Reflections

In a series of essays, Eunoians reflect on life, love, and loss. The essays were written in Mandarin, and translated into English.

Adversities

As the saying goes, “Life isn’t a bed of roses.” Despite having heard this quote many times over, I still cannot help but grumble about my misfortunes in times of adversity. When I’d first started learning English, for instance, I struggled to learn all 26 letters of the alphabet. I often had to burn the midnight oil, writing till I was physically and mentally exhausted to finish writing a full essay. I had to constantly refer to the dictionary when writing, lamenting about my exasperating and difficult circumstances as I went. But in spite of the pain and suffering, I also realised that these were necessary challenges I had to endure on the road to success; if I couldn’t tackle them head-on, I would never be able to overcome those challenges. Smooth-sailing events will only stagnate me in my progress; rough times are the moments that keep me trudging forward.

     Mankind has faced all sorts of trials and tribulations since the dawn of time. Some choose not to face these challenges head-on, hence failing to learn and improve in the process. Others choose to be tested by these hardships in order to become a formidable power. Mengzi once said: “Thou who is plagued with worry and hesitation is blessed with prosperity and growth; thou who is blissful in content will inevitably perish.Thou who is blessed with Heaven’s mandate is first made to suffer, tested by enduring hardships to strengthen thy resolve, and gifting upon thee unforeseen gifts.” A person who wishes to accomplish a huge task would first have to encounter obstacles, strengthen their resolve and renew their passion in order to reinforce their abilities. Conversely, a smooth-sailing life without ever facing challenges would lead one to grow content and fail to make progress.

     Helen Keller’s incredible life story seems to prove such an understanding. She was born with numerous sensory defects but never gave up on life. Through her own hard work and some help from her tutor Ms Sullivan, she managed to overcome numerous odds to attain a Diploma in Literature. Despite being both visually impaired and hearing impaired, she held on tight to her strong sense of determination, allowing her to accomplish feats that others said were ‘impossible’; in doing so, she left a legacy behind her. After reading about her awe-inspiring story, I could not help but think: If Helen had been born without any disabilities, encountering none of the challenges she’d faced, perhaps her story would not have gone down in the books as it had. It is precisely the challenges and obstacles in her life and her determined character that made Helen Keller as inspiring she is.

     However, the hardships we face in life aren’t only determined by our fate; a dysfunctional society can also manifest huge problems in one’s life. The Harry Potter series may be widely renowned now, but its author J.K. Rowling had been poverty stricken prior to becoming a famous author. She was also unable to find a job and had to raise her children independently. Rowling could only afford to write on tiny pieces of scrap paper, but never once did she bow down to her misfortunes. Instead, she persisted through writing and publishing her work, and was finally able to present the fascinating world of her imagination to millions of readers. This allowed her to not only become a famous writer, but also break out of the poverty cycle. 

     Similarly, Benjamin Franklin was also born into a poor family and had to drop out of school at the tender age of 10. However, that did not stop him from continuing to learn; the self-accomplished Franklin then went on to become an inventor, a politician, as well as one of America’s ‘3 Founding Fathers’. As Franklin once said, “Obstacles create opportunity.” The hardships that we endure don’t merely serve as a low point in our lives; they can also be a turning point for success.

     Adversities aren’t something that only humans face; animals, too, have to fight for their own territory, escape from predators and hunt for food. They often have to face obstacles that their natural environment provides. This is explained in Darwin’s Theory of Evolution as the widely-known concept of ‘Survival of the Fittest’. In the ever-changing world of nature, competition abound; if animals are unable to overcome their evolutionary challenges and adapt to their surroundings, their species would be decimated. The species that survive are those who evolve in the face of hardships, and grow stronger. If these evolutionary challenges never presented themselves, these species would have never experienced the test of survival and evolved; apes would have never walked erect as Man. Evidently, adversities are the factor that inspires change.

     Hardships are an inevitable part of life; everyone is bound to experience them on some level. However, what truly separates the victors from those who are defeated by their hardships is the crucial choice between submitting to your hardships, or achieving spiritual growth in the process.

