母愛無邊，為我們終生守望

故事梗概：克里斯汀住在洛杉磯郊外的一個工人階級社區，一天，當她加班到很晚回到家中時，發現兒子不見了蹤影。焦急萬分的克里斯汀開始了匆忙的尋找，但兒子仿佛人間蒸發一樣沒有了任何消息。從此，這位偉大的母親開始了艱難的尋子之路。遭遇冒充的假兒子、警察局的黑暗、精神病院非人的折磨……所有的這一切都沒有讓她停止下來，最終，她用她的執著與頑強撼動了洛杉磯的法制系統。而她一直堅信，她的兒子還活著—就在某個地方等著她。

（克里斯汀和兒子沃爾特的這段對話，雖然很簡短，但母愛溢于言表。生活那些難懂的事情，經過媽媽的訴說，變得溫馨甜蜜。）

A

Christine: Hey， sport.

Walter: Hey， Mom.

Christine: How was school?

Walter: Okay.

Christine: Yeah?

Walter: We learned about dinosaurs. And ①I got in a fight with Billy Mankowski.

Christine: What happened?

Walter: He hit me.

Christine: Did you hit him back? Good. Rule number one， remember? Never start a fight， always finish it. Why’d he hit you?

Walter: Because I hit him.

Christine: You hit him first? Why?

Walter: ②He said my dad ran off because he didn’t like me.

Christine: Honey， your father never met you， so how could he not like you?

Walter: Then why did he leave?

Christine: Well， because the day you were born， something else arrived in the mail. And it was in a box a little bit bigger than you. You know what was in it? Something called responsibility. And to some people， responsibility is the scariest thing in the world.

Walter: So， he ran away because he was scared of what was in that box?

Christine: Uh-huh.

Walter: That’s just dumb.

Christine: That is exactly what I thought.

B

Christine: I’m in here， Reverend. When Walter was here， I used to walk by his room when he was sleeping. And even though I couldn’t see him or hear him， I could feel him. That’s why I don’t think Walter’s dead. I can still feel him.

Pastor Briegleb: Mrs. Collins...

Christine: No. I know what the police said. But that place and the remains， they couldn’t be properly identified. And maybe that kid made a mistake when he picked Walter’s picture.

Pastor Briegleb: I understand you don’t want to accept this. What mother would? But I think ③it’s time for you to move on and start over for yourself. Your son would want you to move on.

Christine: Maybe. Maybe he’d want me to keep looking for him. Maybe he’s somewhere waiting for me.

Pastor Briegleb: I believe he is waiting， ma’am. He’s waiting in that place where we’ll all go someday to be reunited with our loved ones. And on that day， he’ll know from front to back， end to end， heart to soul， that ④you did everything you could， Ms. Collins. Everything.

C

Detective: Five years， case closed， everyone thinks he’s dead， and there he is. Wouldn’t be， if it wasn’t for Walter. Your son did a brave thing， Mrs. Collins. You should be very proud of him.

Christine: I am.

Detective: You still think he’s out there?

Christine: Why not? Three boys made a run for it that night， Detective. And if one got out， then maybe either or both of the others did， too. Maybe Walter’s out there， having the same fears that he did. Afraid to come home and identify himself， or afraid he’ll get into trouble. But either way， it gives me something I didn’t have before tonight.

Detective: What’s that?

Christine: Hope.

