每一天都是天主赐予的礼物
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. This is lin
gerie." He discarded the tissue and handed me the slip.
妹夫打开了妹妹衣柜最底层抽屉，拿出一个用薄纸裹着的小包。“这个，”他说，
“不是衬裙，是件内衣。”他把薄纸去掉，递给了我那件内衣。
It was exquisite, silk, handmade and trimmed with a cobweb of lace. The
price tag with an astronomical figure on it was still attached.
它很精巧、丝质、手艺缝制，周围有一圈密密的花边。上面还有价签，价签上的数
字高得惊人。
"Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 yea
rs ago. She never wore it. She was saving it for a special occasion.
“这是咱们榜首次去纽约时简买的，至少已是八、九年前的事了。她从没有穿过它
。她在为一个特别的场合收藏着它。”
Well, I guess this is the occasion.
唉，我想现在便是那特别的场合了。
He took the slip from me and put it on the bed, with the other clothes w
e were taking to the mortician. 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 occas
ion.".
妹夫从我手中拿过内衣放在床上，和其他咱们要带给殡仪人员的衣服放在一同。他
的手在那柔软的丝织品上抚摸了一会儿，随即轰然关上抽屉，回身对我说：“不要把任
何东西留给什么特别场合。每天你活着便是一个特别的场合。”
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 that follow an u
nexpected death. I thought about them on the plane returning to California f
rom 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.
这两句话久久在我耳边回响着，伴我度过了葬礼和帮妹夫、侄女处理妹妹意外逝世
后的悲伤后事的那几天。我从中西部某城妹妹家乘飞机回来加利福尼亚州时还在想这两
句话。我想到妹妹从没看过、听过或做过的事。我想到她做过的，但未曾意识到其特别
性的工作。
I'm still thinking about his words, and they've changed 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 experienc
e to savour, not endure. I'm trying to recognize these moment now and cheris
h them.
我还在想着妹夫说过的那两句话，正是这两句话帮我理清了思绪。我要花更多的时
间与家人和朋友在一同，少花些时刻在那些委员会会议上。不管何时，日子应该是去品
尝而非忍耐。我要认识到并爱惜现在的韶光。
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 blossom… I wear my good blazer to the market if I fee1 like it. M
y theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28. 49 for one small bag
of groceries without wincing. I'm not saving my good perfume for special par
ties; clerks in hardware stores and tellers in banks have noses that functio
n as well as my party going friends.
我不再去“收藏”任何东西；咱们为每一特别事情享受咱们精巧的瓷器和水晶制品
，比如说当体重减了一磅的时分，当厨房水槽晓畅了的时分，当榜首朵山茶花绽放的时
候……假设我想穿，我就穿上我艳丽的外衣去商场购物。我的理论是假设我看上去还富
足的话，我能够毫不疼爱地为一小袋食物支付28.49美元。我不再为特别的晚会而收藏我
上好的香水；五金商铺售货员和银行出纳员们的嗅觉和我晚会上朋友们的相同活络。
"Someday" and “one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabular
y. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do i
t now. I' m not sure what my sister would've done had she know that she woul
dn't be here for the tomorrow we all take for granted.
“有朝一日”和“某一天”这样的字眼正从我的常用词汇中淡出。假设值得去看、
去听或去做，我当即就要去看、去听或去做。我不清楚假设妹妹知道她不会有咱们都认
为不成问题的明日了，她会做些什么。
I think she would have called family members and a few close friends. Sh
e might have called a few former friends to apologize, and mend fences for p
ast squabbles. I like to think she would have gone out for a Chinese dinner,
her favorite food. I'm guessing. I'll never know.
我想她会给家人和几位密友打电话。她或许还会给几位旧日朋友打电话自动抱歉，
摒弃前嫌。我想她或许会外出吃顿她喜爱的中式餐。我仅仅猜测罢了。我永久也不会知
道。
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 ce
rtain letters that I intended to write one of these days. Angry and sorry th
at I didn't tell my husband and daughter often enough how much I truly love
them.
假设我知道我的时刻不多了，那些没来得及做的小事会让我动火。动火是因为我一
拖再拖没能去看看我想某一天去联络的老友们。动火是因为我还没有写出我计划这一两
天要写的信。动火与愧疚是因为我没能更经常地奔驰我的老公和女儿我是多么逼真地爱
他们。
I'm trying very hard not to put off hold back, or save anything that wou
ld add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I open my ey
es, I tell myself that every day, every minute, every breath truly, is... a
gift from God.
我正尽力不再延迟、保存或收藏那些能给咱们日子带来欢笑和光荣的东西。每天清
晨当我张开双眼，我便奔驰自己每一天、每一分钟、每一会儿都真是……天主赐予的礼
物。
