双语美文：没关系，你可以出差错

When I was in my 30’s and newly married,当我刚刚三十岁出头，新婚燕尔

I followed my husband to his native Japan.我随着丈夫去了他的日本老家

His mother lived in a small town婆婆住在一个小镇子里

where a son bringing home his American wife was unheard of.从没有人听说过谁家的儿子带个美国媳妇回来

Japanese households were (in)famous for their myriad of rules.日本人家素来有许多家规，因此臭名远扬

Not only what slippers were for which room不仅有规定，哪双拖鞋只能在哪个房间里穿

– and in which rooms none were allowed -还规定哪个房间不可以穿拖鞋

but also,不仅如此

at mealtime what foods to eat还有吃饭的时间可以吃什么食物

and in which order.按照什么顺序吃

But没想到

my elderly mother-in-law set me at ease at the very first meal,我年老的婆婆从第一餐进门宴就让我放下警惕

announcing warmly to everyone温暖的向每个人宣布

that I could do anything I wished我可以做任何自己想做的事情

because there were no expectations.对我没有任何条条框框

She said it so cheerfully to everyone present,她如此兴高采烈的向在场每个人说明

that they agreed!每个人都同意了！

I never forgot this gift!我从未忘记她送我的这份礼物！

A few years later we moved to Los Angeles.几年之后，我们搬到了洛杉矶

In this new city在这个新城市里

I missed my family on the East Coast so much,我非常想念自己在东海岸的家人

and desperately tried to make friends求友若渴

to ease the loneliness.希望缓解内心的孤独

An elderly neighbor一个年老的邻居

who lived in a cottage behind our apartment住在我家后面的小木屋里

would often say hello to me,经常过来跟我打招呼

and one day有一天

he made a picnic他准备了一份野餐

and invited me and my child to join him!邀请我和孩子们一起加入

He said,他说

“Don’t worry,别担心

I decided I like you!我决定要喜欢你了

You can make any mistake…你可以出任何差错

it’s OK.”没关系的

I never forgot this gift!我从未忘记这份礼物

A few yew years later几年之后

we moved to NYC.我们搬到了纽约

It was wonderful to have visits from my family after so many years!时隔多年，又有了亲朋好友的拜访，真是太好了

We settled down,我们安定下来

our child in kindergarten孩子去了幼儿园

and a new baby just born,还有一个孩子刚刚出生

when I experienced post-partum depression.我得了产后抑郁症

It took a few months,病情持续了几个月

very busy and somehow very sad,十分忙乱，情绪十分低沉

until a healthly balance returned.直到生活恢复到积极的循环

During one especially hard day其中一天我过得特别艰难

I took the baby for a walk我带着婴儿去散步

in the stroller to help him sleep把他放在摇篮车里，想让他尽快入睡

– I knew I had a terribly unhappy expression,我知道自己脸上的表情非常糟糕

but couldn’t pick myself up.却无法让自己振奋起来

Down the sidewalk沿着人行道，

came an elderly gentleman远远的走过来一位老者

who saw me,他看到我

beamed a bright warm smile,脸上洋溢着微笑

and passed on by.接着与我擦肩而过

And I never forgot this gift!我永不会忘记他赠与我的礼物！

This week这一周

I called my adult sons我给两个成年的儿子打了电话

who are doing well他们都还算顺利.

As I walked our dog down the street,我牵着狗穿过街道

hoping I did not appear silly,希望自己脸上没有显露出悲伤

because因为

others I met along the way沿途我遇到的路人

chose to keep a safe distance都选择与旁人保持了安全距离

but forego the mask..但他们还是没有带口罩

an elderly fellow rode a red bike down the road一位老爷爷一路过来，骑着一辆红色的自行车

and sweetly nodded to me带着甜甜的笑向我点头

saying,对我说

“You look lovely dear!”“你看上去真可爱！”

And I will never forget the gift!我将永远不忘这份礼物！