He taught me all these things, and that was how I also learned I could be lazy and get away with mistakes, lots of mistakes. If I hit the wrong notes because I hadn't practiced enough, I never corrected myself, I just kept playing in rhythm. And Old Chong kept conducting his own private reverie.
就这样，他教给我整套的技巧，我也学会了如何偷懒和敷衍错误，许多错误。要是我没有充分练习而敲错音，我也从不改正，只是继续按节奏往下弹奏。老钟则自顾往下指挥他自己梦中的乐队。
So maybe I never really gave myself a fair chance. I did pick up the basics pretty quickly, and I might have become a good pianist at that young age. But I was so determined not to try, not to be anybody different that I learned to play only the most ear-splitting preludes, the most discordant hymns.
也许我确实没有抓住机会。我很快学会了基本技能，或许真的会成为一个优秀少年钢琴家。可我决心已定，顽间地拒绝出众，所以只学会了弹奏最刺耳的前奏、最不和谐的赞美曲。
Over the next year, I practiced like this, dutifully in my own way. And then one day I heard my mother and her friend Lindo Jong both talking in a loud bragging tone of voice so otherscould hear. It was after church, and I was leaning against a brick wall wearing a dress with stiff white petticoats. Auntie Lindo's daughter, Waverly, who was about my age, was standing farther down the wall about five feet away. We had grown up together and shared all the closeness of two sisters squabbling over crayons and dolls. In other words, for the most part, we hated each other. I thought she was snotty. Waverly Jong had gained a certain amount of fame as "Chinatown's Littlest Chinese Chess Champion."
第二年，我依旧我行我索。一天，我听见母亲和她的朋友仲琳朵两个人炫耀各自的女儿，声音大得谁都听得到。那是做完礼拜后，我穿着衬有硬硬的白色衬裙的连衣裙，倚着砖墙。琳朵阿姨的女儿威芙丽与我年龄相仿，也站在距我大约五英尺处的墙边。我俩从小一起玩耍，也像姐妹一样因争抢蜡笔和洋娃娃争吵。也就是说，我们并不太友好。我觉得她傲慢。威芙丽·仲小有名气，是“唐人街最小的中国象棋冠军”。
"She brings home too many trophies." lamented Auntie Lindo that Sunday. "All day she plays chess. All day I have no time to do nothing but dust off her winnings." She threw a scolding look at Waverly, who pretended not to see her.
“威芙丽捧回来的奖品太多了，”那个礼拜天琳朵阿姨抱怨说，“她整天下棋，我整天就给她的奖牌擦灰，什么也干不了。”她责怪地瞥了威芙丽一眼，可她假装没看见。
"You lucky you don't have this problem," said Auntie Lindo with a sigh to my mother.
“没这烦心事，你真福气，”琳朵阿姨对母亲叹了口气。
And my mother squared her shoulders and bragged "our problem worse than yours. If we ask Jing-mei wash dish, she hear nothing but music. It's like you can't stop this natural talent."
可母亲也挺了挺身，回敬道：“我们可比你还要烦心呢。要是叫景梅洗碗，她根本听不见，只知道音乐。想挡都挡不住这天分。”
And right then, I was determined to put a stop to her foolish pride.
就在那一刻，我下定决心要制止她那愚蠢的自傲。