The end of my sophomore year was approaching. Mom called me at the dorm one muggy evening during the last week of May. My summer break would be spent with Grandma and Grandpa, helping out around their farm. The arrangement made good sense to all the family.
我的大二學年就快要結束了,那是五月份的最後一週,在一個悶熱的晚上,媽媽打電話到我宿舍,讓我暑假和爺爺奶奶待在一起,幫他們做做農場的活兒.這個安排對整個家庭來說都很有好處.
I packed my car after my last exam and said my good-byes until the fall.
最後一門課考試結束後,我整理好行李,裝上車,跟朋友們說秋天再見.
The farm was about a three-hour driver from school. My grandparents were both in their seventies, and I knew they really needed the help around the farm. I arrived late that afternoon. Grandma had fixed more food than the three of us could possibly eat. She doted over me entirely too much. I figured all the attention would taper off once she got used to having me around, but it didn't. Grandpa wanted to bring me up to date on literally everything. By the time I settled in for bed that night, I'd decided things would be okay. After all, it was just for one summer.
開車從學校到農場大概三個小時,爺爺奶奶都70多歲了,我知道他們的確需要有人幫忙料理農場.那天下午我很晚才來到爺爺奶奶家,奶奶早已準備好飯菜,飯菜多得我們祖孫仨都吃不完,她真的是太寵愛我了.我想,一旦她習慣有我在身旁的時候,這種"關懷"會減少的,然而事實並非如此.爺爺則要我熟悉所有的一切.晚上上床後,我想情況還不壞,畢竟只是一個夏天而已.
The next morning, Grandpa fixed breakfast for the two of us. He told me Grandma had tired herself out yesterday and was going to rest in bed a little longer. I made a mental note to myself to not ask her to do things for me while I was there. I was there to help, not be a burden.
第二天早上,是爺爺為我們倆做的早飯,他說奶奶昨天累壞了,要在床上多休息一會兒.我在心裡告訴自己,在農場的日子裡,我不能讓她為我操心.因為我是來幫忙的,不是來添麻煩的.
Grandpa surprised me that morning. Once we were out of the house, he seemed more in his own element. The farm was his domain. Despite his age, there was confidence in the way he moved about the place. He didn't seem like the same person who had fallen asleep last night on the couch before the six o'clock news was finished.
那天早上,爺爺讓我很吃驚.我們剛一出家門,他便顯得精神抖擻,完全不像七十多歲的老人.農場是他的領地,儘管上了年紀,但是在這塊土地上勞作時,他卻信心十足,一點都不像昨晚六點鐘新聞還未播完就在沙發上睡著了的那個人.
Weeks passed. I gradually settled into a routine of daily work with Grandpa. He had a mental schedule of things that needed doing, and we worked on part of it each day. In the evenings I usually talked with Grandma. She never grew tired of hearing about college or anything I was involved in. she told me stories about her childhood, family and the early years after she and Grandpa had married.
幾周之後,我慢慢習慣了爺爺每天的工作流程,他頭腦裡對自己要做的事都有一個計劃,我們每天完成計劃中的一部分.晚上的時候,我通常和奶奶聊天.我會給她講大學裡的生活,她從不會感到厭倦.她也會給我講她的童年、家庭以及與爺爺結婚後的早期生活.
The last Saturday in June, Grandpa suggested we go fishing, since we were caught up one very thing. We drove the pickup to the pond that day. We hadn't expected what we saw when we got to the pond that morning: One of the swans was dead. Grandpa had given the pair of swans to grandma on their fiftieth anniversary.
在六月的最後一個週六,所有的事情都忙完之後,爺爺建議去釣魚.那天,我們開著小卡車去了水塘.到達水塘後我們看到了意料之外的的事情：一對天鵝中的一隻死了.那對天鵝是爺爺在結婚50週年紀念日時送給奶奶的禮物.
"Why don't we see about buying another one," I suggested, hoping the situation could somehow be righted. Grandpa thought for a few moments before answering. He finally said, "No…it's not that easy, Bruce. You see, swans mate for life. There's nothing we can do for the one that's left. He has to work it out for himself." On the way back to the house, Grandpa asked me not to tell Grandma about the swan. She didn't get down to the pond much anymore, and there was no sense in her knowing about it right away.
"我們為什麼不考慮再買一隻呢?"我這麼建議,希望情況好起來.爺爺想了一會兒,說："不……布魯斯,事情沒那麼簡單.你知道嗎,天鵝一生只有一個伴侶.對活著的那隻天鵝來說,我們無能為力,他只能自己想辦法."回家的路上,爺爺對我說,不要把天鵝的事告訴奶奶.她現在已經不常到水塘來了,讓她知道這事也沒有任何意義.
A few days later, we drove by the pond while doing our morning check on the cows. We found the other swan lying near the same spot we had found the first one. It, too, was dead.
幾天後,在對奶牛做早晨清點時,我們開車經過水塘,發現另外一隻天鵝趴在那裡,就在我們發現第一隻天鵝的地方.它,也死了.
Then July 12 came. That was the day Grandma passed away. She had died suddenly that morning of a stroke. By the afternoon, my parents were there. The old house was soon crowded with relatives and Grandpa's friends.
然後,到了7月12日,那是奶奶去世的日子.那天早上,她因為中風而猝死.下午,我父母來了,老房子裡擠滿了親戚和爺爺的朋友們.
September was nearing, and part of me did not want to leave. I thought of skipping the fall semester and staying around a few more months. When I mentioned it, grandpa quickly told me that my place was back at college.
九月臨近了,而我卻有些不情願離開.我想跳過秋季學期的課,在農場再多待幾個月.但當我向爺爺提起時,爺爺毫不猶豫地說我應該回到學校.
Mom called me at school on a blustery October day to tell me Grandpa had died. He died of a stroke, same as Grandma.
在十月的一個大風天,媽媽打電話到學校,告訴我爺爺過世了.跟奶奶一樣,他也死於中風.
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