I fell in love with the minister's

I fell in love with the minister's son the winter I turned fourteen. He was not Chinese, but as white
as Mary in the manger. For Christmas I prayed for this blond-haired boy, Robert, and a slim new
American nose.
When I found out that my parents had invited the minister's family over for Christmas Eve dinner,
I cried. What would Robert think of our shabby Chinese Christmas? What would he think of our noisy
Chinese relatives who lacked proper American manners? What terrible disappoint-ment would he feel
upon seeing not a roasted turkey and sweet potatoes but Chinese food?
On Christmas Eve I saw that my mother had outdone herself in creating a strange menu. She was
pulling black veins out of the backs of fleshy prawns. The kitchen was littered with appalling mounds of
raw food: A slimy rock cod with bulging eyes that pleaded not to be thrown into a pan of hot oil. Tofu,
which looked like stacked wedges of rubbery white sponges. A bowl soaking dried fungus back to life.
A plate of squid, their backs crisscrossed with knife markings so they resembled bicycle tires.
And then they arrived – the minister's family and all my relatives in a clamor of doorbells and
rumpled Christmas packages. Robert grunted hello, and I pretended he was not worthy of existence.
Dinner threw me deeper into despair. My relatives licked the ends of their chopsticks and reached
across the table, dipping them into the dozen or so plates of food. Robert and his family waited patiently
for platters to be passed to them. My relatives murmured with pleasure when my mother brought out the
whole steamed fish. Robert grimaced. Then my father poked his chopsticks just below the fish eye and
plucked out the soft meat. "Amy, your favorite," he said, offering me the tender fish cheek. I wanted to
disappear.
At the end of the meal my father leaned back and belched loudly, thanking my mother for her fine
cooking. "It's a polite Chinese custom to show you are satisfied," explained my father to our astonished
guests. Robert was looking down at his plate with a reddened face. The minister managed to muster up a
quiet burp. I was stunned into silence for the rest of the night.
After everyone had gone, my mother said to me, "You want to be the same as American girls on
the outside." She handed me an early gift. It was a miniskirt in beige tweed. "But inside you must
always be Chinese. You must be proud you are different. Your only shame is to have shame."
And even though I didn't agree with her then, I knew that she understood how much I had suffered
during the evening's dinner. It wasn't until many year later – long after I had gotten over my crush on
Robert – that I was able to fully appreciate her lesson and the true purpose behind our particular menu.
For Christmas Eve that year, she had chosen all my favorite foods.

結果 (繁體中文) 1:

我愛上這位部長的兒子冬天我十四歲。他不是中國人，但是一樣白作為在馬槽裡的瑪麗。耶誕節我祈求這金髮的男孩，羅伯特，和苗條新美國的鼻子。當我發現我父母已經邀請牧師的家庭在吃聖誕大餐，我哭了。羅伯特 · 會怎麼想我們破舊的中國耶誕節的?他會怎麼想的我們吵中國缺乏美國式教養的親戚嗎?他會覺得什麼可怕的失望發展見狀不烤的火雞和甜土豆但中國食物嗎?耶誕節前夕我看見我媽媽在創建一個奇怪的功能表打敗過自己。她是拉出的肉質蝦背黑脈。廚房裡到處都是令人震驚的成堆的生食: 黏糊糊的岩石鱈魚配鼓鼓的眼睛，拒不認罪被扔進一鍋熱油。豆腐，這看起來像橡皮白色海綿堆積著。一個碗浸泡著幹真菌生活。烏賊片，他們的背上用刀交叉劃因此他們象極了自行車輪胎。當他們到達 — — 這位部長的家庭和我所有的親戚，一陣喧鬧的門鈴聲和聖誕禮盒。羅伯特 · 哼了一聲你好，和我假裝他不值得存在。晚餐扔我越陷越深陷入絕望的境地。我的親戚舔他們的筷子和達成在桌子上，蘸著十二個左右的盤子裡的食物。羅伯特和他的家人耐心地等著為碟片要傳遞給他們。我的親戚都喃喃地說很高興時，我的母親帶出整個蒸的魚。羅伯特 · 做了個鬼臉。然後我父親戳了戳他的魚眼睛下方的筷子和拔掉軟軟的肉。"艾米，你最喜歡的"他說，給我提供了投標魚腮。我想要消失。在結束了這頓飯我父親身子向後靠，嗝，感謝我的媽媽為她的精烹飪。"這是禮貌的中國傳統習俗，去展示你是滿意的"我父親解釋道，對我們驚訝住客。羅伯特低頭看他漲紅的臉板。部長終於鼓起安靜的打嗝。驚夜餘生沉默了大家都走了後，我媽媽說到我，"你想要美國女孩一樣上外面。她遞給我一份早期的禮物。這是一件迷你裙在米色粗花呢。"但裡面你必須永遠是中國人。您必須是驕傲你是不同的。你唯一的遺憾就是羞恥感。雖然我並不同意她的然後，我知道，她明白了多少苦在晚上的晚餐。它不是直到許多年後 — — 很久之後我已經習慣了我的迷戀物件羅伯特 — — 我是能夠完全明白她的課和我們的特定功能表背後的真正目的。平安夜那一年，她選擇了我最喜歡的食物。

