妈妈，我知道你担心我，但还是放手让我自己出去闯荡。妈妈，感谢你对我的信任。
My mother always reminds me that on the first day of kindergarten, while other kids were crying for their moms not to go, I was telling her to leave already. She usually tells this story to others proudly. But to me she says it a little more hesitantly[迟疑地]—sort of like, “Yeah, you always thought you were grown up.”
妈妈总是提醒我说，我上幼儿园的第一天，其他小孩都哭着要妈妈别走，而我已经在催促她离开。她总是颇为自豪地向别人说起这件事，但是在对我说时，她总是带着几分犹豫，似乎在说：“是啊，你总是以为自己已经长大成人了。”
Though she likes to brag[夸耀] about my accomplishments[成就], I think my mom is like most parents in wanting her kids to need her and learn from her. Most parents worry about their children being out in the world on their own.
虽然她喜欢夸奖我的各种成就，但是我想，妈妈和其他父母一样，都希望孩子需要自己，向自己学习。大多数父母都会担心孩子能否独力面对外面的世界。
Ironically, it's from my mother that I inherited[遗传] my self-sufficiency[自足，自负]. I don't break down easily, and neither does she. I'd rather help people than be helped. She's always putting others before herself, and I tend to do the same thing.
好笑的是，我正是从妈妈那里继承了这种独立的个性。我不会轻易崩溃，她也不会；我宁愿当施助者，也不愿做受助者；她总是先考虑别人再考虑自己，我也一样。
At times my mom has been uncomfortable seeing these qualities in me. For example, when I was 12, I went to Puerto Rico all by myself to stay with my grandmother for the summer. My mom was extremely nervous about it. She kept telling me how things were different in Puerto Rico, to always put on sunscreen, not to wander[漫步] away from my grandmother, and other warnings. She helped me pack and did not leave the airport until she saw my plane take off.
看到我身上表现出这些特点，有时妈妈会不太好受。比如我在12岁时独自一人去波多黎各和祖母一起过暑假。妈妈极不放心，一直对我唠叨波多黎各和这里有什么不同、一定要涂防晒油、不要离开祖母自己到处乱跑等等。她帮我收拾行李，直到看见我的飞机起飞，她才离开机场。
But despite her worries, she let me go on my own. As I moved into my teens, she continued to give me space to grow and learn, even when it might have been difficult for her. Sure, there were times when she'd nag[不断地唠叨] me about certain choices I made, but for the most part she did not stand in my way.
尽管会担心，她还是放手让我走自己的路。我进入青春期后，她还是一如既往地给予我独立成长和学习的空间，虽然这对她而言可能很困难。当然，她偶尔也会念叨我的一些决定，但大多数情况下她不会阻拦我。
When I reached my senior year, I decided to move away for college. Once again I found that I differed from my peers[同等的人]: While many of them wanted to stay close to home, I couldn't wait to be out in the world on my own. I had been looking forward to this chance for longer than I could remember. And once again, while my mom may not have been happy at the thought of me going away, she was supportive and excited for me.
升读高三时，我决定读大学后从家里搬出去。我又一次发现自己与同龄人的不同：他们中有很多人都想住在家附近，而我则迫不及待想独自闯世界了。很久以前——我已经想不起来从何时开始，我就一直在盼望这个机会。虽然妈妈想到我即将离开可能会不开心，但她再一次对我的决定表示支持，为我感到高兴。
The closer we got to me going away to college, the more trust my mother placed in me and the more she let me make my own choices. During senior year I had a lot on my plate: I had to apply to college, focus on my last portfolios[装在文件夹内的文件] to graduate, and keep up with my after-school programs, among other things. I handled most of this on my own. I made all the choices about which colleges to apply to. My mom stood by me and supported my decisions.
距离我搬到大学的日子越近，妈妈也越信任我，也更多地让我自己做决定。高三那年，我有一大堆事情要做——报考大学、准备毕业的最后几份文件，此外还要坚持参加课后辅导计划以及处理其他事情。这些事情大部分都是由我独力处理的。报考哪些大学也由我自己选择。妈妈一直在我身边，支持我作出的决定。
Also, for a while I'd wanted to get a job. This was one thing my mom hadn't allowed me to do because she wanted me to focus on school. But as graduation approached[接近], she gave me the okay to get one. I guess she noticed how responsible I had been during senior year, and maybe she also figured that she should start learning to let go a little before I moved away.
有一阵子，我想找一份工作，但是这是妈妈唯一不允许我做的事情，因为她希望我专注学业。不过，随着毕业在即，她也为这件事情开了绿灯。我猜她肯定注意到在高三那一年我是多么尽责，可能她也明白到，在我搬走之前，她应该学着慢慢放手。
One big thing I realized during my senior year was that she actually believes in me and trusts me. That means a lot. Most of my life, and especially when I was little, the main person I tried to impress was my mother. I knew she expected nothing but the best from me. Sometimes it was hard to live up to[实践，做到] her standards; getting a single B on my report card would make me feel bad because I knew she wanted me to have all A's.
高三那年我意识到一件重要的事情：她其实是相信我的，也信任我。这一点非常重要。在我一生中的大部分时间里，尤其是当我还小的时候，我想取悦的人就是我妈妈。我知道她只希望我好。有时候，要达到她的标准很不容易；成绩单上即使只有一个“良”也会让我心情不好，因为我知道她希望我拿到全优。
So when she showed me by letting go that she believes in the person I've become, it felt good. I know that her high standards have helped me stay focused on what's important, like education, and made me who I am. I am thankful for her support and involvement in my life. Most of all I respect her; she is the strongest woman I know and that's why I have turned out so strong and independent.
所以，她放手让我自己去闯，让我知道她相信已经长大成人的我，这种感觉真是太棒了。我知道她的高标准有助我专注于重要的事情，比如学业，成就了今天的我。我很感谢她的支持以及她对我人生的影响。最重要的是，我很尊敬她，她是我所知道的最坚强的女性，这也是我能够变得如此坚强和独立的原因。