growingup
成长
elizabethyates/伊丽莎白·耶茨
atsixshehadbeentoldshewasabiggirlnow.shewasexcitedaboutgoingtoschool.sheclutchedhardthehandofthegrown-upthatheldhersastheywentupthestepsofthebigbuilding,throughthedoor,andtotheentranceoftheclassroom;thenshehadtoletgo,hadtofacethatroomfullofchildren,somefewsheknewbutmanyshehadneverseenbefore...
timewentbyanditwashertenthbirthdaythatwasbeingcelebrated.evenbiggerwasthedaywhensheenteredtheteens.therewereothergreatoccasions.tobesixteenwasone,andthentobetwenty-one:agrown-upwhocouldvote,ayoungwomanwhocouldtakeherownstand.eachstageofgrowinghadblendedintothenexteffortlessly,inevitably.yes,alwaystherewouldbesomethingahead.thiswasthelearningthatwaslife;andthesavor,too.
长到六岁,大人就告诉她,现在是大姑娘了。她兴高采烈地上学去,大人拉住她的手,她便使劲抓住大人的那只手,一大一小走上大楼的台阶,穿过门口,来到教室的进门处;然后她就得松手,就得面对坐满小朋友的教室,她只认得几个人,可是多数面孔她以前从未看到过……时光流逝,不觉之间到了庆祝她十岁生日的时候。她长到十三岁更是隆重的一天,还有其他的大场面,过十六岁是一次,然后是过二十一岁:这时便是能够投票的成人,能够表明态度的小姐了。每个成长阶段都融人了下一个阶段,水到渠成,必然来到。当然,总会有未来的东西。学习就是生活,生活的滋味也在于学习。(未完待续)