45 十二張明信片
My teen—age daughter was preparing to return homeafter having visited her grandparents for a few weeksone summer. Her grandfather gave her 12 post cards.
一個夏天,我十多歲的女兒在她祖父母家過了幾周,正準(zhǔn)備回家時(shí),她祖父母給了她十二張明信片。
"Here, write us a few lines every month," he said.
“每月給我們寫上幾句話。”他說。
Months passed and the cards remained unused—that is until the day this letter arrived:
幾個月過去了,可明信片一直放在那兒沒用——直到有一天來了這樣一封信:
"Dear Jennifer,
“親愛的詹妮弗:
Life is a series of stages.
生活是一系列階段組成的。
Initially as a child, I looked forward to becoming a teenager—that happened.
最初,還是個孩子的時(shí)候,我期待著步入少年——我如愿以償了。
As a teenager ,I looked forward to becoming a young man—that happened.
還是個青年的時(shí)候,我期待著步入青年——我如愿以償了。
As a young man, I looked forward to meeting a young woman, in love and becoming a marriedman—that happened.
還是青年的時(shí)候,我期待著遇到一個年輕的女人,和她戀愛、結(jié)婚——我如愿以償了。
As a married man, I looked forward to becoming a father—that happened.
結(jié)了婚,我便期待著成為一個父親——我如愿以償了。
As a father, I looked forward to becoming a grandfather to beautiful and intelligentgrandchildren—that happened.
作為父親,我期待著成為一個祖父,有漂亮、聰明的孫兒孫女——我如愿以償了。
Then I looked forward to the day they would learn to write to me—that hasn't happened yet.
接著,我期待著有一天他們能給我寫信——我卻還沒有如愿以償。
Your sincerely"
謹(jǐn)啟。”