A Driver’s Education铭心一课

苏珊·吉尔伯特·格兰特　贾庆文/译

I was late for my teaching assignment when a dicey shortcut presented itself.

我去学校教课要迟到了，这时出现了一条冒险的近路。

I have witnessed some 3，000 passages through puberty. Having been a middle school teacher for 25 years， its safe to say Im no stranger to voices that crack and the wonders of orthodontia.

我已经见证了大约3000个学生度过他们的青春期。当了25年中学教师，我可以肯定地说，我对变声期的破嗓和畸齿矫正术创造的奇迹并不陌生。

I like to think that Ive instilled a love of knowledge in my students. I like to think that Ive taught them the importance of good citizenship， to play by the rules. But regardless of what I like to think， it seems the cliché is true： My students teach me. Most of the time I embrace my role as pupil; I believe that Henry Ford was right when he said “Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”

我常常認为自己向学生灌输了对知识的热爱。我也常常认为自己教会了他们成为好公民的重要性，教会了他们要遵守规则。但不管我是怎么想的，那句陈词滥调的“教学相长”似乎正确无误。大部分时间里，我会欣然接受自己作为学生的角色。亨利·福特曾说：“任何一个不断学习的人都会永葆青春。”我相信他说得对。

Not too long ago I took a big step toward retaining said youth. My adventure began one morning when I was running so late that by the time I reached the last intersection before my school， traffic was at a standstill. What was really exasperating was that I could see the school. Had I been able to climb out of my car and hoof it， I might have arrived on time.

不久前，我朝着所谓的“永葆青春”迈出了一大步。我的冒险始于某天早上，当时我要迟到了，等我到达学校前面的最后一个十字路口，交通陷入了停滞。令人十分恼火的是学校就在我眼前。如果我能爬出车，然后步行过去，我可能会准时到校。

Up ahead， the turn lane into the schools parking lot was empty. If I could just veer to the right， the only thing between me and the turn lane was a long stretch of field. I appraised it with a calculating eye. It was rutted and rocky， and the grass was quite tall in places.

通往学校停车场的转弯车道就在前面，而且道上没车。如果我能向右并线，我和转弯车道之间就只隔着一片田野。我细心地打量这片田野，上面有车辙，到处是石块，有的地方还长着高高的草。

But as I sat in my motionless vehicle and saw all those red brake lights winking at me， I heard that field call to me. And its siren song bade me to embark on a little off-road expedition. I paused to ponder if there was a law against doing this type of thing， but the ticktock of the dashboard clock precluded sensible reasoning.

就在我坐在一动不动的车上，看着前面所有车的红色刹车灯向我眨眼时，我听到那片田野向我发出了召唤。那美妙的诱惑之声驱使我开始一场小小的越野探险。我犹豫片刻，思考了一下有没有哪条法规禁止我做这样的事，但仪表盘时钟的滴答声不容我作出理性判断。

I nosed the car out of the line of traffic and headed for the freedom of that open land. The car dipped and bounced. The tall grass made a swooshing sound against its sides. I heard mysterious thuds from underneath. But those sounds were drowned out by the wail of a siren behind me.

我小心翼翼地把车从汽车长龙中开出来，接着便驶向那片开阔的自由之地。我的车上下颠簸。高高的草划过车两侧，嗖嗖作响。我听到车下面传来莫名其妙的砰砰声。但那些声音被我身后长鸣的警报声淹没了。

Evidently there was a law. And evidently I had broken it. It appeared that I was now going to receive a ticket in the presence of countless parents and students who were also stuck in traffic and would welcome some drive-time entertainment.

显然，有那样一条法规。显然，我违反了那条法规。我似乎将要当着无数家长和学生的面收到一张罚单。他们也堵在路上，而且乐意在堵车时找点乐子。

I stopped. The officer came up to my open window， and I handed him my license without even looking at him. He glanced at it， then asked， “So， were you trying to help the highway department with the grass trimming there， maam？ Whats going on？”

我停下车。警察走到我开着的车窗前，我心虚得没敢看他就把驾照递给了他。他瞥了一眼，然后问道：“哦，你是想帮公路管理处修剪这里的草吗，女士？发生什么事了？”

Id read that troopers dont like excuses， but wasnt he asking me for one？ I started babbling. “Well， I overslept， and...”—here my voice took on a plaintive， whiny tone， the very quality I advise my students to eschew—“I just wanted to get to school. I have to...”

我知道警察不喜欢借口，但他不是在问我话吗？我开始语无伦次。“哦，我睡过头了，而且……”——此时我的声音带着一种哀怨、呜咽的口吻，这正是我建议学生们要避免的那种腔调——“我只是想赶到学校。我必须……”

“So youre a teacher？” he interrupted.

“你是老师？”他打断了我。

“Yes， and I need... ”

“是的，我需要……”

“Youre a good teacher， and you help your students？”

“你是个好老师，你想去帮助学生？”

“Well， I try... and... oh... I just needed to be on time.”

“嗯，我盡力……还有……哦……我只是需要准时到校。”

“Because youre a good teacher，” the officer offered.

“因为你是个好老师。”警察说。

Well， this was devilish. To agree would seem immodest， but one doesnt wish to disagree with uniformed in-dividuals holding summons pads.

嗯，这太刁钻了。认可他说的话似乎显得我自吹自擂，但谁也不希望同穿着制服、拿着罚单簿的人产生分歧。

So instead I repeated， “I just wanted to be on time.”

所以我重复了一遍：“我只是想准时。”

And he repeated， “Because youre a good teacher.”

他也重复道：“因为你是个好老师。”

OK， what was going on？

好吧，他想怎样？

A car drove by， and I recognized one of my eighth-graders gleefully waving at me， mouthing my name， pointing me out to his mother. As she drove by， her mouth in a prim bow， I heard the police officer say it again： “You wanted to be on time because youre a good teacher.”

一辆车开了过来，我认出我的一个八年级学生正兴高采烈地向我挥手，嘴里念着我的名字，向他妈妈指了指我。他妈妈开车经过时撇着嘴，这时我听到警察再次说：“你想准时，因为你是个好老师。”

At that point he paused before adding， “You were when I had you.”

说完，他停顿了一下，然后补充道：“你当年教我的时候就是个好老师。”

And then I did look at him. I read the name badge on his chest. A former seventh-grade student of mine. All grown up. Keeping people safe. Trying to keep me safe from myself.

这时我才好好看了看他。我看到了他胸口的名牌。他上七年级的时候，我教过他。如今他已经是个大人了。他在保护人们的安全，也在努力阻止我自己害自己。

He gave me a warning—not too dissimilar from ones Id given him years ago—and sent me on my way. And at last I arrived at my classroom， already schooled once that morning and wondering what I would learn next.

他给了我一个警告——和数年前我给他的警告没什么不同——然后让我走了。最后，我终于到达教室，那时的我已经在早上上过一节课了，我在想自己接下来会学到什么。

（译者单位：山东省泰安第二中学）