Questions About Life



生命的疑问



During my junior year in high school, Mr. Reynolds, my English teacher, handed each student a list of thoughts or statements written by other students, then gave us a creative writing assignment based on one of those thoughts.



我读初中时，英语老师是雷诺兹先生。一天，他发给每位同学一张清单，上面列着其他同学写的想法和陈述。然后，要我们根据某一个想法写一篇创意作文。



At 17, I was beginning to wonder about many things, so I chose the statement, "I wonder why things are the way they are?" That night, I wrote down in the form of a story all the questions that puzzled me about life. I realized that many of them were hard to answer, and perhaps others could not be answered at all.



17岁的我开始对很多事情迷惑不解，因此我选择了"我不明白事物为何会如此？"。当晚，我以故事形式写下生活中一切困惑我的问题。我知道很多问题难以回答，而且有些问题根本无法回答。



When I turned in my paper, I was afraid that I might fail the assignment because I had not answered the question, "I wonder why things are the way they are?" I had no answers. I had only written questions.



交上作文后，我担心过不了关。因为我没有回答"我不明白事物为何会如此？"我没有答案，只写下了问题。



The next day Mr. Reynolds called me to the front of the class and asked me to read my story for the other students. He handed me my paper and sat down in the back of the room. The class became quiet as I began to read my story:



第二天，雷诺兹先生让我上讲台给全班同学念我的作文。他把作文递给我之后，到教室后排就坐。当我开始朗读时，教室里鸦雀无声。



Mommie, Daddy...Why?



《妈妈，爸爸......为什么？》



Mommie, why are the roses red?



妈妈，为什么玫瑰红红的？



Mommie, why is the grass green and the sky blue?



妈妈，为什么草青青的，天蓝蓝的？



Why does a spider have a web and not a house?



为什么蜘蛛有蛛网却没有房子？



Daddy, why can't I play in your toolbox?



爸爸，为什么我不能摆弄你的工具箱？



Teacher, why do I have to read?



老师，为什么我必须读书？



Mother, why can't I wear lipstick to the dance?



妈妈，为什么我不可以抹上口红参加舞会？



Daddy, why can't I stay out until 12:00? The other kids are.



爸爸，为什么我不可以玩到12点才回家？而别的孩子却可以。



Mother, why do you hate me?



妈妈，为什么你不喜欢我？



Daddy, why don't the boys like me?



爸爸，为什么男生不喜欢我？



Why do I have to be so skinny?



为什么我必须保持苗条？



Why do I have braces and wear glasses?



为什么我要系上背带戴上眼镜？



Why do I have to be 16?



为什么我必须过16岁？



Mom, why do I have to graduate?



妈，为什么我必须毕业？



Dad, why do I have to grow up?



爸，为什么我要长大？



Mom, Dad, why do I have to leave?



妈，爸，为什么我必须离开你们？



Mom, why don't you write more often?



妈，为什么您不给我多写信？



Dad, why do I miss my old friends?



爸，为什么我思念老朋友？



Dad, why do you love me so much?



爸，为什么您这么爱我？



Dad, why do you spoil me?



爸，为什么您要宠我？



Your little girl is growing up.



您的女儿不断成长。



Mom, why don't you visit?



妈，为什么您不来看望我？



Mom, why is it hard to make new friends?



妈，为什么很难结交新朋友？



Dad, why do I miss being at home?



爸，为什么我怀念在家的日子？



Dad, why does my heart skip a beat when he looks in my eyes?



爸，为什么他的凝视让我心跳加剧？



Mom, why do my legs tremble when I hear his voice?



妈，为什么他的声音让我双腿打颤？



Mother, why is being "in love" the greatest feeling in the world?



妈，为什么"恋爱"是世上最美妙的感觉？



Daddy, why don't you like to be called "Gramppy"?



爸爸，为什么不喜欢被叫做"外公"？



Mother, why do my baby's tiny fingers cling so tightly to mine?



妈妈，为什么宝宝的小手要紧紧抓着我？



Mother, why do they have to grow up?



妈妈，为什么他们一定要长大？



Daddy, why do they have to leave?



爸爸，为什么他们必须离开我们？



Why do I have to be called "Grammie"?



为什么我要被叫做"奶奶"？



Mommie, Daddy, why did you have to leave me? I need you.



妈妈，爸爸，为什么你们要离我而去？我需要你们！



Why did my youth slip past me?



为什么我的青春消逝无踪？



Why does my face show every smile that I have ever given to a friend or a stranger?



为什么我会笑对朋友或陌生人？



Why does my hair glisten a shiny silver?



为什么我会白发苍苍？



Why do my hands quiver when I bend to pick a flower?



为什么我弯腰摘花时会双手颤抖？



Why, God, are the roses red?



上帝，为什么玫瑰红红的？



At the conclusion of my story, my eyes locked with Mr. Reynold's eyes, and I saw a tear slowly sliding down his cheek. It was then that I realized that life is not always based on the answers we receive, but also on the questions that we ask.



读完故事，我注视着雷诺兹先生，一颗泪珠沿他的面颊慢慢流下。就在那时，我明白了，生活不仅基于我们得到的答案，也基于我们提出的问题。


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