22 I Will Remember
我会记得
Until I was eight, I spent every Sunday outside in the garden with Nana . The zucchini plants quickly became my favorite. It was the way the tiny little delicate tendrils reached out and wrapped around the lattice , like tiny fingers holding on as tightly as they could. They seemed so helpless. I would sit on the ground and tend to them, sensing that they needed me. Nana would sit there, perched on her gardening stool, looking at the tomatoes in the same way.
在我八岁之前，我的每一个周日都是和奶奶一起在外面的菜园里度过的。那种叫西葫芦的植物很快就成了我的最爱。它们细小精致的卷须伸出去缠绕在架子上的样子，就像许多小手指尽其所能抓紧架子。它们看起来如此无助。我感到它们需要我，我会坐在地上照看它们。奶奶则会坐在她的园艺凳上暂时歇一会儿，以同样的方式看着西红柿。
Wonderful Little Things
奇妙的小东西
Nana, I asked one day, "should I take off all these little yellow flowers?"
“奶奶，”有一天我问她，“我可以把这些小黄花都摘下来吗？”
Why would you take the flowers off? she asked gently.
“你为什么要摘这些花呢？”她温柔地问。
Well, I thought they might attract the bugs and then the bugs might eat them.
“唔，我觉得它们可能会招来虫子。然后，虫子可能会把它们吃掉。”
No, darling, she said with a little laugh, "Those flowers will turn into zucchini soon."
“不会的，宝贝，”她微微笑道，“那些花很快就会变成西葫芦的。”
Really?
“真的吗？”
You just wait. Soon you"ll see that little things can turn into wonderful things. You should remember that.
“你等着看吧。很快，你就会看到这些小东西变成奇妙的事物。你应该记住这一点。”
Little things can turn into wonderful things, I repeated.
“小东西会变成奇妙的事物。”我重复道。
That"s right, she said.
“对。”她说。
The Magic of Taking Care
照料的魔力
Every Sunday I returned to the garden to check on the zucchini plants, and each time I saw more and more zucchini.
每个周日，我都会回到菜园去查看那些西葫芦藤。每一次我都会看到越来越多的西葫芦。
Do you think there are so many because I take good care of the plant? I asked.
“结了这么多西葫芦，您认为是我精心照料它们的缘故吗？”我问道。
Yes, Nana said, "When you look after things, good things tend to grow. You should remember that."
“是啊，”奶奶说，“当你照料事物的时候，美好的事物就容易生长。你应该记住这一点。”
When you look after things, good things tend to grow, I repeated.
“当你照料事物的时候，美好的事物就容易生长。”我重复道。
That"s right, she said.
“对。”她说。
To Give Up Is to Gain
放弃是为了收获
I looked after the zucchini plants even better after that. I removed brown leaves, and if one of those tiny tendrils couldn"t reach the lattice, I moved it a little closer. Nana did the same to the tomatoes. Then one Sunday, I watched as she took the clippers and cut off one whole branch of the plant.
从那以后，我更精心地照料那些西葫芦藤。我摘掉发黄的叶子。如果哪根小卷须够不到架子，我就把它移得更近一些。奶奶也同样如此照料着西红柿。有一个周日，我看到她用一把大剪刀剪去西红柿藤的一整根枝条。
Nana! I put my hand over my mouth in shock, "What did you do that for?"
“奶奶！”我惊讶地用手捂住了嘴巴，“您为什么要那样做啊？”
The plant isn"t strong enough to have two good branches full of tomatoes, she said, "I had to get rid of one so the plant could make the most of the other one."
“那棵西红柿藤是支撑不住两根结满了西红柿的粗壮枝条的，”她说，“我必须剪掉一枝，让剩下的那枝结出最好的果实。”
Oh.
“噢。”
You might have to make the same kind of choice some day, she said. "Because sometimes you just can"t have everything."
“将来有一天，你可能也不得不做出同样的选择。”她说，“因为有时候你就是无法拥有全部。”
I"ll remember that, I said.
“我会记住这一点的。”我说。
Nature Has Its Rules
万物自有道
For months I returned every week to Nana"s to see how my plant was doing, and each time I was proud to see more zucchini. Until one day, when they stopped appearing, and a few weeks later, there were none.
