2014-08-24

【Aiden in English】

        Ten years ago, at my first ever birthday party in my house, Auntie Hongli and Uncle Henry came over to see me along with their two little daughters, Lynna, 7 and Jennifer, 4. A decade has been past, and now, we can finally have reunion back in NJ from PA. This is more about Mom than me. Can you remember anything at the age of 12 months? Heck, I don't even recall most of my kindergarten friends.

        So I sat on their couch face to face in the living room, feeling a little awkward. While I kept myself in the corner looking like I had amnesia, All parents were chatting away as if they had all the time in the world. I was left staring at trophy wall over the fireplace. Boy, that's glistering with a lot of awards, everything from Best Student of the Year to Championship titles in synchronized swimming.

        Lynna has some serious art skills. She used oil pastels to express her creativity, which is the hardest art utensil ever displayed in history of the graphic arts in my opinion. Her drawings looked amazing like real masterpieces. Jennifer isn't joking. Her synchronized swimming team has not only advanced NJ competition for her age group, but qualified for the nationals! For some people I didn't know, they seemed pretty well-known in the world. It's made our reunion more meaningful.

【紅霞譯文】

        十年前，在我一歲生日聚會上，紅莉阿姨和雲光叔叔帶着兩位千金-七歲的琳娜和四歲珍妮趕來道喜；十年過後，我們終於從賓州殺回新澤西州與老朋友重逢，但這次不是為了我，相反卻主要跟媽媽有關，有誰能想起十二月大時所走過的歷程？哎呀，我甚至早已忘掉絕大部分學前班小朋友的音容笑貌。

        我坐在客廳的沙發上眼巴巴地望着他們，心裡難免有點彆扭，幾位長輩撫今憶昔，海侃闊聊窮曬老友情緣，而我卻獨自靜思，仿佛得了健忘症似的，過去的一切如過眼煙雲。我開始注意到壁爐上由獎盃堆砌起來的牆壁，好傢夥，從年度最佳學生到花樣游泳冠軍頭銜各種榮譽交織在一起，顯得家裡金碧輝煌。

        琳娜掌握一定的傳統藝術技巧，常常藉助油筆來表現自己的創意，依我所見，油筆這玩藝是繪畫史上最難控制的藝術工具。她的油畫形象逼真，大有經典傑作之風範。珍妮的本事真不是隨便鬧着玩的，她所參加的花樣游泳隊戰績顯赫，不僅在新澤西州內比賽上過五關斬六將，而且在全國青少年組角逐中勇往直前！山外有山，天外有天，結識這些能文能武的同齡人，使得老友重逢更有意義。