An American Officer’s Teddy Bear (美国军官的熊孩子)

这个女孩，就叫她瑞吧，我不知道她的中文名。她比我女儿大两岁，看上去文文静静，很温顺的样子。我女儿和她做了两年朋友，一句怨言都没有，这非常难得。我这个女儿对自己对别人要求都很高，没被她抱怨过的女孩一定是个懂事宽厚的姑娘。 

This girl, let’s call her Rei, because I didn’t know her Chinese name. She was two years older than my daughter, seemed very quiet and obedient. During the two years they both were in high school. I never heard a complaint about Rei from my daughter. This was very rare. This daughter of mine had high standards for herself and for others. Never a complaint about this girl meant that Rei was a very caring and considerate person.  

我和瑞的直接接触很少。瑞的事都是我从女儿那里听来的。瑞的事情我听到不少，因为我女儿很喜欢她。 

 I had very little direct contact with Rei. Most things about Rei I heard from my daughter. I heard a lot of things about Rei, because my daughter liked her a lot. 

 我知道瑞是华裔，因为女儿告诉我，瑞的华语说得很好，这点我女儿很佩服她。女儿还告诉我，瑞在上海住过两年，她爸爸给派去中国工作，她们全家一起去的。我不知道瑞的一家是从中国大陆来的还是台湾来的，因为女儿不关心这个，从来没打听过。 

 I know Rei is of Chinese descent, because my daughter told me Rei speaks Chinese very well. My daughter was very impressed with this fact. My daughter also told me that Rei lived in Shanghai for two years. Her father was sent to work in China so her whole family went with him. I don’t know whether Rei’s family came from mainland China or Taiwan. My daughter didn’t care about such things. She never asked. 

 我们的高中第一次开了AP微极分课，只有十六个学生敢去挑战。 以前一直有AP Calculus AB, 那年是第一次开Calculus BC。一千六百多个学生的高中，只有百分之一的学生选了这门课。这班学生心里没底，自己打气，自称one percenter, 最聪明的百分之一。这个班上只有瑞和我女儿两个女生，我夸她们是千里挑一的姑娘，尽管女儿批评我的算术不够严谨。 

 When our high school started offering AP Calculus class, only 16 students were brave enough to take up this challenge. Our school had offered AP Calculus AB for many years, but AP Calculus BC was a first time offer that year. Of the sixteen hundred students at this high school, only one percent elected to take this class. The students in this class were not so sure of themselves. So they took to call themselves the One Percenter for self-encouragement, “the Smartest One Percent”. There were only two girls in this class, Rei and my daughter. I praised the two girls being the Greatest, one in a thousand, even though my daughter protested that my math was not exactly right. 

 虽然我知道瑞很优秀，但当女儿告诉我瑞被空军军校录取时，我还是吃了一惊。第一，美国军官学校都很不容易进，难度和藤校差不多。还有一个录取条件是每个学生都要得到一个国会议员的推荐信。瑞平时轻言慢语，我没想到她是这样的出色。第二，虽然知道军队里有文官，可这孩子这么矮小，我实在没法把她和空军军官联系在一起。女儿说瑞要学一个比较偏的专业，在商科和工科之间。这个专业学的人不多，军队里很需要这方面的人才。 

 Even though I knew Rei was a great kid, I was still surprised when my daughter told me that Rei was accepted into the Air Force Academy. Firstly, it is not easy to get into the military academies of the American armed forces. The difficulty of getting in is about the same as that of Ivy League schools. There is also an additional requirement for acceptance into these elite military academies that other colleges do not require. Each student must obtain a recommendation from a U.S. Congressman. Rei strike me as quiet and patient. I didn’t know that she was so outstanding. Secondly, even though I knew there were military officer positions not involved in combat, but Rei was so small, I just could not associate her with an image of an air force officer. My daughter said Rei’s major field of study would be somewhere between business and engineering. Not many people work in this field. ?But the U.S. military really needed people in this area. 

