chinese reading - Lucky to Be Sad 只愿情永在

We sat, as always, front and center, four rows from the stage so we could have that all-important perfect view of our son performing. And, of course, so I could get ideal photos of the concert.

xiànɡ wǎnɡchánɡ yìbān ,wǒmen zuò zài qián pái kào zhōnɡjiān de zuòwèi shànɡ ,hé wǔtái ɡé zhe sì pái zuòwèi ,zhèyànɡ wǒmen jiù nénɡ wánměi bǔzhuō dào érzi biǎoyǎn shí suǒyǒu de zhònɡdiǎn .dānɡrán ,wǒ yīncǐ yě nénɡ pāi dào zhè chǎnɡ yīnyuèhuì de lǐxiǎnɡ zhàopiàn .

像往常一般，我们坐在前排靠中间的座位上，和舞台隔着四排座位，这样我们就能完美捕捉到儿子表演时所有的重点。当然，我因此也能拍到这场音乐会的理想照片。

 

It was late May. My wife and I sat there feeling rather sentimental, thinking the same things but sitting quietly, keeping thoughts to ourselves. This was our youngest’s last high school concert—and to our sad 1)disbelief it was also ours.

dānɡshí zhènɡ zhí wǔyuè mò ,wǒ hé qīzǐ zuò zài nàér ,ɡǎnjué hěn shānɡɡǎn .wǒmen xiǎnɡ zhe tónɡyànɡ de dōnɡxi ,què dōu ānjìnɡ de zuò zhe ànzìsīcǔn .zhè shì wǒmen xiǎo érzi niàn ɡāozhōnɡ de zuìhòu yì chǎnɡ yīnyuèhuì ……wǒmen bú jìn shānɡɡǎn ,zhēn nányǐzhìxìn ,zhè yě shì wǒmen zuìhòu yí cì cān yǔ háizi zài xuéxiào de huìbào biǎoyǎn le .

当时正值五月末，我和妻子坐在那儿，感觉很伤感。我们想着同样的东西，却都安静地坐着暗自思忖。这是我们小儿子念高中的最后一场音乐会……我们不禁感伤，真难以置信，这也是我们最后一次参与孩子在学校的汇报表演了。

 

wher had the time gone? Just yesterday, he’d been sitting next to us, watching first his sister, then his older brother perform in some music or sporting event. Now we were watching our youngest, a senior in high school, nearing graduation.

shíjiān dōu liū dào nǎér qù le ?jiù zài zuótiān ,tā yìzhí āi zhe wǒmen zuò ,xiān shì kàn tā jiějie ,ér hòu shì kàn tā ɡēɡē cānjiā yīnyuè yǎnchū huò shì yùndònɡ sàishì .xiànzài ,wǒmen kàn zhe zuì xiǎo de háizi ,yǐjīnɡ zài niàn ɡāosān ,línjìn bìyè le .

时间都溜到哪儿去了？就在昨天，他一直挨着我们坐，先是看他姐姐，而后是看他哥哥参加音乐演出或是运动赛事。现在，我们看着最小的孩子，已经在念高三，临近毕业了。

 

 High School has a wonderful ritual each year: to conclude the annual spring concert by honoring the graduating seniors, calling them each to the stage with a few words about their experience and wher they are each heading off to next. College! My wife and I sat there quietly; proud, beaming, but misty-eyed.

Mamaroneck ɡāozhōnɡ měi nián dōu huì yǒu zhè me ɡè jíhǎo de yíshì ɡuànlì :zài niándù chūnjì yīnyuèhuì de zuìhòu xiànɡ ɡāosān bìyshēnɡ zhìjìnɡ ,rànɡ tāmen zhúyī shànɡtái jiǎndān jiǎnɡjiǎnɡ tǐhuì hé wèilái mùbiāo .dàxué !wǒ hé qīzǐ jìnɡjìnɡ de zuò zài nàér ,ɡǎndào zìháo 、xīnxǐ ,què lèiyǎnménɡlónɡ .

马马罗内克高中每年都有这么个极好的仪式惯例：在年度春季音乐会的最后向高三毕业生致敬，让他们逐一上台简单讲讲体会和未来目标。大学！我和妻子静静地坐在那儿，感到自豪、欣喜，却泪眼朦胧。

 

We were sad.

wǒ mén ɡǎndào bēishānɡ .

我们感到悲伤。

 

As we walked out of the 3)auditorium looking for our son, we saw him standing with his closest friends, arm in arm, posing for the parent photos. He came over to us; we hugged as we always do after a concert, telling him how proud we were, how awesome he was. But we noticed that he was having a bit of a tough time. He had tears in his eyes.

dānɡ wǒmen zǒu chū lǐtánɡ xúnzhǎo wǒmen de érzi shí ,wǒmen kànjiàn tā hé tā de mìyǒu wǎn zhe shǒu zhàn zài yìqǐ ,zhènɡérbājīnɡ de zài hézhào .tā xiànɡ wǒmen zǒu lái .wǒmen yìrúwǎnɡchánɡ de zài yīnyuèhuì jiéshù hòu ,xíɡuànxìnɡ de yōnɡbào le yí xià ,ránhòu wǒmen ɡàosù tā ,wǒmen ɡǎndào duōme zìháo ,tā shì duōme de bànɡ .dàn wǒmen zhùyì dào ,tā dānɡshí ɡǎndào yǒu diǎn nánshòu ,yǎnlǐ hán zhe lèishuǐ .

当我们走出礼堂寻找我们的儿子时，我们看见他和他的密友手挽着手站在一起，正儿八经地在合照。他向我们走来。我们一如往常地在音乐会结束后，习惯性地拥抱了一下，然后告诉他，我们感到多么自豪，他是多么的棒。但我们注意到，他当时感到有点难受，眼里含着泪水。

 

We asked if he was OK. He looked at us, holding back tears, and said, “I just can’t believe it’s over. It’s really sad.”

wǒmen wèn tā shìfǒu hái hǎo .tā yìzhì zhù lèishuǐ kàn zhe wǒmen ,shuō dào :"wǒ zhǐshì wúfǎ xiānɡxìn ɡāozhōnɡ shēnɡhuó jiù zhèyànɡ  jiéshù le .zhēn rànɡ rén nánɡuò ."

我们问他是否还好。他抑制住泪水看着我们，说道：“我只是无法相信高中生活就这么结束了。真让人难过。”