气的。妈妈想出了一个办法，让Jimmy去洗一个热水澡，看能不能发汗把感冒治好。sweat something out 这个词组我们上节课已经讲过了，是指“用发汗的办法把体内的毒素排出。”

Dialogue Script 2 对话原文 2

Jimmy: Ouch! The water's too hot!
Mom: Get in slowly. You'll get used to it. I'm gonna go and make you some chicken soup.
Jimmy: I'm not hungry.
Mom: I know you don't have an appetite, but you need to eat something. You'll get too weak if you don't eat.
Jimmy: (A few minutes later) Ohh...I'm sweating already. It's so hot. I can feel it boiling! Can I get out yet?
Mom: That's a good sign. But just soak a little longer, OK?
Jimmy: I'm done. Can I watch TV?
Mom: Here's some water. Take these multi-vitamins and Tylenol.
Jimmy: (Trying to swallow) Uh! I can't swallow them, Mom!
Mom: Your throat must be swollen.
Jimmy: Do I have to take them?
Mom: Here. I'll break them up, so they're smaller. And here's some cough syrup.
Jimmy: (Swallows) Yuck!
Mom: I know, it tastes horrible. But it'll make you feel better. Try holding your nose. It won't taste as bad.

讲解：

1. 对话中，Jimmy泡了热水澡，喝了鸡汤和止咳糖浆，发烧应该会好一点了。chicken soup，鸡汤。几年前有一本畅销书叫做《心灵鸡汤》，也就是Chicken Soup for the Soul。这名字可不是随便起的，因为对美国人来说，每当感冒或者觉得虚弱、寒冷的时候，“鸡汤”就是最好的补品。尤其是家里自制的chicken noodle soup鸡肉面条汤，更是美味。只要细细品尝鸡汤里的面条、肉块和蔬菜，马上就忘了身体上的不适。比如说，Chicken soup is a common home remedy for kids or adults that have colds. 鸡汤是小孩和大人治疗感冒的家庭常备良药。

2. Jimmy说自己并不饿，生病的人一般都没有什么胃口，但是也要坚持吃些东西，不然就会变得很虚弱。don't have an appetite就是指“没有胃口，食欲不振”，还可以说“have no appetite”。

3. appetite还可以表示“对某件事物的欲望”，比如说，He had no appetite for the fight. 他现在毫无斗志。She has an amazing appetite for hard work. 她出奇地喜欢做艰巨的工作。Jimmy在浴缸中已经大汗淋漓了，感觉水都已经在沸腾了。妈妈说这是一个好现象，但是还要再多泡一会儿。

4. soak表示“浸，泡；湿透”。举几个例子，The dirty clothes are soaking in soapy water. 脏衣服都在肥皂水里泡着呢。Leave the beans to soak overnight. 把这些豆子泡一夜。soak还可以作为名词，也表示“浸，泡；湿透”，比如说，Give the sheets a good soak. 把床单好好泡一泡。

5. 泡完了澡，Jimmy就想看电视，妈妈又给他拿来了综合维他命片和退烧药，让他吃下去，可是Jimmy根本咽不下去，因为他的嗓子已经肿了。Your throat must be swollen. Jimmy问一定要吃吗？药是一定要吃的，所以妈妈就把这些药片弄碎，这样就可以吃了。

6. 吃了药，妈妈又要Jimmy喝止咳糖浆，就是cough syrup。Jimmy觉得这cough syrup很难喝，他说Yuck! 这也是一句俚语，用来表示反感、厌恶等情绪，特别是觉得某种东西很难吃的时候，就可以说这句话。那么表示某种东西很好吃，我们就可以说Yummy!表示跟Yuck!相反的意思。

7. 所谓“良药苦口”，止咳糖浆虽然难喝，但是会对Jimmy的咳嗽有帮助。喝药的时候把鼻子捏住，味道就没有那么糟糕了。hold one's nose就表示“捏住某人的鼻子”。

Dialogue Script 3 对话原文 3

Jimmy: Mom!
Mom: What are you doing?
Jimmy: I'm playing with my new basketball! Watch this!
Mom: You are sick, young man. Get back in bed! I called you in sick today, so you're going to lie down and fight that flu.
Jimmy: But I feel better now.
Mom: Then maybe you should go to school. If you're feeling so much better, you'll ace that English test, right?
Jimmy: OK. I get it. I'm getting back into bed...
Mom: Come to think of it, you should get out your English books and catch up on your reading assignments.
Jimmy: But I don't have any reading assignments.
Mom: Then review your test. You'll do even better. And maybe reading will help you get to sleep.
Jimmy: Aw, Mom---you're such a drag.
Mom: You say that now, Jimmy, but you'll thank me later. I'm your mom, and mother knows best.

讲解：

1. 对话中，Jimmy的感冒好了一些了，就又生龙活虎起来，在房间里玩起了篮球，妈妈不同意，说他必须躺到床上去对抗感冒，而且替他向学校请了病假。call someone in sick 这个短语表示“打电话请病假”。但是Jimmy说自己现在觉得好多了，不想再躺在床上了。

2. 妈妈就吓唬他说，Then maybe you should go to school. If you're feeling so much better, you'll ace that English test, right? 那或许你该上学去了，如果你的病好了这么多，你的英文应该考的很好了，是吧。我们来看看ace这个词，是个动词，表示“得到最高分，考的很好”，比如说，She aced the exam. 她在考试中得了A。

3. Jimmy一听就害怕了，乖乖地回到床上躺着去了。妈妈又说，他应该把课本拿出来，把阅读作业做完。come to think of it 这个短语表示“…说起这个，就让我想到…”，在口语中很常用。catch up on something可以表示“用额外的时间来做某事，来弥补所耽误的时间”，比如说，I've got a lot of work to catch up on. 我有很多工作赶着做。

4. catch up on something 还可以表示“事后了解对某事物的情况”，例如，Come over for a chat so we can catch up on each other's news. 过来聊聊吧，说说彼此的近况。Jimmy说自己根本没有阅读作业需要做。妈妈就让他复习英语考试，这样他会考得更好。而且阅读还会让他很快入睡。

5. Jimmy很烦，说Aw, Mom---you're such a drag. 噢，妈妈，你好烦。drag 在这里是一个俚语，表示“累赘的或者让人讨厌的人或事物”，比如说，Walking is a drag – let's get a taxi. 走路太费事，我们打个车去吧。She loves her family, but they're a drag on her career. 她很爱她的家庭，但是家庭却是她事业的累赘。

6. 妈妈回答说，You say that now, Jimmy, but you'll thank me later. I'm your mom, and mother knows best. 你现在是这样说，但你以后会感激我，我是你妈妈，而妈妈知道什么对你是最好的。Mother knows best. 妈妈知道什么对你最好。这可能是小孩子们最讨厌听到的一句话，因为一听到这句话，就表示妈妈又要叫他做什么讨厌的事情了。

7. 这句话也可以说成Mother knows what's best. 但是要注意best前面不能加定冠词the。那么可不可以说成Father knows best呢？应该是可以的，因为在美国五六十年代的时候有一部温馨的电视剧集，就叫做Father knows best。看来最前面的词，偶尔可以根据需要做些改动。