In 1994, Dion married her manager René Angelil, 60． She became pregnant via in vitro1 and gave birth to René Charles on Jan． 25, 2001． Now, after two－year＇s take－off, she makes her return to music with the release of a new album, A New Day Has Come． The following is a selected interview with her．
Q：What was it like to take two years off?
A: Crucial2. It was very, very, very important. My husband was diagnosed with cancer three years ago. He's still in remission3. Normally René's a tough guy. He's the one who's in control of everything. But now he wanted to lay (his head) on my shoulder. He gave me a responsibility, and it made me feel very powerful and very strong.
Q: And the baby?
A: Yes, we wanted a child. For René, the fact that he almost lost his life...to give life was an incredible4 achievement.
Q: Did you miss show business?
A: I needed a balance. When you're in show business for twenty something years, at one point you need to have a normal life. After Beauty and Beast and Titanic—too much publicity, TV, radio, too much. I didn't want people to say, “Oh, my God, her again?!” And I don't miss show business at all. But when I got back in the recording studio and started to sing, something was there that had never left.
Q: How did you arrive at the decision to come back? Had you given yourself a timetable?
A: I didn't want to stop my career5 for too, too long and have to rebuild the whole thing. At the same time, I needed more than six months off. We decided two years was fair...
Q: You＇re a different person now． You＇re a mother, you＇ve done other things． Is your show－business life going to be different?
A: Very different. I'm not going to be touring any more. In march of 2003, we're going to move to Las Vegas for three years...
Q: You establish a foundation in those first years．
A: You do, and that foundation makes you solid6 for the rest of your life. A foundation, true values—that's what I received. And that's going to be our biggest challenge7—to raise our kid in this environment of a nonnormal life, and remain normal people.
Q: You want René Charles to have stability．
A: Yes. I can't just go on tour and not be able to see him...I want to be professional8 in my show-business life, but I also want to be professional as a mother...
Q: Women say that having a child is a defining9 factor in a woman＇s life． How has it changed you?
A:I hope it doesn't sound wrong, but nothing else matters now. He's the center of our universe. I'll die for my child...It changes your life, and you love them so much. They are you...
Q: Every parent has dreams for their children． What are your dreams for René Charles?
A: I don't care if he's a garbageman, a fireman, a rock 'n' roll guitar player, a lawyer, a dentist, a father. I just want him to be a good human being. I want him to be generous, caring, open-minded. I think that's what's most important. Sometimes you're nobody in life. You have no money, you're not successful, you're not pretty, but you mean well and have a good heart. People should pay more attention to people like that.
Q: You＇ve said in the past that you＇re very close to your mother． Is she the one who passed on these values to you?
A: I'm sure it comes from growing up in a family without money. Even though my parents had just enough to put food on the table for us, the door was open for anybody else who knocked...
Q: Now that you＇re a mother, do you appreciate her more?
A: She's a god to me, my idol10, the person that I look up to the most.
Q: She raised fourteen children, right?
A: Fourteen children...We all work hard. We all mean well.
Q: How did growing up in a large family affect you?
A: What has been given to me is security. Whatever happens, when you have this foundation of love—of being able to count on brothers and sisters and parents—you know you have someone there to support you...My wealth is my family, the people around me, the love and support.
Q: It＇s funny to me that someone who has such a talent as you would not say that your wealth is all in your voice．
A: Not at all. To me, It's like money. Okay, you have money, for old age, good for you. You sing, you are lucky, have a good time, good for you. But it's not a must in life. If I didn't have a voice—or if I have a voice, but I'm not successful—I would have been as happy being a mother or working at a store. I'm happy for what I've been given—my roots and values. It's not my voice that's bringing me joy.
Q: You had the scare11 with René with cancer．
A: Yes. Being the youngest of the family, I feel like I'm going to lose petals12 on all my flowers. We're all going to lose people that we love. We lose our mothers and our fathers, and sometimes I think, if I go first, maybe it would be better. Hopefully13 we can be together as long as possible. We're fortunate for every day. You can't think of death. You have to be thankful and not take anything for granted.
Q: Live for the moment?
A: You deal with this if and when it happens, and you find the strength. That's life. Life is death. Life is not given to us, it is borrowed.
Q: What＇s your plan for the long term?
A: What I think I want is to do the Vegas thing for a few years, see if it works. Then take three, four, five years off, maybe do a show here and there, a record once in a while, maybe a movie if it's meant to be—but relax. I've done a lot of work. I don't mean I'll retire completely, but I'll do just a few things here and there. We'll see.
