Not Just a Mom母親的含義

A woman named Emily renewing her driver's license at the County Clerk's office was asked by the woman recorder to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself. "What I mean is," explained the recorder, "do you have a job, or are you just a ... "一位名叫埃米莉的婦女在縣辦事處給駕駛執照續期時，一名女記錄員問及她的職業。她猶豫了一下，不敢肯定應如何將自己歸類。“我意思是說你有沒有工作，”那名記錄員解釋說，“還是說你只不過是一名……”

"Of course I have a job," snapped Emily. "I'm a mother."“我當然有工作，”埃米莉馬上回答，“我是一名母親。”

"We don't list 'mother' as an occupation ... 'Housewife' covers it," said the recorder emphatically. “我們這里不把‘母親’看成是一個職業……‘家庭主婦’就可以了。”那名記錄員斷然回答。

I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall. The Clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient, and possessed of a high sounding title like, "Official Interrogator" or "Town Registrar." "What is your occupation?" she probed.這個故事聽后，我就忘了。直到有一天在市政廳，我也遇到了同樣的情況。很顯然，那名辦事員是位職業女性，自信、有能力，并有著一個類似“官方訊問員”或“鎮登記員”之類很堂皇的頭銜。“你的職業？”她問道。

What made me say it, I do not know ... The words simply popped out. "I'm a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations."至今我也不知道，當時是什么因素作怪，我脫口而出：“我是兒童發育和人類關系研究員。”

The clerk paused, ballpoint pen frozen in midair, and looked up as though she had not heard right.那名辦事員愣住了，拿著原珠筆的手也不動了。她抬頭看著我，好像沒有聽清楚我說什么似的。

I repeated the title slowly, emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.我慢慢地把我的職業再重復一遍，在說到重要的詞時還加重語氣。然后，我驚奇地看著我的話被粗黑的筆記錄在官方的問卷上。

"Might I ask," said the clerk with new interest, "just what you do in your field?"“我能不能問一下，”這名辦事員好奇地問，“你在這個領域具體做什么？”

Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply, "I have a continuing program of research, , in the laboratory and in the field, . I'm working for my Masters, , and already have four credits, . Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, and I often work 14 hours a day, . But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money."我非常鎮定地答道：“我有一個不間斷的研究項目，工作地點包括實驗室和現場。我在為我的學位努力，而且已經有了四個學分。當然，我的工作是人類要求最高的工作之一我通常工作一天14小時。但這項工作比大部分普通工作都具有挑戰性，而它通常帶來的回報不是金錢，更多的是滿足感。”

There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk's voice as she completed the form, stood up, and personally ushered me to the door.那名辦事員在填完表格后，站起來，親自把我送到門口。在這個過程中，她說話時流露出一股敬意。

As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants - ages 13, 7, and 3. Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model, , in the child-development program, testing out a new vocal pattern.我回到家，把車停在家門前的車道時，還對自己響亮的頭銜覺得飄飄然。我那三名年齡分別為13歲、7歲、3歲的實驗室助手正在等著我，從樓上傳來我們的新實驗模特兒的聲音，她正放開嗓門，測試著新的聲音模式。

I felt triumphant! I had scored a beat on bureaucracy! And I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than "just another mother."我感到歡欣鼓舞！我竟然打敗了官僚機構！如今，在官方的紀錄上，我成了人類超群出眾、不可或缺的人物，而不僅僅是一位母親。

Motherhood ... What a glorious career! Especially when there's a title on the door.母親……這是多么光榮的職業啊！特別是現在這已經成為官方記錄了。

Does this make grandmothers "Senior Research Associates in the field of Child Development and Human Relations" and great grandmothers "Executive Senior Research Associates"? I think so!!!這是不是說奶奶和姥姥就是“資深兒童發育和人類關系研究員”，而曾祖母則是“高級研究員”呢？我想是這樣的！

I also think it makes Aunts "Associate Research Assistants".我想，小姨子也因此成了“研究員助理”。

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