 瑞离家参军前把她心爱的大熊留给了我女儿做纪念。这熊在女儿的小房间里占去了一大块空间，直到她也离家上大学去了。 

 Before Rei left home to join the armed forces, she gave her favorite big bear to my daughter for keepsake. This bear took up a lot of space in my daughter’s small room, till she too, left home for college. 

 当妈以后才发现做这行工作的有不少职业病，其中一个常见病就是瞎操心。自家孩子的心操不够，还为别人家的孩子操心。我为瑞操的心是担心她过不了基础训练。这么矮小的女孩，能通过军校的体能训练吗？等我想起来问我女儿时，被告知瑞早已顺利通过了。女儿还说，看到瑞在脸书上贴的照片觉得很好笑，一个小女孩和一群大男生一起跑步，这女孩还不及男生们的肩膀那么高。听得出我女儿很为她的朋友骄傲。当然她们脸书上的照片是不让妈妈看的，孩子们大了有她们自己的世界。当妈的另一个常见职业病，瞎掺和，聪明的孩子都懂得预防最重要。 

 After becoming a mother, I realized that there are lots of occupational diseases associated with this career. One of the common disease is called “worrying for no good reason”. ?Not only worrying about my own kids, I also worry about other people’s kids. My worry for Rei was that she could not pass the basic training. Such a tiny girl, can she get through the rigorous physical training at the military academy? When I remembered to ask my daughter, I was told that Rei had already pass it with no problem at all. 

 My daughter also said that she thought the pictures Rei posted on Facebook was very funny. A little girl was running amongst a group of big boys, and the girl wasn’t even as tall as the boys’ shoulders. I could tell that my daughter was very proud of her friend. Of course she would not let me see those Facebook pictures. When kids grow up, they have a world of their own. Mothers are often afflicted with another occupational disease, commonly called “meddling”. Smart kids all know prevention is most important. 

 再听到瑞的消息是女儿自己提起的。女儿很兴奋，告诉我瑞见到了总统了，还和总统握了手。 

 The next time I heard the news about Rei was when my daughter brought it up herself. My daughter was very excited. She told me that Rei met the President. And Rei got to shake hands with the President of the United States. 

是嘛？有图为证？ 我问。消息的来源可靠，这当然是真的。我不过想看看女儿的脸书，并没觉得这消息有多么重要。美国政客亲民拉票，和他们握手合影的机会不少。 

 For real? You got pictures to prove it?  I asked. The news came from a dependable source, of course it was real. I just wanted to see my daughter’s Facebook, not that I thought the news itself was a big deal. American politicians like to kiss babies to get votes. There are lots of opportunities to shake hands and take pictures with them. 

 当然，瑞在脸书上晒了。女儿一脸得意的样子。 

 Of course, Rei posted it on Facebook. There was a proud look on my daughter’s face. 

 是嘛？那让我看看。孩子们的世界门守得很紧，担心我进去搅乱了。但我喜欢趴在窗沿上，请求孩子们把窗帘掀起一角让我看看她们绚丽多彩的生活。孩子们体贴妈的关心，偶而会答应我的要求。 

 Oh, yeah? Let me see. Normally, my kids guard the door to their world very tight. They are afraid that I will mess things up if they let me in. But I like to stand at the window, begging them to lift up a corner of the curtain, so I can have a peek at the lives in their beautiful world. My kids knew that I cared very much for them. Sometimes they would grant my request. 

 这次女儿捂不住了，她太高兴了，要和妈妈分享。拿起手机，脸书上找到了照片。巴掌大的照片，把我彻底震撼了。从上到下，从内到外的那种震撼。 

 This time, my daughter couldn’t keep the cover on it. She was so happy that she wanted to share it with Mom. She took out her cell phone and found the picture on Facebook. A picture, no more than the size of the palm, shook me to the core. Top to bottom, inside to outside, that kind of shock. 