几个月以来，我每周都回奶奶家看我的那棵西葫芦藤长得怎么样了，而每一次我都骄傲地看到更多的西葫芦。直到有一天，它不再结出新的西葫芦。几星期后，一个也不长了。
Nana, what"s wrong with my plant? I asked tearfully, "It"s not growing anymore."
“奶奶，我的西葫芦藤怎么了？”我泪眼汪汪地问，“它不再结出新的西葫芦了。”
That"s what happens, darling. Things grow but then they stop. Nothing lasts forever.
“就是那样的，宝贝。事物生长，然后停止生长。没有事物持续到永远。”
But I was so good to it.
“但我对它那么好。”
Yes, she said. But things end so new things can start."
“是的，”她说，“但旧事物结束了，新事物才会开始。”
And is there something I should remember?
“有什么是我应该记住的吗？”
Yes, said Nana. "Seasons change, but for everything that ends, something new will take its place."
“有，”奶奶说，“四季交替。但每一个消亡了的事物总会被某种新事物取代。”
I"ll remember that, I said.
“我会记住这一点的。”我说。
Nature"s Rules Are Not Unchangeable
万物之道并非一成不变
I helped tend other garden plants. But one day, I admitted , "I really miss the zucchini plants."
我帮助照料菜园里的其他植物。但有一天，我坦白说：“我真想念那些西葫芦。”
I know, darling.
“我知道，宝贝。”
I was thinking, Nana, what if we got grandpa to make a greenhouse?Then we could have zucchini plants all year.
“我在想，奶奶，我们让爷爷建一间温室怎么样？那样我们就一年四季都可以种西葫芦了。”
I don"t know, she said. Maybe we should just wait for the right season."
“我不知道，”她说，“也许我们应该等合适的季节到来吧。”
But can we just try? Can I just ask grandpa? Please, Nana.
“但我们能试一试吗？我能问问爷爷吗？求您了，奶奶。”
I guess we can try, she said.
“我想我们可以试试。”她说。
Grandpa agreed. The next week, I arrived to find a greenhouse constructed. The best part about it was the inside of the walls: there was lattice from top to bottom.
爷爷同意了。第二周我到奶奶家的时候，发现一间温室已经建好了。最棒的是温室里面的墙壁：架子从地上一直搭到了天篷顶上。
This is the perfect home for zucchini plants, I said.
“对西葫芦来说，这是一个最棒的家。”我说。
And tomatoes, Nana added.
“还有西红柿。”奶奶补充说。
We planted zucchini on one side and tomatoes on the other. Week after week, the zucchini plants looked better and better. Nana"s tomatoes were just as good. Then the fruit came, and we both realized that this greenhouse worked perfectly.
我们在一边种上了西葫芦，在另一边种上了西红柿。一周又一周过去了，西葫芦的秧苗看起来越长越好。奶奶的西红柿也是如此。然后它们都结了果，我们俩都体会到这间温室好用极了。
Look, Nana, I said, "I have a little zucchini here and it is going to be the best ever."
“瞧，奶奶，”我说，“我这儿有一棵很小的西葫芦，它将成为最棒的。”
What a fabulous idea you had! Nana said, squeezing my hand.
“你这个主意可真好啊！”奶奶一边说，一边捏了捏我的手。
Nana, I said, "I think you should remember something."
“奶奶，”我说，“我想您应该记住点什么。”
What"s that?
“记住什么？”
There is always a way if you want something bad enough.
“如果你非常想要某种东西，就一定会有办法的。”
Nana turned and looked at me. I saw a tiny tear in her eye and for a moment, I thought she was going to cry. Then she smiled the biggest smile I have ever seen. She shook her head slightly and squeezed my hand again. "Thank you, darling," she said, "I will remember that."
奶奶转过身，看着我。我看见她的眼睛里有一小滴泪。有一会儿，范文，我以为她要哭了。然后，她的脸上露出我所见过的最灿烂的笑容。她轻轻地摇了摇头，又捏了捏我的手。“谢谢你，宝贝，”她说，“我会记住这一点的。”
(By Shelley Ann Wake)
