Pay Attention Emily Brown
Written by Linda Burton
Illustrated by Carl Burton
Would you please pay attention, Miss Emily Brown?
You've looked in...
...and looked out.
You've looked up and looked down.
You've looked at that sunbeam, that bird, and this bee...
Now, Emily Brown, would you please look at me?
Where are you, Miss Emily Marjorie Brown?
Did you fly off to Mars?
Did you stroll into town?
Are you sliding down mountains, or sailing the sea?
There is one thing I know...
You are not here with me!
Perhaps you can't see me, Miss Emily Brown...
Should I paint myself red?
Should I put on a crown?
Should I light myself up like a bright Christmas tree?
Please, Emily Brown, pay attention to me!
I know! You can't hear me!
Right, Emily Brown?
I'll go buy a foghorn to make a big sound.
Or maybe some cymbals would just guarantee
(if I added some drums)
that you'd listen to me.
Just think, Emmy Brown, for a moment or two...
Suppose that I told you my toes had turned blue?
Suppose that I started to fly overhead?
Or spread candy and presents all over your bed?
If I hung upside down by an arm and a knee,
do you think, Emmy Brown, you would listen to me?
Please tell me, Miss Emily, what can I say
to turn your attention a little my way?
Or maybe a hug and a kiss would go far
to show you I want you the way that you are.
For whatever you don't or whatever you do,
I love you so much, you lovable you.
--
Chinese translation by Ruby Lin (Ruby中譯)
艾蜜莉布朗，麻煩你注意一下這邊。
你一下子往裡看……一下子又往外看……。
你一下子往上看，一下子又往下看。
你一下子看著陽光、一下子看著那隻鳥，一下子又看著這隻蜜蜂……。
艾蜜莉布朗，現在可以麻煩你看著我嗎？
你在哪裡，艾蜜莉布朗小姐？
你往火星飛去了嗎？
你往城裡走去了嗎？
你是否如滑梯般正從群山滑下，或在海上航行？
有一件事情我是確定的：你不在我這裡！
或許你看不到我，艾蜜莉布朗小姐……
我是否應該把自己漆成紅色？
我是否應該戴上一頂皇冠？
我是否應該把自己點亮一些，如同一棵閃耀的聖誕樹？
拜託，艾蜜莉布朗，注意一下我這邊！
我知道了！你聽不到我的聲音！
對吧，艾蜜莉布朗？
我會去買一隻號角讓聲音大些。
也可能用一些銅鈸就能保證你聽得到我(如果我加進一些鼓的話)。
想一想，艾咪布朗，只花你一點時間……
如果我告訴你我的腳趾頭變成藍色的了？
如果我能夠飛過你的頭頂？
或在你床上灑滿糖果與禮物？
如果我用一隻手臂與一隻腳倒掛在單槓上
你想你會聽得到我嗎，艾咪布朗？
拜託你告訴我，艾蜜莉小姐，
我應該說些什麼才可以讓你稍微注意一下我這邊？
也可能一個擁抱與一個親吻就足夠讓你知道，
我希望你就像你自己的樣子。
無論你做到了什麼，或做不到什麼，
我好愛你，可愛的你。
--
Ruby: 「孩子的世界無邊無際，而我們總試著去找到那條通往孩子世界的道路。」
書名聽起來帶點權威，內文卻是滿溢的溫柔，充滿包容與對等的相視。原以為說話的是老師，最後才知道是媽媽，媽媽的多重角色，要以此態度對待小孩，又多了幾分不容易。
我們熟悉的，孩子們一下在這、一下在那，周遭充滿新奇，另一個世界的歡愉總是大過於這裡。我們希望他們回來，我們試著叫回他們，但他們還是在自己的世界裡。我們猜測他們的小小腦袋正在哪裡遨遊，我們不想破壞他們的遊興。但我們好希望他們回來，我們使出十八般武藝，將這裡變得有趣；我們試著用孩子的語言，想博得一點關愛。或許他們回來了，或許沒有，但這都不會影響我們對孩子的愛。
喜歡書裡的大人，即使充滿無奈、即使束手無策，但總沒有失去對孩子的耐性，仍不斷思考，怎樣做可以用孩子能理解的方式達到大人的期望？這是身為大人應有的謙卑。用開放的心胸，去理解、去等待，這些愛都不會白費，有一天它們都會如實地回到你的生命中。
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