 照片是空军军校毕业典礼时拍的。蓝天白云之下，Colorado高原上，军校操场上坐满了人。照片是从后排拍的，后面穿着各色便服的是学员们的家人，前面洁白一片是穿着军礼服的应届毕业学生，主席台上坐着的是教官和政要。 

 The picture was taken at the graduation ceremony of The United States Air Force Academy. Under the blue sky and white clouds, upon the Colorado plateau, the grounds of Air Force Academy was filled with people. This picture was taken from the back of the crowd. In the back, wearing civilian cloth of all sorts of colors, were the family members of the cadets. In the front, in white dress uniform, were the graduating air force cadets. On the raised platform, were the senior officers and politicians. 

 主席台前，一位军官正举着手，向奥 巴马总统敬礼。照片上只能看到这位军官的背面，她站得象钢纤一样的坚挺。总统微笑着，伸出手来要和这位军官握手。军官的个头不及总统的肩膀，这除了瑞还能是谁！ 

 In front of the podium, an officer raised her hand. She was saluting President Barack Obama, the Supreme Commander of the United States Armed Forces. From the picture, you could only see the back of this officer. She stood ramrod straight. The President, smiling, put out his hand for this office to shake. This officer’s height was not quite as high as President’s shoulder. If not Rei, who else could it be! 

 谢谢你，宝贝女儿！有机会分享你的喜悦，这是妈妈的荣幸。 

 Thank you, my precious daughter! It is an honor for this opportunity to share you happiness. 

 谢谢你，瑞姑娘，亲爱的美国军官！成长的路上有你做伴，这是我女儿的荣幸。 

 Thank you, Rei, my dear American officer! It is an honor for my daughter growing up with you as her companion. 

 谢谢你，伟大的美利坚合众国！有机会在这个以平等自由为立国之本的地方生活，这是我和家人的荣幸。 

 Thank you, the great United States of America! It is an honor for my family and I to live in this nation built on equality and freedom. 

 五十多年前，一个牧师的梦语，唤醒了善良人士心中对平等多元社会的渴望。虽然离这个理想社会还很遥远，但我从这张照片中看到了希望。一个军官，一个总统，美国人透过肤色，看到了她/他们的内在品质。这就是美国社会进步的证据！ 

 More than 50 years ago, a minister uttered his dream, and woke up the heart’s desire of decent people everywhere, for a society of diversity and equality. Even though the truly equal ideal society is still far away, I can see hope in this picture. An officer and a President, seeing beyond the color of their skin, Americans saw their inner characters. This is an evidence of advancement in the American society! 

 姐姐离家上大学之后，小妹担心这熊孩子在小房间里寂寞， 把它抱了出来。小妹自己的房间早已被绒毛动物塞满了，只好把这熊孩子安置在妈妈卧室门前，还派了自己心爱的小白虎来和这熊孩子做伴。 

 After her big sister left home for college, Baby Sis took this bear out because she did not want the bear to be lonely in the small room by himself. Her own room was already filled with stuff animals. So she found a place for the bear in front of Mom’s bedroom door. Then she sent out her favorite white tiger to keep this bear company. 

 每天晚上看见这个美国军官的熊孩子，我就可以踏踏实实地入睡。闭上眼晴，继续做我的美梦。总有一天，这个梦想会成真的! 

 When I look at this bear of an American officer, I can sleep tight every night. Closing my eyes, I continue my beautiful dream. Someday, this dream will come true! 

 莲盆籽 

二0一七年二日八日 

 ================================================================== 

Aiming to appeal to the decent and loving Chinese Americans, I put in all my heart, and give it all my might. My sweet peas, I wrote down this memory out of my love for you. I hope you girls will be proud of me. 

Mom 

February 17, 2017 

(The English version of this story is a belated Valentine’ day gift for my daughters.) 

Just read it again (This time trying to read Chinese). We are all so proud of you!  ~ My lovely daughters.