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A Western mother's response
一位西方母亲的回应
In the days since the newspaper published the column by the Chinese mother, I have thought of what I would say to her if I met her. I might point out, as others have, that Asian-American girls aged 15 to 24 have above average rates of suicide and eating disorders. I might question the arrogance of ascribing her child's success to the Chinese child-rearing techniques of criticism and name-calling when it could just as likely have resulted from genetic or economic blessings. But I have a feeling that she knows that.
报纸上刊登出一位中国母亲的专栏之后的几天中，我曾经想过，要是能碰到她，我会对她说些什么。我也许会像其他人一样指出，15 岁至 24 岁的亚裔美国女孩自杀和饮食失调的比例高于平均值。我也许会质疑她把自己孩子的成功归结于中国式批评和谩骂的养育技巧，这种想法实在傲慢，孩子的成功可能只是源于良好的遗传基因或经济条件。不过，我觉得这点她是知道的。
More importantly, if I did make such contentions, I'd risk being called a liar by my own children. Sophie, my oldest, would remind me of the recent evening when I stared in stony silence at her report card, sniffing in contempt at her father's happy congratulations.
更重要的是，如果我确实持此观点，就得冒着被自己孩子说成骗子的风险。索菲，我的长女，会提醒我就在不久前的一个晚上，我盯着她的成绩单一言不发，毫无表情，并对她父亲高兴的祝贺嗤之以鼻。
"What?" she said. "I got 5 solid As."
“怎么了？”她说。“我可是得了 5 个 A 啊。”
I shrugged.
我耸耸肩。
"Come on, my husband complained.
“别这样，”我丈夫抱怨道。
My daughter narrowed her eyes at me. She knew what was coming.
女儿眯起眼睛看我，她知道接下来会发生什么。
I pointed at the remaining three grades, sociology, biochemistry and intermediate aesthetics, none a solid A. I certainly didn't think it warranted the "screaming, hair-tearing explosion" that the author informs us would have greeted the daughter of a Chinese mother. However, I articulated my displeasure clearly enough. The word "garbage" was not uttered. But, it was only because I feared my husband's reproach that I refrained from telling my own daughter, when she collapsed in tears, that she was acting like an idiot.
我指着余下的三门课的成绩，社会学、生物化学和中级美学，没有一个是 A。我当然不认为对此应该“尖叫和恼怒地爆发”，就像作者说的中国妈妈对待女儿的那样。不过，我也足够清晰地表达了自己的不满，只是没说“垃圾”这个词。她痛哭失声，我忍住了没说她像个白痴，但那也只是因为我担心丈夫的责备而已。
