In spite of these warning signs, I wasn't worried. Our family had no piano and we couldn't afford to buy one, let alone reams of sheet music and piano lessons. So I could be generous in my comments when my mother badmouthed the little girl on TV.
面对这些迹象，我却毫不担心：我们家没有钢琴，也买不起，更甭说花钱买厚厚的琴谱和上钢琴课了。因此当母亲对电视上那个小女孩的演奏吹毛求疵时，我就宽容地评论了几句。
"Play note right, but doesn't sound good!" my mother complained "No singing sound."
妈妈挑剔地说: “音符倒没弹错，可不好听！没有和声。”
"What are you picking on her for?" I said carelessly. "She's pretty good. Maybe she's not the best, but she's trying hard." I knew almost immediately that I would be sorry I had said that.
“为什么挑人家的错？”我漫不经心地说。“她弹得蛮不错了。虽然说不上最好，但至少她尽力了。”话一出口我就后悔了。
"Just like you," she said. "Not the best. Because you not trying." She gave a little huff as she let go of the sound dial and sat down on the sofa.
“跟你一样，”她说，“不是最好，因为你没有努力。”她哼了一声，放开声音钮，坐回到沙发上。
The little Chinese girl sat down also, to play an encore of "Anitra's Tanz," by Grieg. I remember the song, because later on I had to learn how to play it.
那个中国小女孩也重新坐在琴旁？演奏一首格里格的《阿尼特拉舞曲》。我仍记得那支曲子的歌词，因为后来我也得学习弹奏它。
Three days after watching the Ed Sullivan Show my mother told me what my schedule would be for piano lessons and piano practice. She had talked to Mr. Chong, who lived on the first floor of our apartment building. Mr.Chong was a retired piano teacher, and my mother had traded housecleaning services for weekly lessons and a piano for me to practice on every day, two hours a day, from four until six.
看完埃德·沙利文电视秀的第三天，母亲制订了上钢琴课和练琴的时间表。她已与住在我们公寓一楼的钟先生谈过。钟先生是位退休的钢琴教师。母亲用为他家打扫卫生作为互惠条件，每周一次课，每天4点至6点用他的钢琴练两个小时。
When my mother told me this, I felt as though I had been sent to hell. I wished and then kicked my foot a little when I couldn"t stand it anymore.
母亲把这个安排告诉我时，我觉得像是跌入地狱。我忍无可忍，尖叫、跺脚以示抗议。
"Why don't you like me the way I am? I'm not a genius! I can't play the piano. And even if I could, I wouldn't go on TV if you paid me a million dollars!" I cried.
“你怎么就不喜欢我现在这样？我不是天才！我不会弹琴，学也学不会。即使我会，你就是给我100万美元，我也不上电视演奏！”我哭叫着。
My mother slapped me. "Who ask you be genius."she shouted. "Only ask you be your best. For you sake. You think I want you be genius? Hnnh! What for! Who ask you!"
母亲打了我一巴掌。“谁让你成天才？”她喊道，“只要你尽力就行了。这是为你好！你以为我想让你成天才？哼！为什么！谁要啊！”
"So ungrateful,"I heard her mutter in chinese. "If she had as much talent as she had temper, she would be famous now."
“真不识好歹，”我听见她用汉语嘟囔着，“如果她的才气和她的脾气一样大，她早就出名了。”