Translated by Celest So Yee Suan 苏倚萱 (20-I4)

逆境

       有句话说：“人生不如意之事，十有八九。”虽说这个道理我也听过，但真的陷入逆境时还是不免抱怨自己的不顺。刚开始学英文时，二十六个字母都背不全，点灯熬油地写作文，写得身心俱疲。不断地查词典，同时感叹着情况的紧迫与困难。可痛苦的同时，我也明白这不顺利是通向进步的必经之路，不去面对我便永远不会将困难征服。顺遂的情况会令我停滞不前，只有逆境才使我继续迈进。

　　从古到今，人们都面临了大大小小的逆境。有些人不去正视它，便不得上进；有的人经过了逆境的考验，得以成大器。孟子曾说过：“生于忧患，死于安乐。故天将降大任与斯人也，必先苦其心志，劳其筋骨，饿其体肤，空乏其身，行拂乱其所为，所以动心忍性，曾益其所不能。”如果某人想完成重大的任务，他必要面对逆境，才能振奋他的心志，坚忍他的性情，增加他原本缺少的能力。如果这人一帆风顺不曾陷入逆境，他便因安逸而不得进步。

       海伦·凯勒的生平也证实了这一规律，她生来便有许多感官上的缺陷，但她从不放弃生命，通过自身的努力与沙丽文老师的帮助，她征服了重重逆境，得到了文学学位。虽然她又盲又聋哑，但她秉持巨大的决心，办到了他人称作“不可能”的事，留下了一个传说。读到她的故事，我不禁想到，如果她生来便无任何不足，不曾面对任何逆境，或许名人录中便无海伦·凯勒这个名字了。正是她面临的困难与她坚强的人格成就了鼓舞人心的海伦·凯勒。

　　有时逆境不止来自命运，险恶的社会也能够造成巨大的困难。哈利波特小说系列现在无人不晓，不过它的作者J.K.罗琳出名前很贫困，又找不到工作，还得独自照顾自己的孩子。她只能在小纸片上写作，可她从不向困境低头，在坚持写作与出版后，得以将想像中的世界呈现给数以万计的读者，不但出了名也摆脱了贫困。

　　本杰明·富兰克林因家境贫困，十岁便辍学了。但他没有因此放弃学习，自学成才的他不但成为了发明家、政治家，还是美国“开国三贤”之一。他曾说过：“逆境带来机会。”可见逆境并不只是一个低谷，它也可以是一个转折点。

　逆境，也不止是人才会面对。动物们要争夺领地，逃离天敌，寻找食物，它们时常会面对自然与环境所带来的挑战。达尔文提出的进化论中便有一句广为人知的话“适者生存”。在变化多端的自然界中，挑战是非常多的。如果动物们无法克服困难，做出改变，它们便会被淘汰。生存下来的物种都是在逆境中改变、增强了的物种。而如果逆境不曾出现，物种便不会经历生存考验也不会有进化，猿便一直是猿，永不会有站立成人的阶段。可见逆境才是激发改变的因素。

　　逆境无处不在，它是人生的一部分。人人都会在某种程度上面对它，只是要被它打败还是从中精进自我，是区分失败与成功的重要选择。

作者：徐宝鎏 (19-A2)

我为何选择翻译本作品：这篇文章所描述的逆境，不禁让我想起好不容易才渡过的2020年。每个人在生活中难免都会面临逆境，而每个人在这种情况下都会有不同的处理方法。文章利用不少的名言和名人的生活经验，让读者了解任何人都会在人生中面临难关。我非常喜欢文章的最后一句：“人人都会在某种程度上面对[逆境]，只是要被它打败还是从中精进自我，是区分失败与成功的重要选择。” 这句话告诉读者，逆境多的是，但是我们选择拥有的态度将会影响我们在人生中的胜败。 除此之外，我意识到诺雅学生整体上对华文和华文的文学作品没什么接触。因此，我认为我的译文能够让更多诺雅学生欣赏学长的佳作，并且鼓励正面对逆境的同学们勇往直前，继续坚持下去。

Those Unforgettable Days   

In secondary one, I lived far from my school, so I had a full hour to immerse in my thoughts while travelling back.The afternoon after my first mid-year assessment, I counted in my head the number of semesters I had in secondary school. Watching the blossoming flowers through the bus window on the way home, my heart bloomed at the thought that I had just completed one-eighths of my secondary journey. 

