My surprise over the past few winters has been the personality transformation my parents go through around mid-December as they change from Dad and Mom into Grandpa and Grandma. Yes, they become grandparents and are completely different from the people I know the other eleven and a half months of the year.

    The first sign of my parents' change is the delight they take in visiting toy and children's clothing stores. These two people, who usually dislike anything having to do with shopping malls, become crazy consumers. While they tell me to budget my money and shop wisely, they are buying up every doll and dump truck in sight. And this is on/y the beginning of the holidays!

    When my brother's children arrive, Grandpa and Grandma come into full form.First they throw out all ideas about a balanced diet for the grandkids. While we were raised in a house where everyone had to take two bites of corn, beets C ant~, or liver(foods that appeared quite often on our table despite constant complaining), the grandchildren never have to eat anything that does not appeal to them. Grandma carries chocolate in her pockets to bribe (賄賂) the littlest ones into following her around the house. While Grandpa offers "surprises" of candy and cake to them all day long. Boxes of chocolate-pie disappear while the whole-wheat bread gets hard and stale. The kids love all the sweets, and when the sugar raises their energy levels, Grandma and Grandpa can always decide to leave and do a bit more shopping or go to bed while my brother and sister-in-law try to deal with their highly active kids.

    Once the grandchildren have arrived, Grandma and Grandpa also seem to forget all of the responsibility lectures I so often hear in my daily life. If Mickey screams at his sister during dinner. He is “developing his own personality”;. If Nancy breaks Grandma’s mirror, she is “just a curious child”. But, if I track mud into the house while helping to unload groceries, I become “careless”; if I scold one of the grandkids for tearing pages out of my textbook, I am impatient”. . If Paula talks back to her mother, Grandma and Grandpa simile at her spirit. If I say on e word about all of this excessive love, Mom and Dad reappear to have a talk with me about petty jealousies.

    passage1譯文與重點(diǎn)詞匯   

    過(guò)去幾年，我一直感到驚奇( surprise: amazement，astonishment. shock)的是我父母所經(jīng)歷的個(gè)性( personality: character，identity)轉(zhuǎn)變(transformation: change，shift)， 當(dāng)時(shí)大約是12月中旬，他們由父母變成(change: become)了祖父母。是的，他們成了祖父母后，就與之前11個(gè)半月我所熟悉的父母完全不同( different: distinct)了。

[FS:PAGE]    我父母發(fā)生變化的第一個(gè)跡象( sign：mark, token)就是他們存游覽(visit: sightsee)玩具與兒童服飾( clothing: garment)店(store: shop)時(shí)所表現(xiàn)出來(lái)的喜悅(delight: joy. pleasure)。這兩個(gè)通常討厭(dislike: hate)任何與購(gòu)物(shop: buy, purchase)商場(chǎng)(mall: department store)有關(guān)東兩的人，現(xiàn)在卻變成了瘋狂的(crazy: frantic, mad)消費(fèi)者( consumer: buyer，shopper)。雖然他們叮囑我要明智地(wisely. brightly，smartly)安排(budget: arrange. organize. schedule)自己的開(kāi)支與購(gòu)物，但是他們自己卻買(mǎi)下了見(jiàn)到的(in sight: in view. in vision)所有玩偶(doll)和自卸玩具卡車(chē)。并日.這還只足假期( holiday: vacation)的開(kāi)始(beginning: start)!

    我兄弟的孩子來(lái)( arrive: reach)玩時(shí)，爺爺和奶奶就會(huì)精神百倍(come into full form: energetic)。首先，他們會(huì)拋棄(throw out: get rid of，give up)所有對(duì)孫子有益的均衡( balance)飲食(diet: food)觀念(idea: concept. opinion. thought)。然而，在我們被撫養(yǎng)( raise: feed，foster. rear)成人時(shí)，我們每個(gè)人只能吃-兩口玉米、甜菜或是豬肝(盡管我們時(shí)常( constant: continuous，regular)抱怨(complain: moan)，但是這些食物經(jīng)常出現(xiàn)( appear: emerge，occur，present)在飯桌上，但是，這些孫子們卻從來(lái)不必吃( eat: have. take)那些對(duì)他們沒(méi)有吸引力(appeal: attraction. charm)的東西。奶奶的口袋里裝著巧克力，為的是吸引( bribe: attract)最小的孫子跟著(follow: pursue)她滿屋子跑，而爺爺則整天用糖果和蛋糕給孫子們帶來(lái)(offer: bring, provide, supply)“驚喜”。一盒盒的巧克力餅干被吃光了(disappear：eat up，vanish),而純麥面包卻變硬( hard: crisp，firm. rigid)、變質(zhì)(stale)了。孩子們喜歡所有糖果(sweet: sugar)，并且，在糖果(sugar: sweet)增強(qiáng)(raise：enhance，reinforce, strengthen)了孩子們的活力( energy: force. power)時(shí)，爺爺和奶奶通常可以決定(decide：choose, determine)離開(kāi)，去買(mǎi)更多的東西回來(lái)，或是上床休息，而我的兄弟和嫂子就要盡力照料( deal with: look after)他們亢奮的(active：energetic，vigorous)孩子。

    一旦孫子們來(lái)了，爺爺和奶奶也似平(seem: appear. Look)忘記(forget：disremember)了所有我每天(daily: everyday)經(jīng)常聽(tīng)劍的職責(zé)( responsibility：duty, obligation)訓(xùn)誡(lecture: discipline)。如果米奇在吃飯(dinner: meal)時(shí)對(duì)他的妹妹喊叫( scream：cry，shout, yell)，他就被認(rèn)為是在“培養(yǎng)(develop：grow)他自己的個(gè)性”; 如果南希打破了奶奶的鏡子( mirror)，她就被認(rèn)為“只是一個(gè)好奇的(curious)孩子”。但是，在我卸( unload: unburden)雜貨(grocery)時(shí)，如果我把泥土(mud: clay. dirt)帶進(jìn)(track: leave)屋子，就會(huì)被認(rèn)為是“租心大意(careless: reckless)”;

    如果我因?yàn)槠渲械囊粋€(gè)孫子撕(tear: rip)了我課奉的幾頁(yè)紙而訓(xùn)斥(scold：blame. criticize，reproach)他，就會(huì)被認(rèn)為“沒(méi)有耐性(impatient: anxious. intolerant)”。如果保拉與她媽媽頂嘴( talk hack)，爺爺和奶奶就會(huì)笑著(Smile)稱(chēng)贊她的勇氣(spirit：courage)。如果我對(duì)這種溺(excessive: extreme, unreasonable)愛(ài)友半句微詞，我的父母就會(huì)再次和我談?wù)撐业男⌒〖刀?jealousy: envy)之心。