2017-03-05

【Aiden in English】

        My grandmother’s birthday is coming up. I know, why would you care…, so what…, but this event is quite special. The day after today will be her eightieth birthday, which is very monumental for any person. However, I must say, these milestones in life are much less hyped at the moment than viewed from other times.

        Nevertheless, Grandma’s birthday deserves some sort of recognition. So mom brought us to a nice Chinese restaurant for dinner, as we usually do in this household. Although the food was great, I don’t really want to talk about the tastes of the night. I think most of my audience has gotten tired of my rambles of the same adjectives on Chinese food.

        In school, English class talked about themes involving milestones, such as passing a certain age. They say living past eighteen, twenty-one, and thirty are the large age milestones of the front half of life, but I think turning eighty is an extremely large milestone in general.

        Before medicine and technology allowed people to beat disease and prolong health, living to eighty was a very surprising and amazing feat to accomplish. However, nowadays, turning eighty has almost become normality. So why should we celebrate it?

        Turning 80 years old means that you have lived through 79 years of bashing, smashing, and tearing events that want to stop your heart. It is a symbol of strength, determination, and a will to live.

        Turning 80 also shows the experience within. By now, all critical advice given out can be and should be, taken seriously. Furthermore, the “respect your elders” motto becomes even more powerful, as the leverage of the elderly grows bigger and bigger. They’ve seen so much in their life, and their views on things can be much more logical and wise than a teenager facing stress and peer pressure.

        Turning 80 is a milestone that I hope to reach one day. Although it may be a long time, time always seems to find a way to sneak up on you. I mean, if 14 years can go by this fast, think about only how much longer it will take for 80 years. When life keeps chucking bombs at your head, years tick away large chunks at a time. Funny thing is, when you think about time, it slows down. It’s when you stop thinking about it, the watch begins to speed up. Maybe if I thought about time all the time, I wouldn’t grow old.

        Anyway, I’ll soon be giving out advice to the youngsters myself.

        Happy Birthday, Grandma!

【红霞译文】

        外婆生日快到了，我知道你未必留心甚至在意什么，但此次庆生异乎寻常，后天便是她老人家八十岁诞辰，对任何人而言耄耋之年具有划时代意义。然而我承认，当生命进入这类里程碑的那一刻肯定不及其它阶段乐衷张扬。

        不管怎样，外婆的生日值得好好庆祝。如同以往我家惯例，今晚妈妈带我们去一家不错的中餐馆吃筵席，虽说菜肴可口，但我并非真要谈及舌尖上的美味感受，想必多数读者早已厌倦我对中式珍馐喋喋不休的赞誉。

        在学校，英语课上大家曾讨论过有关里程碑的话题，譬如特定年龄，前半生中人们把十八岁、廿一岁和卅岁视为里程碑，但在我看来八十岁应被当成极其重要的里程碑。

        早在医学科技能够治病救人延年益寿之前，人活到八十岁简直是一个不可思议的奇迹；如今八十岁几乎司空见惯，那么我们为啥还要庆祝呢？

        到了80岁意味着您不畏艰辛已走过七十九年非凡历程，它象征力量、决心以及生活意愿。

        到了80岁表明您见多识广，现在大家对您的先见之明言听计从。此外，随着老年人作用越来越大， “尊敬长辈” 的座右铭也越来越盛行，比起面临内在心理与外在同学双重压力的青少年，他们经验丰富阅历深厚。

        80岁也是我期盼有朝一日达到的里程碑，尽管要花上很长一段时间，但是白驹过隙，岁月总是不知不觉地从你眼皮底下溜走。我的意思是，假若14岁如弹指一挥间，那么不妨考虑一下80年究竟需要多久。当你日理万机，大把光阴一晃而过；有趣的是，当你盯着它不放，时间过得很慢，可当你由它而去，时间过得很快。也许我老想打发工夫，因此一时半会儿成熟不起来。

        无论如何，不久我将到了给年轻一代现身说教的年龄。

        祝外婆生日快乐！

Today in History(历史上的今天):

2012: 新论大智若愚(Still Water Runs Deep)

2011: 生日聚会后续─自选礼物(Gift Selection)

Crosslinks(相关博文):

Peony Pavilion Asian Fusion, NJ(新州牡丹亭现代亚洲餐馆)