疯妈妈

由简·莱斯利·康莉编著的《疯妈妈》用真实而自然的笔触描写了上世纪八十年代发生在美国一个小城市贫民区中的一个故事。以平朴的语句记叙了原本有些调皮捣蛋的孩子弗农与邻近街区的怪人——被称为"疯婆子"的麦可辛以及她的弱智儿子罗纳德之间的交往过程。一开始，弗农和其他孩子一起捉弄嘲笑那对奇怪的母子俩。后来，在好心的安妮老师的安排下，弗农走近了这对母子，并费心尽力地帮助他们。可是，他很痛心麦可辛的酗酒恶习，认为她不是一个好母亲。而书末，一个出人意料的事件让爱喷发，所有人对弱智孩子的关爱从一个小小的视窗得以展现得淋漓尽致。对有缺点的不完美的人生抱以同情、理解和宽容，这是心灵在苦痛中的成长体会，也是《疯妈妈》揭示的朴素人生哲理。本书曾获得国际纽伯瑞儿童文学大奖。

Sometimes I dream Maxine is walking down the street, right in the middle like she always did with her son Ronald. She is wearing dark glasses and a funny hat and purple pants, and she moves back and forth when she walks. Ronald is always pop-eyed, like he is scared someone is going to hurt him. Then the kids come and start shouting "Crazy lady" and she shouts at them and holds onto Ronald and they laugh and shout right back.

I want you to know about our neighborhood, it is called Tingly Heights. What I really need to tell you about is the next street down. It is a slum. People live down there with their windows broken out all year round. I did not go down there much until I met Maxine and Ronald and their friend Miss Annie.

That was in 1981, the year I was 12 years old. I found out that once you are 12, you are too big for lots of the things you used to do before, but you are too young for a job. So a whole group of us was left with nothing to do. We would stand on the corner to see if Maxine would come by with Ronald. Somebody found out that he went to a school for mentally disabled kids and that a special bus brought him home every afternoon. His mother was always there to get him off the bus. What we liked most was to get her angry, so she would put on a show. Anything we said would make her a poppycock.

One day, I was at the local store to buy potatoes. Millt, the owner of the store, was arguing with the woman about the price of potatoes. "I’m here for potatoes, too." I said, "My sister said they were a dollar nine on Monday." Millt shouted, "You both can go on up to the other store."

Suddenly, I realized I was walking up the street to the other store beside Maxine. There was no way I wanted to be there.

"I’m in a hurry," I said.

"I’m in a hurry, too." She said, "I left Ronald home by himself sitting by the TV."

"You give me the money and go on home," I said, "I’ll get the potatoes."