问答题
The autumn air was as crisp as the fresh-out-of-the-dryer flannel sheets that my mother would always put on our beds when the weather got chilly. The familiar sounds of a referee"s whistle and cheering fans brought back memories of going to high school football games. My stomach started talking when I smelled the scent of the hot dogs cooking near by. "Can you believe we are doing this?" My mother asked as her face reddened while the sun decreased and the wind picked up. "No, I can"t," my lather and I both said simultaneously. It seemed hardly impossible to fathom that we were sitting at My baby brother"s high school football game. Where had the past fourteen years gone?
I was in the family room of my house with my older brother, Brian. We nicely were playing together with blocks. I was five at the time. "Brian, Julie, come into the living room, we want to talk to you!" My dad said with excitement in his voice. It was then that I found out I was going to have a new brother or sister. My entire body lifted above the clouds and soared. I just loved babies. In the next couple of months, my life changed dramatically. We had to move out of our house and into a new neighborhood. This event was very specific in my life. Although I was so excited for a new sibling, I was extremely distraught about leaving my familiar home. It was almost as if I was a taut rope in a tug-of-war being pulled in both directions. "But Mom, the baby can sleep with me." I remember saying to my mother. Now that I look back on the situation, I realize that it was the "comfort and familiarity" of my house that made me upset about leaving.
【正确答案】
【答案解析】天气变冷，妈妈就会给我们盖上法兰绒被褥，而此时的空气清凉怡人，如那床刚从干衣机里取出来的法兰绒被褥般干爽舒适。裁判员那熟悉的哨声和啦啦队的叫喊声让我回忆起了高中时的足球比赛；附近热狗的香味飘过来时，肚子便情不自禁地咕咕作响。“你们能相信眼前的一切吗?”妈妈问道。太阳西下，秋风吹起，她的脸红扑扑的。“噢，当然不能。”父亲和我几乎异口同声地回答道。对我们来说，这简直就像是在做梦：我们正坐在一起看读高中的弟弟踢球赛!十四年眨眼就这样过去了。
当时只有五岁的我正在和哥哥布莱恩一起待在家里的活动室里，兴高采烈地玩着积木游戏。“布莱恩，朱莉，到客厅来一下，我们有些话想跟你们说!”爸爸的声音里有压抑不住的兴奋。直到那时，我才知道我将会有一个新的弟弟或者妹妹了。我顿时开心得如在云之巅。我太喜欢小宝宝了。在接下来的几个月里，我的生活发生了翻天覆地的变化。我们得搬到附近一个新的地方住。这让我的生活变得如此特别。尽管新弟弟或妹妹的即将到来让我兴奋无比，但要离开熟悉的家也令我烦躁不安。我如同拔河比赛中被两头拉扯的绳子，左右为难。“可是，妈妈!我可以和宝宝一起睡呀。”我当时这样对妈妈说。现在回想起来，要与“舒适、熟悉”的旧家道别是我伤心不已的原因。
[解析] The autumn air was as crisp as the fresh-out-of-the-dryer flannel sheets that my mother would always put on our beds when the weather got chilly.
此句中包含了一个定语从句，定语从句中又出现了一个时间状语从句，翻译时可将每个部分独立出来进行翻译，然后按照中文的习惯，调整各个部分之间的顺序。
天气变冷，妈妈就会给我们盖上法兰绒被褥，而此时的空气清凉怡人，如那床刚从干衣机里取出来的法兰绒被褥般干爽舒适。
Where had the past fourteen years gone?
原句是一个问句——“过去的十四年都到哪里去了?”表示对时间飞逝的无奈。可以译为问句，也可以像参考译文那样，用“眨眼而过”表达对时间如此飞快流逝的感叹。
十四年眨眼就这样过去了。
I was in the family room of my house with my older brother, Brian. We nicely were playing together with blocks. I was five at the time.
这三个句子为三个短小的主谓句，翻译时若是按照原文译为三句话，语意不够连贯，所以译文按照句子之间的逻辑关系将这三个句子合并为了一句话。
当时只有五岁的我正在和哥哥布莱恩一起待在家里的活动室里，兴高采烈地玩着积木游戏。
In the next couple of months, my life changed dramatically.
“dramatically”原意为“戏剧性的”，强调变化之大，这里译为“翻天覆地的变化”，非常形象。
在接下来的几个月里，我的生活发生了翻天覆地的变化。
It was almost as if I was a taut rope in a tug-of-war being pulled in both directions.
原句只是说自己像一条拔河的绳子，译文加上了“左右为难”，将深层的意思表达了出来，更有利于读者理解作者的心情。
我如同拔河比赛中被两头拉扯的绳子，左右为难。