克里斯汀：嘿，小運動家。

沃爾特：嘿，媽媽。

克里斯汀：你在學校怎么樣？

沃爾特：還行。

克里斯汀：是嗎？

沃爾特：我們學了恐龍，然后我和比利·曼克維斯基打了

一架。

克里斯?。涸趺椿厥拢?/p>

沃爾特：他打我。

克里斯?。耗愦蚧厝チ?？干得好！第一條，還記得嗎？永遠不要主動打架，但要做個贏家。他為什么要打你呢？

沃爾特：因為我打了他。

克里斯?。耗阆却蛩模繛槭裁创蛩?？

沃爾特：他說爸爸是因為不喜歡我才

走的。

克里斯汀：寶貝，你爸爸根本沒有見過你，那他又怎么會不喜歡你呢？

沃爾特：那他為什么要走呢？

克里斯汀：因為在你出生的那天，他收到了一個包裹，是個比你稍微大一點的盒子，你知道里面裝的是什么嗎？是一種叫做責任的東西，對有些人來說，責任是世界上最嚇人的事情。

沃爾特：所以，他離開是因為他害怕裝在盒子里的東西？

克里斯汀：嗯，哼。

沃爾特：聽起來好傻。

克里斯?。何乙彩沁@么想的。

克里斯汀：我在這兒，牧師先生。沃爾特還沒失蹤的時候，我經常在他睡覺的時候到他的房間來，就算現在我再也看不到他，也聽不到他的聲音，我還是能感覺到他的存在，所以我覺得沃爾特還沒有死，我還能感覺到他。

布里格利布牧師：柯林斯太太……

克里斯?。簞e說了。我知道警察說了什么。但是那個地方，還有那些遺骸，并無法得到準確的鑒定，也許那個孩子弄錯了，才選了沃爾特的照片。

布里格利布牧師：我明白你不愿意接受事實，又有哪個母親能承受呢？但是我覺得你是時候好好生活，為了你自己重新開始了，你的孩子也會希望你能好好活下去的。

克里斯?。阂苍S。也許他希望我能夠繼續去找他，也許他還在什么地方等著我。

布里格利布牧師：女士，我相信他一直在等著，他一定還在那個地方等著，總有一天我們會和心愛的人團聚的地方，到那一天，他會完完全全地知道，你為他盡全力做過的所有的事情，柯林斯太太。所有的一切。

警察：案子已經結束5年了，大家都以為他死了，然后他又出現了。如果沒有沃爾特的話，他肯定回不來?？铝炙固愕膬鹤雍苡赂?，你應該為他感到驕傲。

克里斯?。何覟樗械津湴痢?/p>

警察：你覺得他還活著？

克里斯?。簽槭裁床荒兀烤较壬翘焱砩嫌腥齻€孩子逃了出去，如果一個人逃脫了，那么其他兩個人或者至少會有一個能逃出來。沃爾特可能也逃了出來，而且和這個孩子一樣，他心里害怕，不敢公開自己的身份，也不敢回家，或者是害怕自己會再惹上麻煩。不管是哪種情況，今天晚上的事給了我一些以前沒有的東西。

警察：是什么？

克里斯?。合Ｍ?。

Smart Sentences

① I got in a fight with Billy Mankowski. 我和比利·曼克維斯基打了一架。

get in: become involved（參與）。例如：

Garry got in an argument with his brother.

加里與他的弟弟爭吵起來。

Suitable Occasion: oral， informal

② He said my dad ran off because he didn’t like me. 他說爸爸是因為不喜歡我才走的。

run off: secretly go away to leave sb./sth. behind（逃走）。例如：

Gus was scared of the fight and ran off the night before.

格斯害怕這場戰斗，在前一晚溜之大吉。

Suitable Occasion: oral， informal

③ It’s time for you to move on and start over for yourself. 你是時候好好生活，為了自己重新開始了。

it’s time for sb. to do sth.: sth. ought to happen or be done（做某事的時候到了）。例如：

It’s time for you to give him a call.

是時候你給他打個電話了。

Suitable Occasion: oral， informal

④ You did everything you could. 你盡全力了。

You did everything you could. = There’s nothing else you could have done. = You tried your best.

you did everything you could: used to assure the other that he/she shouldn’t feel bad about sth.（用以安慰對方）。例如：

—I feel terrible that I wasn’t able to help you out.

沒能幫上你的忙，我的心里不好受。

—Don’t worry about it. You did everything you could.

別擔心，你已經盡力了。

Suitable Occasion: oral， informal