I had forgotten whatever happened before or after this, but this was the only moment that I remember as clearly as if it was yesterday. In those four years, those eight portions of time, how much had been forgotten and how much remembered? Just like the first time stepping into the secret darkroom at the back of  the art room and soaking the film in the developer solution, what emerges from my memories is not the entire picture, but rather, fragments of it.

Towards the end of secondary school days, we were all very busy. I moved, and my new house was only 10 minutes away from the school.  My travelling time to and fro school was almost 2 hours less; however,  it also meant that I lost the time spent pondering in the bus like I previously did. I was so busy that I didn’t even realise that that had been the last of the eighths of blue pinafore days I had spent in my ‘second home, St. Nicholas’.

As I gathered the memories captured in the films, I realised that my bittersweet struggle with art had taken a huge part of the last eighth. Nonetheless, the days where art forcefully stayed by my side turned out to be my most unforgettable ones.

Thinking back about the art room, you could say that it was untouched by light under the spectator stand;  it would be in complete darkness before we switch the lights on. The windows that line the two walls are always open, but the air in the room always had a trace of paint, clay and some kind of chemicals. The art classroom is stubborn – it doesn’t let light in but doesn’t let smells out either. In that very classroom locked the days of my youth, and the only gift I had gotten out of the generosity of the art room were the memories which I could bring along with me.

My memories relating to art seemed to be gleaming with a tinge of  gold.  It’s not that those memories were precious, but that for every art class, we would have to stay back in school for additional three hours closer to the “golden hour”. So, as we neared the end of the lessons in the evenings, the last rays of the sun always crept past the door of the art room.

That golden light was just like the lamp in the corner of the room that illuminated still life. I am still baffled about why the sunlight  only illuminates a few tiles before the door,  just like I’m equally baffled about why the lamp only brightens the still life under it, leaving the rest of the room in darkness.

Back then, we often scrambled to keep our laptop and art brushes after our teacher urged us out and switched off the lights in the room. Just before walking out, I would glance up and observe the reflection of the indistinct orange rays on the ceiling. We rushed out of the classroom under the rays of the setting sun, which made us squint and rushed us home. Those orange rays gilded the days of our youthfulness,  imprinting the silhouette of our youth onto the ground  whilst we unknowingly hurried home with the falling rays in our eyes.

The days nearing the end of my secondary school days  might have been the longest time I had spent with my oil paintings, spreading the pungent and unwelcoming oil paints and turpentine onto the equally unwelcoming canvas.  As I  rushed the final project, time slowly crept on to the days of our last examination of secondary school. In the day, I would be  attempting what seemed like never-ending practice questions. After school, I would rush to paint in the art classroom. I visited the art classroom twice a day, up from once a week. Overwhelmed with art and my other schoolwork, I felt like I was drowning.

The smell of oil paint and turpentine can be dizzying after a while, so I moved my easel from indoors to the space outside the back door,  hoping that the fragrance of the plants in the backyard would overpower the pungence. Under my brush, the paint felt soft and slippery on the raw canvas. The blend of the paint, brush and the canvas seemed to make my stress from school briefly disappear.When the sky started to dim, I knew that the sunset would be waiting for me on the other end of the art classroom.

I finally submitted my final oil painting after months of struggling with it. At that time, my mind was preoccupied with starting my revisions as soon as possible, in order not to lag behind the rest. So, just like that, I bid farewell to the final eighth of my secondary school journey, not realising that this was my farewell to art as a subject, too.

To a photographer, dusk was a magical moment.  After my final exams had eventually concluded, I flew back home to my homeland, China.  I was strolling with my cousin under the golden rays of the setting sun one evening when I suddenly turned to her and said, “The lighting is nice. Let me take a picture of  you”. 

She squinted against the sun, looking at me in confusion. Through the camera, her face was gilded with a layer of gold, reminding me of the days when my artmates and I rushed to leave the art room. In that instant, the setting sun seemed to freeze in what seemed like an eternal moment.

Those were the unforgettable days.

