原标题：晚安英语丨存亡相依

存亡相依 Swans Mate for Life

The end of my sophomore year was approaching. Mom called me at the dorm one muggy evening during the last week of May. My summer break would be spent with grandma and grandpa,

helping out around their farm. The arrangement made good sense to all the family. I wasn’t fully convinced of that myself but figured it was just one summer. Next year would be my little brother’s turn.

大学二大学就快结束了。五月最终一个星期一个火热的晚上,母亲打电话到我宿舍来，想让我去外公外婆那儿度暑假，帮他们做做农场的活。她说这样组织对全家都有优点。尽管我并不这样认为，但想想不过是一个夏天而已。 下一年就该轮上我弟弟去了。

I packed my car after my last exam and said my good-byes until the fall. My friends would keep until then. Most of them were going home for the summer any-way.

最终一场考试考完我将打好的行装放进车里，跟我们离别时说秋天见。我的兄弟们到那时才干见到，他们大都人也要回家过暑假。

The farm was about a three-hour drive from school. My grandparents were both in their 70s, and I knew they really needed the help around the farm. Getting in the hay would be something grandpa couldn’t do by himself. He also needed help with repairs to the barns and a host of other chores.

从学校到农场开车去约三个小时。 我的外公外婆都七十多岁了。我晓得他们农场的确也需要个辅佐。 把干草收进来外公一自个是干不了的。他也需要人帮他修补谷仓以及干其他许多常常要干的杂活。

I arrived late that afternoon. Grandma had fixed more food than the three of us could possibly eat. She doted over me entirely too much. I figured all the attention would taper off once she got used to having me around, but it didn’t. Grandpa wanted to bring me up to date on literally everything. By the time I settled in for bed that night, I’d decided things would be okay. After all, it was just for one summer.

那全国午我到得晚，外婆做了许多吃的，咱们三人根柢就吃不完。外婆疼我疼得过火了。我想等我呆久了，她习气了，就不会这样操心了，可情况并非如此。外公想让我晓得悉数，啥都不漏地和我讲。晚上到了睡觉的时分，我告诉自个悉数都会很顺畅，不会有啥疑问。究竟，只是一个夏天而已。

The next morning, Grandpa fixed breakfast for the two of us. He told me Grandma had tired herself out yesterday and was going to rest in bed a little longer. I made a mental note to myself to not ask her to do things for me while I was there. I was there to help, not be a burden.

第二天早晨，外公为咱们俩预备了早餐。 他对我说外婆昨日累着了，今日要多睡一会儿。 我心里记住在这儿的日子里千万不要她再为我劳累了。我是来协助的，不是为他们添加担负的。

Grandpa surprised me that morning. Once we were out of the house, he seemed more in his own element. The farm was his domain. Despite his age, there was confidence in the way he moved about the place. He didn’t seem like the same person who had fallen asleep last night on the couch before the six o’clock news was finished. As we walked the pastures getting a close-up look at the livestock, Grandpa seemed to know each cow. And there were nearly 200 of them!

那天上午，外公让我吃了一惊。咱们一脱离家，他看上去就较为满足。农场就是他的领地。尽管年岁大了，他走到哪儿都决心十足的姿势. 他如同完全换了一自个，不像昨晚那样，六点钟的新闻还没有播完他就在躺椅上睡着了。咱们走过草场去查看放牧的家畜，外公如同认得每一头母牛。草场的牲口差不多有二百头呢！

We didn’t do much real work that first day, but I gained a sense of appreciation for what Grandpa had done all those years before I was even born. He wasn’t an educated man, but he had raised and provided for four children on this farm. I was impressed by that.

第一天咱们没有干多少活，但我对外公这么多年所干的作业，甚至我出世前干过的作业，初步有点知道了。他没有念过书，但就在这农场上他抚育了四个子孙，这一点使我形象很深。

Weeks passed. By June we had already baled one cutting of hay and gotten it safely into the barn. I gradually settled into a routine of daily work with Grandpa. He had a mental schedule of things that needed doing, and we worked on part of it each day. In the evenings I usually read or talked with Grandma. She never grew tired of hearing about college or anything I was involved in. She told me stories about her childhood, family and the early years after she and Grandpa had married.

几周曩昔了。到六月份咱们现已砍了第一批干草并打成捆，平安运进谷仓了。我和外公一同干活已逐步上了轨迹，每天例行的事也了解了。要做的事外公在脑子里都想好了，每天做一有些。晚上我一般看看书或和外婆聊谈天。我和她讲大学里的事，讲我自个的一些事，她都爱听。她和我谈她的年少，她的娘家，她和外公成婚开始几年的情况。

The last Saturday in June, Grandpa suggested we go fishing, since we were caught up on everything. The pond was in a low pasture near the woods. Years before, Grandpa had stocked it with

fish. We drove the pickup to the pond that day, looking over the livestock as we went. We hadn’t expected what we saw when we got to the pond that morning: One of the swans was dead. Grandpa had given the pair of swans to Grandma on their 50th anniversary. “Why don’t we see about buying another one,” I suggested, hoping the situation could somehow be righted. Grandpa thought for a few moments before answering.

六月最终一个星期六，外公提议去垂钓，因为作业都赶着做完了。几年前外公现已在里边放了鱼苗。那天咱们开了那辆小货车去池塘，一路上还查看了家畜的情况。那天上午抵达池塘时见到了一件意外的事：一只天鹅死了。这是一对中的一只，这对天鹅是他们成婚五十周年时外公送给外婆的。我说：“干吗不再买一只？”期望那可以抵偿一下这种情况。

He finally said, “no… it’s not that easy, Bruce. You see, swans mate for life.” He raised his finger to point, holding the fishing pole in his other hand. “There’s nothing we can do for the one that’s left. He has to work it out for himself.”

