Dandelions（蒲公英）
One lunchtime when I was in the third grade will stay with me always.
我三年级时的一次午餐时间将一直陪伴着我。
I had been picked to be the princess in the school play, and for weeks my mother had painstakingly （adv费力地，苦心地）rehearsed（v排练） my lines with me.
But no matter（无论） how easily I delivered（v 递送发表交付） them at home,
as soon as（当） I stepped on stage, every word disappeared（消失） from my head.
Finally, my teacher took me aside.
She explained （解释）that she had written a narrator's（叙述者） part to the play, and asked me to switch （改变 转换）roles.
I didn't tell my mother what had happened when I went home for lunch that day.
But she sensed my unease（不安）, and instead of suggesting we practise my lines, she asked if I wanted to walk in the garden.
It was a lovely spring day and the rose vine（藤蔓） was turning green.
We could see yellow dandelions popping through （蹦出来）the grass in bunches.（大量成群）
I watched my mother casually bend down by one of the clumps.（笨重的脚步 丛块）
"I think I'm going to dig up all these weeds,"（杂草） she said. "From now on, we'll only have roses in this garden."
"But I like dandelions." I protested. "All flowers are beautiful — even dandelions."
My mother looked at me seriously.（认真严肃地）
"Yes, every flower gives pleasure in its own way, doesn't it?" she asked thoughtfully.
"And that is true of people too," she added. "Not everyone can be a princess, but there is no shame （羞耻）in that."
Relieved（放心的 解除） that she had guessed my pain, I started to cry as I told her what had happened.
"But you will be a beautiful narrator," she said, reminding me of （提醒某人）how much I loved to read stories aloud to her.
"The narrator's part is as important as the part of the princess."
Over the next few weeks, with her constant encouragement, I learned to take pride in the role.
Lunchtimes were spent reading over my lines and talking about what I would wear.
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