Translated by Lim Ying Xin 林映馨 (20-O2)

忘不了的那些日子

还在读中一的时候，家离学校非常远。回家路上的一个小时，我的思绪可以肆意飞舞。年中考过后的那天下午，我暗自把中学的四年分成八份。一边看着车窗外花满枝头，一边因为自己完成了八分之一的学业而在心里快乐地开花。那一个瞬间至今在我脑海里清晰得恍若昨日，但前后发生了什么，已经完全记不起来了。就像中学四年的、八份的时光，我记得多少？又遗失了多少？就像我第一次走进美术室里头的秘密小黑屋，把底片泡进药水里，逐渐显现出来的不是我所捕捉的整幅画面，只留住了零落的细节。

中学最后的那些日子里，我们都很忙碌，总是从这里赶到那里。我搬家到离学校走路十分钟的地方，每天省下近两小时车程，也就少了在车上思考的时间。我似乎忙到没有腾出时间去意识到，那是我穿着白衣蓝裙在那“圣中我的第二家”度过的最后的八分之一。

把回忆的底片再聚焦，中四的后半年，我与美术的恩恩怨怨可能占去了大半。美术强行陪着我的那些日子，倒成了最忘不了的一段日子。 

中学的美术室缩在操场观众席的底下，可说是不见天日，只要推门进去，就得立马开灯。两面的窗虽然从没关过，但整个房间里永远弥漫着一股颜料、泥塑和不知什么化学物质混杂在一起的味道。美术室如此固执，不仅不愿让光进去，还不允许味道出去，我的那么多年少的日子被锁在里面，能被我打包带出来的记忆是美术室对我的小小仁慈。

所有关于美术的记忆，仿佛都被镀上了一层金。不是说那些记忆有多么美好，而是我们因为美术课，一周里固定有一天要比其他同学多留下三个小时。所以每到临近放学的时刻，傍晚太阳最后的余晖总是从美术室的门口悄悄照射进来，那橙黄色的光和角落里那盏照静物的灯没有什么差别。我不理解为什么阳光只照亮门前地板上的几块方砖，就像我不理解为什么那盏灯投射下的橙黄色灯光，只顾照亮灯下的静物，却不肯让房间里再亮一点。

那时的我们，总在美术老师的催促声中和关灯后的黑暗里忙乱地收拾电脑和画笔，出门前我会看看天花板，上面好像也映着若有若无的橙黄。匆匆走美术室，在晃得我们眯起眼睛的夕阳里匆匆回家。橙黄色的阳光把年少的我们都镀成金色的，再把我们青春的剪影送给大地，而我们毫不知情地迎着夕阳眯着眼睛赶回家去。

在中学的最后八分之一里，可能是我与油画打交道最多的一段时间。难闻的油画颜料和难闻的松节油互相嫌弃，又被我往同样嫌弃它们的画布上涂抹。赶油画最终作业那几个星期，已经临近期末考试。我每天在课堂上马不停蹄地做着试题，课后吃完饭就马上赶去美术室画画。那时我光顾美术室的频率直接从每周一次骤升至每天两次。那种感觉就像溺水，美术与其它的课业无孔不入，把我淹没。

颜料和松节油的气味闻久了会令人头昏脑胀，于是我把画架从室内搬到后门外的空地，让后院植物的香气缓解油画的味道。颜料在生涩画布和画笔之间充当和事佬，那种柔软滑腻的触感似乎短暂地缓解我的压力。当后院的光线开始变暗，我就知道夕阳一定在美术室的另一边等着我了。

与油画纠缠几个月后，我终于能把最终作业交上。那时的我只想着要快点开始复习，不然落在别人后面几个星期。与中学时光的最后八分之一告别时，我没有意识到那就是我跟美术这一学科的告别。

考试后回国的一天下午，我和表妹踏着夕阳洒在地上的金色，慢慢地走着。黄昏日落时的魔术光，对摄影师来说是很珍贵的。

我转头对表妹说：“我给你拍张照吧，现在的光线很好。” 她被太阳照得眯起眼睛，有些不解地看着我。镜头里她的脸庞被镀上了一层金色，就像那时候美术室外脚步匆匆的我们。夕阳仿佛凝结在一瞬间，又仿佛是生命里的永恒。

忘不了的那些日子。

作者：门甜甜 (20-A1)

