所謂成長，就是一條與爸媽和解的路

繪◎也 圓

Dear Mother,

I'm sending this letter to both of you because I know you have been worried about me and I am always sorry to cause you worry. But you must not do that—because, although my life may smashup①in different ways, I will always do all that I can for the people I love. I have never been a drunk nor even a steady drinker and that all I want is tranquility②and a chance to write. You may never like anything I write— and then suddenly you might like something very much. But you must believe than I am sincere in what I write.

I am sure that, in the course of my life, you will find much cause to feel that I have disgraced you if you believe everything you hear. On the other hand with a little shot of loyalty as an anesthetic you may be able to get through all my obvious disreputability and fi nd, in the end, that I have not disgraced you at all.

Anyhow, best love to you both.

Ernie (Ernie Hemingway)

親愛的母親：

我知道您二老一直擔心著我，所以我把這封信寄給你們，我很抱歉，讓你們擔心了。但是你們不必那樣做—— 因為，盡管我的人生可能遭遇不同的災難，但我會永遠為我們所愛的人們去做我所能做的一切事情。我從來不是一個酒鬼，也很少喝酒，而我所想要的只不過是安寧的環境和一個寫作的機會。也許你們從未喜歡過我寫的任何作品——你們也可能會突然非常喜歡某部作品。但是你們一定要相信，我對于自己所寫的東西都是非常真誠的。

我敢肯定，在我的人生道路上，假如您相信道聽途說的每一件事，您將會找到很多理由覺得我讓您蒙羞了。但在另一方面，如果您用一點點信任作為麻醉劑，去撥開那些顯而易見的聲名狼藉，到最后您也許會發現，事實上我一點兒都沒有讓您蒙羞。

不論怎樣，真心的愛獻給二老。

歐尼（歐尼斯特·海明威）

①smashup 英 ['sm???p] n. 猛撞；慘敗；撞車；翻覆

② tranquility [tr?n'kw?l?ti] n. 寧靜；平靜