Forgotten and Forgiven
忘记并宽容
As I sat perched in the second-floor window of our brick schoolhouse that afternoon, my heart began to sink further with each passing car.
那天下午，我坐在学校砖楼二楼的窗沿上，看着一辆辆经过的汽车，心不断地往下沉。
This was a day I'd looked forward to for weeks: Miss Pace's fourth-grade, end-of-the-year party.
裴老师带的四年级班的年终派对将在那天举行，我已经盼了好几个星期了。
Miss Pace had kept a running countdown on the blackboard all that week, and our class of nine-year-olds had bordered on insurrection by the time the much-anticipated "party Friday" had arrived.
那个星期，裴老师还在黑板上弄了个倒计时牌。当这个令人望穿秋水的“派对星期五”到来的时候，我们一班九岁大的孩子们兴奋得像炸开了锅一样。
I had happily volunteered my mother when Miss Pace requested cookie volunteers.
在裴老师征召志愿者提供小甜饼的时候，我很开心地推荐了我母亲。
Mom's chocolate chips reigned supreme on our block, and I knew they'd be a hit with my classmates. But two o'clock passed, and there was no sign of her.
妈妈做的巧克力片在我们那个街区是最最好吃的。我知道它们肯定会在同学们中大受欢迎。
Most of the other mothers had already come and gone, dropping off their offerings of punch, crackers, cupcakes and brownies. My mother was missing in action.
可是两点都过了，她还没有出现。其他同学的母亲大都已来过了，带来了她们做的饮料、饼干、薯条、蛋糕还有核仁巧克力饼。我的母亲却还不见踪影。
"Don't worry, Robbie, she'll be along soon," Miss Pace said as I gazed forlornly down at the street. I looked at the wall clock just in time to see its black minute hand shift to half-past.
“别着急，罗比，她很快就会来的。”当我孤苦无望地盯着下面的大街时，裴老师对我说。我看了看墙上的钟，它黑色的分针刚好跳到两点半。
Around me, the noisy party raged on, but I wouldn't leave my window watch post.
我的周围，喧闹的派对正进行得如火如荼，而我却不愿从窗口这个观察站挪动半步。
Miss Pace did her best to coax me away, but I just stayed there, holding out hope that the familiar family car would round the corner, carrying my rightfully embarrassed mother with a tin of her famous cookies tucked under her arm.
裴老师用尽办法对我好言相劝，我还是一动不动，不死心地期待着家里那辆熟悉的汽车转过街角，载着我那应该感到难为情的母亲，怀里抱着一罐她那出名的小甜饼。
The three o'clock bell soon jolted me from my thoughts and I dejectedly grabbed my book bag from my desk and shuffled out the door for home.
三点的钟声把我从思绪中惊醒，我沮丧地从课桌上抓过书包，拖着步子出了门往家走。
On the walk to home, I plotted my revenge. I would slam the front door upon entering, refuse to return her hug when she rushed over to me, and vow never to speak to her again.
离家步行只有四个街区，在路上我就计划好了怎么报复。我要一进门就砰地狠狠把门关上，她迎向我的时候不要和她拥抱，并发誓再也不跟她说话了。
