英語(yǔ)美文：珍惜每一刻（雙語(yǔ)）

珍惜每一刻

Cherish every moment

我的妹夫打開我妹妹書桌最底下的抽屜，拿出一個(gè)裹著紙片的小包。“這個(gè)，”他說(shuō)，“不是一張紙片，而是一件女士?jī)?nèi)衣，”“他弄掉紙片，把它遞給我。這是件精致的女士?jī)?nèi)衣，它是用手工縫制的絲制品，齊整的鑲著蛛網(wǎng)似的花邊。衣服上甚至還釘著數(shù)額驚人的價(jià)格標(biāo)簽。”“這是我和簡(jiǎn)第一次去紐約的時(shí)候買的，至少是八九年以前了，她從來(lái)沒有穿過(guò)，她一直在等一個(gè)特殊的場(chǎng)合。我想，現(xiàn)在該是時(shí)候了。”“他從我手上拿過(guò)內(nèi)衣，把它和其他一些衣服一起擺到床上，我們要把它們帶到殯儀館。他的手在那柔軟的面料上摩擦了一會(huì)兒，然后砰的關(guān)上抽屜，轉(zhuǎn)過(guò)來(lái)對(duì)我說(shuō)。“千萬(wàn)別珍藏什么東西去等一個(gè)合適的機(jī)會(huì)，你活著的每一天都是一個(gè)機(jī)會(huì)。”

My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's bureau and lifted out a tissue-wrapped package. "This," he said, "is not a slip(紙片). This is lingerie(女士?jī)?nèi)衣)." He discarded the tissue and handed me the slip. It was exquisite(精致的); silk, handmade and trimmed with a cobweb (蜘蛛網(wǎng)，蛛絲)of lace(花邊). The price tag with an astronomical figure on it was still attached. "Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years ago. She never wore it. She was saving it for a special occasion. Well, I guess this is the occasion." He took the slip from me and put it on the bed with the other clothes we were taking to the mortician(殯葬員). His hands lingered on the soft material for a moment, then he slammed the drawer shut and turned to me. "Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Every day you're alive is a special occasion."

我牢記著這些話，幫著他和我的侄女處理這起因以外事故喪生后的葬禮和各種悲傷瑣事。在我從妹妹居住的這個(gè)中西部地區(qū)小鎮(zhèn)飛往加利福尼亞的飛機(jī)上,，還在回想著這些話語(yǔ)。我想著那些她從來(lái)沒有見過(guò)、聽過(guò)、或者做過(guò)的事情，我想著那些她經(jīng)理過(guò)卻沒有意識(shí)到其獨(dú)特性的事情。

I remembered those words through the funeral and the days that followed when I helped him and my niece attend to all the sad chores (瑣事)that follow an unexpected death. I thought about them on the plane returning to California from the Midwestern town where my sister's family lives. I thought about all the things that she hadn't seen or heard or done. I thought about the things that she had done without realizing that they were special.

現(xiàn)在我仍然還在思索他的話，他們甚至改變了我的一生。我閱讀更多的東西，少了很多迷惑。我坐在草地上欣賞風(fēng)景，不再去擔(dān)心花園的雜草。我花更多的時(shí)間陪伴家人和朋友，不再一味的去參加無(wú)聊的會(huì)議。不論何時(shí)，生活應(yīng)該是一種享受的過(guò)程，而不是忍受。我開始認(rèn)識(shí)并珍視現(xiàn)在的每一時(shí)刻。

I'm still thinking about his words, and they've changed my life. I'm reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting on the deck and admiring the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time in committee meetings. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experience to savor(使有風(fēng)味，盡情享受), not endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments now and cherish them.

我不再珍藏任何東西，我用上好的瓷器和水晶器，慶賀每一件事--比如減掉了一磅體重，打通了堵塞的下水道，開放了第一朵茶花。只要我喜歡，我會(huì)穿上我漂亮的夾克衫去逛超市。我的邏輯是：如果我看上去夠有錢，我會(huì)毫不猶豫地花28.49美元去買一小帶雜貨。我不會(huì)珍藏我的名貴香水去等待一個(gè)特殊的晚會(huì)，商店職員和銀行出納員的鼻子跟我舞友的鼻子有著同樣的功能。

I'm not "saving" anything. we use our good china and crystal for every special event-such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, the first camellia (茶花)blossom. I wear my good blazer (顏色鮮明的運(yùn)動(dòng)夾克)to the market if I feel like it. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out(交付，支付)$28.49 for one small bag of groceries without wincing(畏縮). I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties; clerks in hardware stores and tellers in banks have noses that function as well as my party-going friends'.

“總有一天”和“某一天”對(duì)我已失去了意義。如果某件事值得去看，去聽、去做、我會(huì)立刻去實(shí)行。我不知道，如果我妹妹知道她不再擁有我們都認(rèn)為理所當(dāng)然會(huì)到來(lái)的明天時(shí)，她會(huì)怎么做。我想她會(huì)給家人和一些親密的朋友打電話。她會(huì)打電話給以前的一些朋友，為曾經(jīng)發(fā)生過(guò)的爭(zhēng)論道歉或彌補(bǔ)關(guān)系。我想她會(huì)出去，到一見中餐廳，吃她最喜愛的食物。我只是采寫--永遠(yuǎn)都不會(huì)知道了。

"Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing , hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now. I'm not sure what my sister would have done, had she known that she wouldn't be here for the tomorrow we all take for granted. I think she would have called family members and a few close friends. She might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think she would have gone out for a Chinese dinner, her favorite food. I'm guessing--I'll never know.

如果時(shí)間緊迫，而我還有一些事情沒有做完，我會(huì)憤怒不已。我會(huì)為不得不把準(zhǔn)備去拜訪的朋友推延到“某一天”而惱火，為曾設(shè)想著“總會(huì)有一天”會(huì)寫下來(lái)的詞句，而沒有寫下來(lái)而生氣，為沒有盡可能多的告訴我的丈夫和女兒我是多么愛他們而后悔和遺憾。

It's those little things left undone that would make me angry ,if I knew that my hours were limited. Angry because I put off seeing good friends whom I was going to get in touch with”someday.” Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write--one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and daughter often enough how much I truly love them.

我盡最大的努力避免推遲,延誤,或保留那些能給我們的生活增添歡樂和色彩的東西。

I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives.

每天早上，我睜開眼睛，告訴自己這是特殊的一天。每一天，每一分鐘，每一次呼吸.....都是上帝對(duì)我們的恩賜。

And every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself that it is special. Every day, every minute, every breath truly is ... a gift from God.