結果 (繁體中文) 2:

我愛上了部長的兒子冬天我轉身十四歲。他不是中國人，但白
瑪麗在馬槽裡。對於聖誕節，我祈禱這個金發男孩，羅伯特和苗條的新
的美國鼻子。
當我發現我的父母邀請了牧師的家人在平安夜晚宴，
我哭了。你會覺得羅伯特寒酸我們中國的聖誕節？他會怎麼看待我們吵的
中國親戚誰缺乏美國式教養？什麼可怕的令人失望，換貨他會覺得
見狀沒有烤火雞和甘藷，但中國菜嗎？
聖誕節前夕，我看到我的母親也不甘示弱自己創造一個奇怪的菜單。她
拉黑脈了肉蝦的背上。廚房裡散落著成堆駭人聽聞
生食：一種粘糊糊的岩石鱈魚鼓鼓的眼睛不承認自己被扔進熱油的平底鍋。豆腐，
它看上去像白色的橡膠海綿堆放楔子。一碗浸泡幹木耳起死回生。
魷魚的板塊，他們的背上縱橫交錯刀斑紋，使他們類似於自行車輪胎。
然後他們來到-牧師的家人和我所有的親戚在門鈴的叫囂和
皺巴巴的聖誕套餐。羅伯特哼了一聲招呼，我假裝他不值得存在。的
晚餐把我更深的絕望。我的親戚舔筷子的兩端，達到
隔著桌子，浸成食品的十幾片。羅伯特和他的家人耐心地等待著
為盤片要傳遞給他們。我的親戚喃喃高興的時候，我的母親帶出了
整個清蒸魚。羅伯特做了個鬼臉。然後我爸爸戳他的筷子正下方的魚眼和
摳出的軟肉。“艾米，你最喜歡的，”他說，我提供招標魚腮。我想
消失。
在吃飯我父親靠在椅背上噴出一聲，感謝我的母親對她罰款結束
烹調。“這是一個禮貌的中國人的習慣，以顯示你滿意了，解釋說：”我父親對我們驚訝
的客人。羅伯特低頭看著他的盤子用漲紅的臉。部長設法鼓起一個
安靜的飽嗝。我驚呆了陷入沉默了一夜的休息。
之後每個人都走了，我的母親對我說，“你想是一樣對美國女孩
在外面。“ 她遞給我一個早期的禮物。這是米色的斜紋軟呢迷你裙。“但裡面你必須
永遠是中國人。你必須為你感到驕傲是不同的。你唯一的恥辱是有羞恥。“
雖然我不同意她的話，我就知道，她理解我了多少遭受
期間晚上的晚宴。直到很多年後-後不久我已經得到了我暗戀
羅伯特-我是能夠充分欣賞她的教訓，我們特別菜單背後的真正目的
平安夜那年，她選擇了所有我喜歡食物。