Fatherhood and Diapers

Fatherhood and Diapers

I’m about to take you on a journey of epic proportions. “What sort of journey is that?” you may ask. The journey of fatherhood. Now let us begin with the baby’s arrival, which came after several hours of anxious waiting, coaching, breathing and a friendly visit from my mother-in-law. She asked us what we wanted for dinner, and I calmly responded, “Sorry Mom, but we’re a little bit busy right now.” This must be a cultural thing, right?

Anyway, the time arrived, and out popped a happy, bouncing baby boy. Once I saw him, I though, “This kid is going to be the biggest thing in my life.” I didn’t realize how true this statement would be. I remember the first time in the hospital that I changed a dirty diaper. That special smell and the dozen or so baby wipes that I used. It was kind of like a scene out of a Jim Carrey film. Of course, I must mention the first time I bathed him, or should I say him, me and everything else in the bathroom. I lifted him up out of the bath. He smiled contentedly and then whizzed on me.

Since then it has been a series of sleepless nights, diapers, milk, and burping. Music is another fun part of my life that has undergone some radical changes. What was once the loud sounds of the latest rock sensation has now become the sounds of “farmyard animals” and “gaa-gaa goo-goos.” And these are not the names of rock bands but rather what is actually on my kid’s CDs.

Finally, I can now say that I have experienced the infamous Chinese one-month maternity rest, and all the sesame chicken and kidneys that go with it. Wow, at the end, not only my wife was happy it was over.

So for those prospective fathers out there: take the leap and have a baby! Don’t let anything I’ve told you frighten or dismay you. Get involved and get your hands dirty. It makes everything worth it when your child looks at you and smiles or does something that he could not do before.

Resource: Sunday English (周日雙語報) - Sunday, June 4, 2000

(解說)

1. Fatherhood = The state of being a father; the character or authority of a father; paternity. 父親的身分；父權

(Title)　Edwards admits to affair, denies fatherhood

Former U.S. Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards admitted on Friday that he had an extramarital affair in 2006 with a woman who produced videos for his campaign, but said he was not the father of her infant daughter. "I told my wife that I had a liaison with another woman, and I asked for her forgiveness,” Edwards said in a statement.

Father-figure = 受尊敬的長者 (older man who is respected because he guides and protects others)

Father Christmas = 聖誕老公公

2. epic = heroic; grand 英勇的；史詩般的

3. proportions = dimensions or measurements 體積；程度；大小

4. arrival = person or thing that arrives 到達的人

We’re expecting a new arrival (ie a new baby).

5. pop out = come out suddenly 突然出來

Release the ejector clips by gently pulling out them out of the sides of the module. Gently pulling both clips at the same time will release the memory. The module should pop up into more or less the position shown in fig 1.2.

6. or so = 表不確定的量 (suggesting vagueness or uncertainty about quantity)

7. Jim Carrey 金凱瑞

A Canadian-American film actor and comedian, who is known for his manic, slapstick performances in comedy films such as When Nature Calls; Dumb and Dumber; and Bruce Almighty.

8. Whiz = make sound like that of an object moving very fast through the air

嗖的一聲

9. burp = bring up wind from the stomach 打嗝

10. sensation

= feeling in one’s body 感覺

= state of great surprise, excitement, or interest among many people 轟動；群情激動

Sensation-seeking newspapers tried to cash in on her misery.

專登聳動新聞的報紙竭力渲染她的苦境來賣錢

11. infamous = notorious; well-known as being wicked or immoral

惡名昭彰的；臭名遠揚

noted/famous/well-known/

12. prospective = future, possible 未來的；可能的

Showing the house to a prospective buyer.

13. A leap of faith = the act of believing in something without evidence. It is an act commonly associated with religious belief as many religions consider faith to be an essential element.

14. dismay = feeling of shock and discouragement 氣餒

15. involve

- be/get involved in a car accident = had a car accident發生車禍

- This will require a huge amount of focus and execution from everyone involved.

- a situation in which national security is involved 涉及國家安全的情勢

- be/become/get involved in politics, criminal activities, etc

參與/涉及政治、犯罪活動

- He sees her often but doesn’t want to get too involved.

16. worth 的用法

He felt that his life was no longer worth living. 生命沒有再活下去的意義

It’s an idea that’s worth considering. 那個意見值得考慮

His works are worth troubling about. 值得研究

(以上解說內容主要參照牛津高階英漢雙解詞典)