When I was eight, I wrote my first poem. My mother read and cried, "Buddy, you didn't really write this beautiful poem!"
八岁的时候，我写了第一首诗。母亲念完后喊道：“巴迪，这么好的诗真的是你写的？”
Shyly, but proudly, I said yes. She poured out her praise, "It was nothing short of talent!"
我既害羞又得意，告诉她的确是我写的。她毫不吝啬赞美之词：“你真是个天才！”
"What time will Father be home?" I asked. I could hardly wait to show my work to him. I spent quite some time preparing for his arrival．
“爸爸什么时候回来啊？” 我问道。我迫不及待地想把我的作品给他看。我花了很长时间准备父亲回来。
I wrote the poem out in my finest flourish（花体字）, drew a fancy border around it and confidently I placed it right on my father's plate on the dining table．
我用最漂亮的花体字把诗誊写了一遍，还在它的周围描上一圈花边。我自信地把它放在餐桌上父亲的盘子里。
My father had begun his motion-picture（电影） career as a writer. I was sure he would be able to appreciate my poem．
我父亲是一个作家，在一家电影公司工作。我肯定他会赞赏我的诗的。
At almost 7 o'clock my father burst in. He seemed upset. He circled the dining-room table, complaining about his employees．
大约七点钟的时候父亲推门而入。他看起来很苦恼。他绕着餐桌，边走边抱怨他的员工。
Suddenly he paused and glared at his plate. "What is this?" He was reaching for my poem．
他忽然停下了脚步，注视着他的盘子。“这是什么？” 他边问边拿起了我的诗。
"Ben, Buddy has written his first poem!" my mother began. "And it's beautiful, absolutely amaz…"
“本，巴迪写了他的第一首诗！” 母亲开始夸我，“它真是太美了，绝对让人惊……”
"If you don't mind, I'd like to decide for myself."Father said．
“如果你不介意的话，我想自己做判断。” 父亲说。
I lowered my head as he read that poem. It was only ten lines. But it seemed to take hours．
父亲读诗的时候，我把头埋得低低的。诗只有十行，可我觉得他读了几个小时。
Then I heard him dropping the poem back on the table. Now came the moment of decision．
我听到他把我的诗扔回了桌子。现在是他评判的时候了。
"I think it's terrible," he said．
“真是糟糕透了，” 他说。
I couldn't look up. My eyes were getting wet．
我羞得抬不起头，我的眼睛湿润了。
"Ben, these are the first lines of poetry he's ever written," my mother was saying. "He needs encouragement."
“本，这是他写的第一首诗，” 母亲说道，“他需要鼓励。”
"I don't know why," My father held his ground. "Isn't there enough awful poetry in the world already?"
“我不明白为什么，” 父亲坚持他的立场，“难道世界上糟糕的诗还不够多么？”
I couldn't stand it another second. I ran from the dining room crying. Up in my room I threw myself on the bed and cried the worst of the disappointment out of me．
我再也忍受不了了。我哭着跑出饭厅，跑进自己的房间，扑在床上大哭起来，宣泄着对自己的失望。
That may have been the end of the story, but not of its significance for me. I realized how fortunate I had been.
故事也许就那样结束了，但它对我的影响不会结束。我意识到我是多么的幸运。
Every one of us needs that mother force, from which all creation flows; and yet the mother force alone is incomplete．
我们每个人都需要母亲的力量，那是创造力涌流的源泉；然而仅有母亲的力量是不完整的。
It needs the balance of the force that cautions（警告）, "Watch. Listen. Review. Improve."
它还需要警告的力量来平衡，“小心，倾听，回顾，提高”。
Those conflicting voices of my childhood ring in my ears through the years, like two opposing winds blowing me．
几年来，我少年时代听到的这两种矛盾的声音一直萦绕在我的耳边，就像两股反方向的风吹拂着我。
Between the two poles of confirmation（确信） and doubt, both in the name of love, I try to follow my true course．
这确信和怀疑的两极都以爱为名，在这两极中，我努力走着我真实的路。