我为何选择翻译本作品：我之所以选择这篇文章是因为它打动了我。第一次读这篇文章后不禁回忆起中学时的那些点点滴滴，也让我想起那时的美 好时光。作者通过细节描写使自己的回忆更加的生动细致，能让读者想象当时的环境和气氛。再加上，我能够彻底理解作者写这篇文章时的心情，因此，我想翻译这篇文章，通过译文让更多人也能够欣赏作者想要表达的苦涩，希望从中也能打动更多人。

You are my Youth 

Just like the splendour of rainbows and the beauty of shooting stars, my youth was fleeting yet so beautiful. It was marked by your amazing hands, unwavering care, constant encouragement and so much more. Grandma, did you know? You are my Youth. 

Grandma, your hands were neither extraordinary nor exceptional. As they aged with time, they gradually got rougher too. But these hands were always filled with warmth. In kindergarten, the innocent me always wanted to hold your hand. I wanted you to accompany me to school, and only agreed to go home if you fetched me. And this was because I liked how you held my hands so tightly while you told me the story of the Big Grey Wolf and the Small White Rabbit as you walked me to and fro school. Even though it was always the same animals, always the same story 365 days a year, I never, ever got tired of it; it remained my favorite story for a long time despite the many more stories I heard later on in my kindergarten days.  “My grandma’s stories are way more interesting than our teacher’s!” was something that I often proclaimed to other kids at school. Grandma, did you know? Your stories and the touch of your hands became such precious memories of my childhood. I also came to understand that good begets good and evil begets evil. (And I know that the evil big grey wolf would definitely get his just desserts). 

Grandma, your hands were neither extraordinary nor exceptional. As they aged with time, they gradually got rougher too. But these hands were extremely skillful. Since young, I loved changing outfits for my Barbie dolls, and you were their exclusive fashion designer. You always sewed dresses for my dolls, one prettier than the previous. To this day, I still vividly remember that white princess dress that you sewed ever so beautifully. The rim of the skirt was edged with purple cloth, the shoulders decorated with a handmade ribbon and the dress flourished with purple flowers that had gold rims. Somehow, the doll dresses that you made always turned out to be exactly what  I wanted. No matter how complicated the design was, it never seemed like a big deal to you. 

After the 2008 WenChuan Earthquake, I donated all my dolls and their beautiful dresses to the kids who were hit by the disaster. I can still clearly remember what you told me, “Many kids lost their fathers and mothers because of the earthquake. They don’t have a home of their own and need the company of these dolls way more than you do.” Grandma, did you know? I really loved every single doll dress that you made. However, I still chose to give them away because of your words. Thank you for teaching me what kindness and empathy was when I was still an ignorant young child. 

Grandma, your hands were neither extraordinary nor exceptional. As they aged with time, they gradually got rougher too. But these hands were magical. To me, you were basically a magician,making sumptuous dishes appear on the dining table ever so quickly. Whenever you cooked, the aroma of the dishes never failed to waft up my nose, making me drool. Whenever it was meal time, my younger brother and I always fought to hurry to the kitchen. And when we got there, we would be greeted by the vast variety of dishes, leaving us completely clueless about where to begin. My favourite dish was your braised ribs, poached pork slices, hot and sour potatoes, salted vegetable fish and many, many more… Whenever you cooked, I would always have a huge appetite and a huge smile. You would always remind me, “Don’t hurry! There’s still half a pot of rice left for you.” Grandma, did you know? Your dishes were the best in this world,peppering my youth with mouth-watering aroma; my baby fats stayed on me way past childhood.

When I was 10, because of my parents’ jobs, our entire family had to migrate to Singapore, a beautiful country. I had to say goodbye to my hometown, my friends and you — the one who loved me the most. At the airport, I couldn’t bear to part with everything I had here, especially you. But with a big smile, you told me, “Singapore has everything. Study hard when you get there and remember to call me often.”  Whatever you said afterwards was completely a blur, but I nodded non-stop, all the while struggling hard to hold back my tears;  Grandma, did you know? Singapore has everything except you, whom I loved the most. 