问：你对休假两年怎么看？
答：好极了。这两年休假非常非常重要。我丈夫三年前查出患了癌症，现在病情有所缓解。通常勒内个性很强，大事小事都得听他的。但现在他想（把头）靠在我肩上。他让我承担起一种责任，这叫我感到自己强大有力。
问：那孩子呢？
答：是啊，我们想要个孩子。对勒内来说，他几乎连命都保不住了……要生孩子简直比登天还难。
问：你怀念演艺界吗？
答：我需要平衡一下。在演艺界干了二十多年，需要过一段普通人的生活。拍完《美女和野兽》、《泰坦尼克》后，宣传活动太多了，又是上电视，又是上电台，活动太多了。我不想让别人说，“啊，天啊，怎么又是她？！”所以我根本不怀念演艺界。不过当我回到录音棚开始唱歌的时候，我感觉我的心从未离开演艺界。
问：你是怎么作出复出决定的？是不是给自己订了个时间表？
答：我不想让我的演唱生涯中断太久，否则又要另起炉灶。同时，我需要休息半年以上。我们觉得两年比较合适……
问：你现在跟以前不同了。你当了妈妈，还做了其他的事。你的演艺生活会有变化吗？
答：会有很大变化。我不会再巡回演出了。2003年3月，我们要搬到拉斯维加斯，在那儿住上3年……
问：头几年你打好了基础。
答：的确是这样。基础打好了，一辈子都牢靠。打好基础、找到真正的价值观——这就是我过去的收获。而我们最大的挑战，将是在这种不同寻常的生活环境中抚养孩子，同时又要过正常人的生活。
问：你想让勒内·查尔斯过上安定的生活。
答：是的。我不能自己出去巡回演出，却把他丢在家里……在演艺界要有专业精神，做母亲也要专业……
问：女同胞们说生儿育女是她们生命中的决定性因素。孩子是怎样改变你生活的？
答：我希望这话没有说错。但现在除了孩子，别的都不重要了。孩子是我们生命的中心。我可以为孩子去死……有了孩子，生活全改变了。你爱他们爱得那么深。孩子就是你……
问：每个父母都对孩子抱有梦想。你对勒内·查尔斯有什么期望？
答：我不在乎他是当清洁工、消防员、摇滚吉他手、律师、牙医还是（平凡的）父亲。我只希望他做个好人。我希望他慷慨大度、具有爱心、心胸开阔。我认为这点最重要。有时你默默无闻，论钱没有，论事业没成功，论相貌也长得够呛——但是你与人为善，心地善良。这样的人应得到更多关注的目光。
问：你曾经说过跟母亲关系很密切。这些价值观念是不是她传给你的？
答：我相信这是因为我在一个并不富裕的家庭里长大。尽管父母摆上餐桌的饭菜刚好够我们糊口，我们家的门却是对每一个敲门的人敞开的……
问：现在你也做母亲了，是不是更加钦佩她？
答：她是我心中的神，我的偶像，是我最尊敬的人。
问：她抚养了14个孩子，是吧？
答：对……我们全都工作努力，待人友好。
问：在一个大家庭里长大对你有什么影响？
答：他们给了我一种安全感。不管发生什么事，当你有这种爱的源泉，能够指望哥哥姐姐和父母出手相助时，你知道总有人支持你……我的财富就是我的家庭、我身边的人，他们给我以关爱和支持。
问：我觉得很有意思，像你这样天赋很高的人居然不说你的财富是你的嗓子。
答：根本不是。在我看来，这就好比钱一样。这么说吧，有钱可以养老，挺好的。会唱歌，也很幸运，风光一阵子，挺不错的。但这并不是生活的必需。假如我没有一副好嗓子，或者虽然有一副好嗓子但没有成功，我照样会开开心心地在家带孩子或在商店工作。我对拥有的一切感到满足。我快乐是因为我有我的根和价值观。带给我欢乐的并不是我的嗓子。
问：勒内得了癌症后你很害怕。
答：是这样。因为我是家里的老幺，总有一种所有鲜花花瓣都要枯萎的感觉。我们都会失去自己所爱的人，会失去父母。有时我想，如果我先走一步，或许更好。如果运气好的话，我们相伴的时间可能会长一些。生命的每一天都是幸运。人不能想到死。必须有一颗感恩的心，不能生在福中不知福。
问：有得乐就乐？
答：事情发生了，就得去处理，就会找到力量。这就是生活。生就是死。生命不是谁给予我们的，是我们借来的。
问：你有什么长远打算？
答：我想先在拉斯维加斯干几年，看看结果怎么样。然后休息3年、4年或5年，也许到各处开开演唱会，偶尔出张唱片，或者拍部电影——如果有这必要的话——总之是放松放松。我已经做了很多事，我不是说完全退出演艺圈，我只想在一些地方做那么几件事。看看再说吧。
1. in vitro 在试管里进行的
2． crucial adj．（俚语）好极了
3． remission n．缓解，减轻
4． incredible adj．难以置信的
5． career n．生涯
6． solid adj．结实的
7． challenge n．挑战
8． professional adj．专业的
9． define v．确定……的界限
10． idol n．偶像
11． scare n．惊恐
12． petal n．花瓣
13． hopefully adv．如果顺利的话