2018-06-17

【Aiden in English】

        When summertime comes around, everyone has one destination in mind: the beach. The beach becomes an annual trip during the summer of every year, in which my family takes three or four trips in a month. I enjoy the waters, the feeling of freedom, and the numbing sensation as your lower body loses circulation in the frigid ocean. 

        This year, we are invited to a retreat in Atlantic City the day right after my 9th grade was over. It means that the entire family had to come in on Saturday. I wasn’t in the mood to swim, considering this summer has been the coolest one I’ve ever experienced by now. However, a few of my friends were going, so they could keep me entertained.

        While the water is still unbearably cold, I did bring a football to toss around. At first, I thought this entire trip was going to be a waste of time. However, when I got there, I let the vacation side of me flow. That involved throwing sand in your friend’s eyes, eating funnel cake, and not telling your mom where you are, even when she calls. We met new people on the beach, including some all-state football player, which was super cool. That dude had a cannon for an arm. We made a sandcastle, which I killed into my friend’s face as soon as it was completed. Worth it. Eventually, we got dinner and played card games until midnight. 

        An unusual day at the beach, but it does take my mind off one large concern: I’ve left Pennbrook Middle School for the last time on this past Friday. Although students become more and more detached from school as they grow older, Pennbrook really did make me feel special. I thought of it as the first time I could choose how much responsibility I could hold or I needed to bear. Now, a strange sense of relief has crashed upon me, and I’m not sure how to handle it. For once, I can relax and not worry about work… except summer reading and APUSH (AP U.S. History) homework. But I can procrastinate. 

        The next morning, I awoke at five in the morning to see the sunrise, which was nice, but anti-climactic. I personally don’t think to receive five hours of sleep for three minutes when the sky turns red is worth it, but I was forced to sprint to the edge of the boardwalk to avoid the buildings blocking the sun. 

        There is something poetic of looking at the sunrise on a beach, have the wind at your back, the waves lapping the sand. It was quite calming…until my friend slapped me on the back and yelled at me to get out of his picture. I think at that moment, that was when I finally accepted that summer was here, and I could take a breather. I’m not entirely sure how many more “breathers” I could have for the next three years of high school, but I know that things move quickly from now on.

        As for right now, I’m going to take this time to relax and breathe. Enjoy life before high school starts. Because I know I probably won’t after.

【红霞译文】

        当夏季来临的时候，大家心向往之的胜地无外乎沙滩。每年暑假，沙滩变成千家万户必去无疑的场所，我家每个月甚至要去三、四趟。我喜欢在水里摸打滚爬，享受自由自在的闲适情感，迷恋浸泡在冰冷海洋里下肢因血液循环不畅而引发的麻木快感。

        高一过后头一天，我们应邀前往新州大西洋城避暑，也就是说周六那天全家老少务必赶到，我没想下水游泳，毕竟今夏是迄今为止本人所经历的最为寒冷的夏天，幸好几位朋友也打算赶海，凑在一起准保热闹有趣。

        既然海水凉到无法忍受的地步，不如带上橄榄球比划两下。起先我蛮以为此行纯属消磨工夫，然而一旦来到现场，我浑身上下洋溢出度假活力。其间少不了往哥们眼里扬沙子，买份美式沙琪玛打打牙祭；不告诉老妈自己到哪儿逍遥，即便她打电话查岗也是瞎子点灯白费蜡。我们在海边结识了新朋友，包括若干宾州高中橄榄球选拔队球员，简直酷毙到极点，有个家伙胳膊力壮如同火炮。我们携手堆沙堡，待大功告成，我一巴掌把它拍到朋友脸上，不作不休。最后，大伙共聚晚餐，玩扑克牌游戏直至深夜。

        沙滩上疯玩一整天，让我大脑暂时转移了注意力：这个星期五我刚迈出宾溪初中校门，尽管随着年龄增长，学生越来越疏远学校，但宾溪初中却在我心目中占据着特殊位置，我破天荒首次意识到身上的责任或肩上的担子。现在一种莫名其妙的念头闪现在脑海中，我不知道如何应对，至少这回我要及时行乐，把学习束之高阁……除了暑假阅读和大学美国历史预修课作业之外，不过能拖就拖。

        次日今天大清早因忙叨着要看日出，我五点钟便爬了起来，精神可嘉，但违反常规。为了抓住三分钟天空变红短暂瞬间，我不但破费掉五个钟头饱觉，而且还得玩命狂奔木板人行道尽端以躲避楼房遮挡视线。

        海滩上的日出极具诗意，海风吹拂脊背，海浪轻拍沙滩，四周呈现出一派宁静景色……直到朋友捶击我后背一拳，并疾声吼叫滚出镜头，我才终于意识到夏天来临，可以随心所欲。我拿捏不准未来三年高中生涯究竟能有几回“随心所欲”，但敢保证从即日起一切尽在神速变化之中。

        就目前现状而言，一定要趁机放飞自我，在返校之前尽情享受生活，因为我心里明白 “好景不长在，好花不常开”，今后恐怕更加如此。

Today in History(历史上的今天):

2015：Rhodes—Island of the Knights, Greece(希腊罗得岛—骑士之岛)

2015: Rhodes—Grand Master of the Knights, GRC(希腊罗得岛—大教长宫)

2015: Rhodes—Acropolis of Lindos, Greece(希腊罗得岛—林都斯卫城)

2012: 摘草莓(Shady Brook Farm)

Crosslinks(相关博文):

Hershey Park, PA(宾州好时乐园)

Delaware Water Gap Natl Rec Area, PA(宾州特拉华河谷国家游憩区)

Crystal Cave, PA(宾州水晶洞)

Bushkill Falls, PA(宾州布什基尔瀑布)

Jim Thorpe, PA(宾州吉姆索普镇)

Hickory Run SP, PA(宾州山核桃树州立公园)

宾州世界之巅州立公园踏秋(Foliage in Worlds End SP, PA)