I could not have felt more alienated when I started schooling in Singapore. Every student and teacher spoke in a language I did not understand. Communicating with them was impossible. I was completely lost during lessons, and had no idea how to do any homework. I felt like giving up. Whenever I called you to complain about my plight, you always encouraged me with your gentle voice. “A tree can only thrive  after it has experienced harsh weathers; one can only achieve success after they have gone through tumultuous times.” Your words left a deep impression on me. Whenever I was on the verge of giving up, these words never failed to dry my tears, giving me the strength to carry on. 

Over time, I started to adapt to life in Singapore. I made a bunch of interesting friends, started to answer questions in class enthusiastically and actively participated in various school activities. Gradually, my life in Singapore was getting better, but you were not …… Your health started deteriorating and you started to sound weaker,  slurring over the phone. Over time, we called less frequently. I started to look forward to and treasure the holidays when I could return home. I’d treasure being reunited with you, holding your hand and walking through the mall with you, lying next to you at night as you told me your story slowly but steadily. 

“Grandma, I’ll surely be back next year! Please look after yourself!” 

“Of course, I’ll be waiting.” 

Grandma, did you know? I loved every bit about you, except that promise that you never kept. 

When I was sixteen, you taught me one last lesson: we would never be able to avoid getting old and passing away… This time, however, you did not teach me this through your words, but through your actions. When I found out about your departure, my whole world shattered. I came to realise that no one can be by my side to protect me forever, not even you, the one who loved me the most and whom I loved the most. This realisation ushered me away from my youth and into adulthood. Grandma, your hands accompanied me throughout my childhood, bringing me so much joy; your words wiped away my tears, teaching me perseverance, kindness and how to treat this world gently. Finally, your actions led me to recognise that I have grown up. Although my youth was fleeting,  it was never boring or uninteresting because of you. Grandma, did you know? You are my youth and I really miss you!

Translated by Andrea Yap 叶惠宣 (20-O2)

我的青春都是你

正如彩虹的绚烂与流星的美好，青春的美丽也稍纵即逝。我的青春有奶奶那双神奇的手，有奶奶无微不至的关怀，有奶奶“没完没了”的叮嘱，有奶奶无时无刻的鼓励以及教导，还有奶奶的……奶奶，你知道吗？我的青春都是你。

奶奶，你的手既不特殊，也不出众。随着岁月的消逝，还略显粗糙，但这双手温暖。上幼儿园时，那时单纯天真的我总是要拉着你的那双手，祈求你陪我一起上幼儿园，放学也非你来接我才肯回家。因为我喜欢你在上下学路上一边紧紧牵着我，一边生动地跟我说大灰狼和小白兔的故事。即使一年三百六十五天都是同样的动物，同样的故事情节，我还是百听不厌。后来，我在幼儿园里又听到许许多多其他故事，但是我的最爱还是你的大灰狼和小白兔，甚至经常在幼儿园里骄傲地向其他小朋友炫耀：“我奶奶说的故事比老师更有趣呢！” 奶奶，你知道吗？那时候你的双手与你的一成不变的故事为幼小的我带来了多少美好的回忆，还让我明白了善有善报。恶有恶报，恶毒的大灰狼是不会有好下场的。

奶奶，你的手既不特殊，也不出众。随着岁月的消逝，还略显粗糙，但这双手灵巧。你还记得吗？我从小就喜欢收集芭比娃娃，我喜欢给芭比娃娃换上不同的裙子，而你便是这些娃娃的专属服装设计师。你总是能在短时间内缝制出一条比一条漂亮的裙子。令我至今都记忆犹新的还是那条白色公主裙。它的裙边镶着紫色的纱，吊带上还有你亲手绑了再缝的蝴蝶结，裙子上还有许多她一朵朵缝上去镶着金片的紫色花朵。你对我想要的裙子总是有求必应，即时多复杂的设计对你来说都是小菜一碟。08年汶川大地震时，在你的鼓励与劝说下，我将我所有娃娃和那些漂漂亮亮的裙子都捐给了灾区的小朋友们。你的话我至今都记得清清楚楚，她告诉我：“好多小朋友因为地震而失去了爸爸和妈妈，没有了自己的家，他们比你更需要这些娃娃的陪伴。” 奶奶，你知道吗？你所做的每条裙子我都好喜欢，也谢谢你在我懵懂的年纪里让我学会了善良与同情。