外公想了一会儿才

答复。他说：“不，……没那么简略，布鲁斯。你晓得吗，天鹅是终身为伴。” 他一手拿着钓竿，另一手抬起来指了一指。“关于留下来的这只咱们力不从心，只好靠它自个了。”

We caught enough fish that morning for lunch. On the way back to the house, Grandpa asked me not to tell Grandma about the swan. She didn’t get down to the pond much anymore, and there was no sense in her knowing about it right away.

那天上午咱们钓了不少鱼供午饭用。回家的路上，外公要我别向外婆提及天鹅的事。她如今不常来池塘这边，没有必要让她马上晓得。

A few days later, we drove by the pond while doing our morning check on the cows. We found the other swan lying near the same spot we had found the first one. It, too, was dead.

几天今后的一个清晨，咱们驱车去查看母牛时从池塘边走过。在离第一只天鹅死的当地不远，咱们见到另一只天鹅躺在那儿。它也死了。

The month of July started with me and Grandpa putting up a new stretch of fence. Then July 12 came. That was the day Grandma passed away. I’d overslept that morning. Grandpa had not knocked on my door,

either. It was nearly eight o’clock by the time I could hurriedly dress myself and get down to the kitchen. I saw Dr. Morgan sitting at the kitchen table. He was a neighbor of my grandparents’ age, long since retired. He’d come to the house several times before on social calls. I immediately knew something was wrong. This morning, his tattered old black bag was by his feet, and my grandfather was obviously shaken. Grandma had died suddenly that morning of a stroke. By the afternoon, my parents were there. The old house was soon crowded with relatives and Grandpa’s friends.

七月初我和外公缔造了一堵新围栏。七月十二那天，外婆过世了。那天早晨我睡过了头。外公也没有敲我的门。差不多8点了我才仓促穿好衣裳，下楼来到厨房。我见到摩根医生坐在厨房桌子边。他是外公家邻居，和外公役不多年岁，也早就退休了。他曾来过外公家串过几回门。我马上感到出完事。那天早晨，他脚边放着他那破旧的黑包，外公的身子直颤栗。外婆那天早晨俄然患中风去世了。下午我父母来了。那间老屋一会儿亲友集合，显得很拥堵。

The funeral was held the next day. Grandpa had insisted on having it as soon as possible. On the second day after the funeral, Grandpa announced at the breakfast table, “This is a working farm. We have a lot of things to do. The rest of you should get back to your own lives.” Most of the family had already left, but this was Grandpa’s way of telling the rest it was time for them to go home. My parents were the last to leave after lunch.

第二天举办葬礼。外公坚持从速举办。葬礼后的第二天，外公在早餐时宣告：“农场要干活，咱们有许多事要做。你们剩下的人都请回吧。” 家族大大都人现已走了，而外公就用这种办法告诉剩下的人是回去的时分了。我父母吃过午饭后脱离了，他们是最终走的人。

Grandpa was not a man who could outwardly express his grief around others, and we all worried about him. There had been talk of his giving up the farm. My parents thought he was too old to live out there alone. He wouldn’t hear of it, though. I was proud of the way the old man had stood his ground. The rest of the summer flowed by. We stayed busy working. I thought there was something different about Grandpa but couldn’t quite put my finger on it. I started to wonder if he would be better off living with someone after all, but I knew he could not leave the farm.

外公不会在人前体现自个的沉痛，咱们都为他担忧。现已有人在谈论他要扔掉农场。我父母认为他年岁太大，不宜一自个单独住在那儿，但他听不进入。老人家如此坚持我倒为此感到骄傲。夏天剩下的日子像流水似地曩昔了。每天忙繁忙碌，我感到外公和曩昔有所不一样了，却又说不出一个所以然来。我初步在想是不是仍是有人陪着外公一同住非常好些，可是我也晓得他离不开农场。

September was nearing, and part of me did not want to leave. I thought of skipping the fall semester and staying around a few more months. When I mentioned it, grandpa quickly told me that my place was back at college.

九月接近了，我有点不想脱离。我想秋季这学期不上学，在这儿再呆几个月。我向外公提出这个主意时，外公马上就说我应当返校读书。

The day finally came for me to pack my car and leave. I shook his hand and chanced a hug. As I drove down the driveway, I saw him in the rearview mirror. He waved to me and then walked to the pasture gate to start the morning livestock check.

总算到了我脱离的时分。我把行李装上车，和他握手道别，还偶尔拥抱了一下。车子从车道上开走时，我从后视镜里看到他。他向我挥挥手，然后走向草场门，初步一上午对牲口的巡查。

Mom called me at school on a blustery October day to tell me Grandpa had died. A neighbor had stopped by that morning for coffee and found him in the kitchen. He died of a stroke, same as Grandma. At that moment, I understood what he’d clumsily tried to explain to me about the swan on that morning we fished together by the pond.

十月的一个刮劲风的日子，母亲打电话到学校里告诉我外公死了。那天早晨邻居上他家喝咖啡时发现他在厨房里。和外婆相同，他也是患中风死的。我这才理解，我和他在池塘垂钓的那天早晨，为何他设法笨拙地向我说明天鹅之死。回来搜狐，查看更多

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