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January 8, 2007 · I believe that if you're the person in your family who arranged for and executed the celebration this past holiday season, well, you're probably still tired. You may be wondering why you spent so much on presents, why you had to have your house just right, why you had friends over for drinks when you were already weary and worn out. You may be thinking that you're getting too old for all of this or you may be thinking you're too young.
2007 年1月8 日。我相信,如果是您在为您的家庭安排和筹备庆祝刚这过去的节日。 您大概仍然疲倦。您也许想知道为什么您在礼物上花费这么多金钱, 为什么您必须保持你的房子很温馨,为什么当您很疲倦的时候还邀请朋友来喝一杯。您也许认为, 您已经开始变老了或者认为自己还年轻。
If you know what I'm talking about, you're probably your family's Designated Celebrator -- that is, the one who sees to it that a holiday actually happens in the lives of your loved ones.
如果您知道我谈论什么, 您大概是您的家庭的被选定安排安排的人 – 就是那个负责保证这个假日庆祝按照你喜欢的方式进行的人。
After New Year's, I was sitting at the breakfast table in a stupor. My husband asked if I was all right.
在新年以后的, 我坐在早餐桌昏迷过去。我的丈夫问我怎么回事。
"I'm exhausted," I answered. "I'm totally exhausted."
“我很疲劳” 我回答了,“我已经筋疲力尽了。”
He looked puzzled. "Why do you do this to yourself every year?"
他看起来很困惑,"为什么你每年还好这样做?"
I have to admit that part of what I do around the winter holidays seems almost involuntary, innate. It's as if I'm driven by the ancient need to mark the darkness of winter with my little bit of light.
我必须承认在冬季的假期里这么做部分是因为天生而自然的,那种感觉好像被一种远古的驱动力驱使我在黑暗的冬季里点燃一点点灯光。
My answer to my husband's question is that I believe one of the most important things I can do while I'm on this planet is honor those I love through celebrations, and the older I get, the more I believe it.
我给丈夫的答案是,我相信在这个地球上为了庆祝给我所爱以荣耀,我所能做的最重要的事情就是这个了,随着年龄的增长我越来越相信这一点。
When my children were small, their father lost his job. It took a decade to recover emotionally and financially. Hot water and electricity were luxuries that weren't always available; meals were a challenge. I tried to hide it from them, but I was constantly afraid of losing our home. Those celebrations were so sparse, the future so uncertain, that the ground seemed to be shifting beneath us.
当我的小孩还很小的时候,他们的父亲失业了。用了十年我们才从精神上和经济上恢复过来。用电和热水因为不能总是能够得到而变成了奢侈品,吃的也是问题。我试图不让小孩们知道这些,但是我总是害怕自己失去这个家庭。那种庆祝活动少的可怜,将来是那么的不确定,好像脚底下的土地也变得不稳定了。
So now, celebrations mean that much more to me. This year, I polished the silver, lit the candles, made sure a sprig of holly was carefully tacked above every window; I served a $12 bottle of wine instead of a $7 one; I bought lamb chops instead of a roast -- little things, just so we'd remember this day, this night.
所以现在庆祝活动对我来说是多么的重要。今年,我把银器擦亮,点燃了蜡烛,确定每个窗户都订上了冬青树的树枝;买了十二美金的红酒而不是七块的;我买了羊排取代了烤肉,这些都是小事,就是为了大家能记住这一天,这个晚上。
I believe that in this world there is and always has been so much sadness and sorrow, so much uncertainty, that if we didn't set aside time for merriment, gifts, music and laughter with family and friends, we might just forget to celebrate all together. We'd just plod along in life.
我相信,这个世界总是有这么多的悲伤和痛苦,这么多不确定性,如果我们不抽出时间嬉戏,准备礼物,享受音乐和家庭和朋友开心,那我们可能忘记了和大家一起庆祝。那我们这辈子注定辛劳。
I believe in the importance of celebrations. As my family's Designated Celebrator I may be tired and I may not have done all that I set out to do, but I believe that this year, I celebrated the ones I love, and I hope with all my heart that I celebrated them well.
我相信庆祝节日的重要性。作为家里指定的庆祝安排者,我也许会很辛苦或者不能够把所有想做的都安排好,但是我相信今年,我们按照我喜欢的方式庆祝,因为我自己全身心的投入,我希望用这是一个很好的庆祝。
[此贴子已经被作者于2007-2-5 0:28:04编辑过]
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