奶奶的手既不特殊，也不出众。随着岁月的消逝，还略显粗糙，但这双手神奇。你就犹如一个魔术师，总是能在短时间内“变”出色香味俱全的美食。每当你做菜时，香喷喷的气味能从厨房飘到客厅，进入我的五脏六腑，令我“口水直流三千尺”。每到吃饭时间，我和弟弟便会争先恐后冲到厨房，看着眼前五色俱全的菜肴，不知从哪下手。我最喜欢的菜肴便是你做的红烧排骨、水煮肉片、酸辣土豆丝、酸菜鱼还有好多好多…..只要你一做饭，我的胃口便会比平时打了不知多少倍，而你总是会在一旁一边开心得合不拢嘴，一边提醒我：“慢慢吃，饭还有半锅呢！” 奶奶，你知道吗？你所烧的饭菜是世界上最好吃的，是它们令我的青春回味无穷，让童年的我又白又胖。

在我十岁那年，父母因为工作原因，带着我们全家移民到了美丽的新加坡。我告别了家乡，朋友还有最疼爱我以及我最爱的你。在机场时，我舍不得家里的一切，尤其是你。但是你还是喜笑颜开的告诉我：“新加坡什么都有，去那里要好好学习，记得经常给奶奶打电话……我强忍着眼泪，你后来说什么都没有心思仔细听，但依然乖乖地点点头。奶奶，你知道吗？新加坡的确什么都有，唯独没有我最爱的你。

在新加坡刚上学时，我仿佛来到了外星球。同学们和老师都在说着我听不懂的外星语，我与他们都语言不通。“外星老师”上课时我总是一头雾水。发下来的“外星作业”我也一个字都看不懂，多次想直接放弃。当我打电话给你抱怨时，你总是用那温和的声音鼓励我：“一棵树面经历了风雨的吹打，才能长成参天大树；一个人经历了挫折的磨练，才能达到成功的彼岸。”你的这句话便深深地烙印在我的脑海里，每当我想放弃、撑不下去时，这句话总能擦干我的眼泪，让我勇敢地坚持下去。

渐渐的，我慢慢地适应了在新加坡的生活，也交到了一堆有趣的“外星”朋友们，老师课上的提问我也开始积极回答，踊跃参与学校举办的各项活动。慢慢的，我在新加坡的生活一切都在变好，但是你却不好了……你的身体越来越差，和你通话时的声音也变得含混不清、有气无力。我们的通话频率也渐渐减少。我开始珍惜、期待放假回国与你团聚的时间，珍惜牵着你的手一起逛超市的时间，期待晚上躺在你身旁听着你一字一句慢慢诉说以前的故事。

“奶奶，我明年就会再回来的！你要好好照顾好自己！”

“好啊，我等着呢。”

奶奶你知道吗？我喜欢你的一切，唯独除了你没有遵守你的诺言。

十六岁那年，你教会了我最后一个道理：我们永远无法改变大自然生老病死的规律……这一次，你不再亲口教会我，而是亲自用行动证明。知道这个噩耗的我感觉世界都黑暗了，慢慢地、慢慢地明白了没有人会在我身边守护我一辈子，即使是我最爱的或最爱我的。那一刻，我发现我成长了。

奶奶，你用你的手陪伴着我的成长，为我带来了不少欢乐，用你的话语为我擦去我的泪水、教会我坚持、善良以及如何温柔对待这个世界，最后用你的行动让我明白我长大了。我的青春如此短暂，但是我很高兴我的青春因为有你而不再素然无味、不再单调无色。奶奶，你知道吗？我的青春都是你，我好想你。

作者：林姿吟（20-A1)

我为何选择翻译本作品：我非常喜欢这篇文章。这篇文章的内容并不复杂，重点就是奶奶在作者成长过程扮演着多么重要的角色。一开始，作者描述奶奶在她生命中有多么的重要，我就被这又真诚，又单纯的描述给吸引住了。读到后面，我真的有被感动到。虽然故事的结局并没有出乎意料，但那详细的描写深深地打动了我。因此，我选择翻译这篇文章。再加上，这篇文章有许多细节描写，和我一般所翻译的文体不太一样。 我想挑战自己，翻译一篇我不熟悉的文体。