One evening, in the midst¹ of dinner preparation, our 10-year-old daughter asked, "Mommy, what's puberty?" My wife was rushed at the moment, so she suggested that Peggy look up the word in the dictionary, after which they could talk about it.

　　A few minutes later, Peggy returned. Her mother asked what the dictionary had said. "Puberty means," announced Peggy, "the earliest age at which a girl is able to bear children."

　　"What do you think of that?" my wife asked.

　　"I'm not sure," Peggy relied². "I've always been able to bear children. It's adults I can't bear.".

　　青春期


　　一天晚上，在准备晚饭的时候，我们十岁的女儿问：“妈妈，什么是青春期？”我的妻子此时正忙得不亦乐乎，所以她建议佩吉到字典上查这个词，然后她们可以再讨论它。

　　几分钟以后，佩吉回来了。她妈妈问字典上怎么说。

　　“青春期的意思是，”佩吉宣布：“一个女孩能忍受孩子的最早年龄。”

　　“你怎么想呢？”我妻子问。

　　“我不知道，”佩吉回答。“我总能忍受孩子。让我忍受不了的是大人。

　　Note: bear children: 生孩子。bear 一词也可作“忍受”讲。

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