多年前我跟悉尼的一位同学谈话。那时他太太刚去世不久，他告诉我说，他在整理他太太的东西的时候，发现了一条丝质的围巾，那是他们去纽约旅游时，在一家名牌店买的，那是一条雅致、漂亮的名牌围巾，高昂的价格卷标还挂在上面，他太太一直舍不得用，她想等一个特殊的日子才用。

　　讲到这里，他停住了，我也没接话，好一会后他说：“再也不要把好东西留到特别的日子才用，你活着的每一天都是特别的日子!”

　　以后，每当我想起这几句话时，我常会把手边的杂事放下，找一本小说，打开音响，躺在沙发上，抓住一些自己的时间。我会从落地窗欣赏淡水河的景色，不去管玻璃上的灰尘，我会拉着太太到外面去吃饭，不管家里的菜饭该怎么处理。生活应当是我们珍惜的一种经验，而不是要捱过去的日子。

　　我曾经将这段谈话与一位女士分享，后来见面时，她告诉我她现在已不像从前那样，把美丽的磁器放在酒柜里了。以前她也以为要留待特别的日子才拿出来用，后来发现那一天从未到来。“将来”，“总有一天”已经不存在于她的字典里了。如果有什么值得高兴的事，有什么得意的事，她现在就要听到，就要看到。

　　我们常想跟老朋友聚一聚，但总是说“找机会”。我们常想拥抱一下已经长大的小孩，但总是等适当的时机。我们常想写封信给另外一半，表达一下浓郁的情意，或甚至想让他知道你很佩服他，但总是告诉自己不急。其实每天早上我们睁开眼睛时，都要告诉自己这是特别的一天。每一天，每一分钟都是那么可贵。■

　　1. 中文标题是：“特别的东西不要珍藏”，英文根据文章的意思加了for that special day，否则，英文仅是半句话。

　　2. “名牌店”：可译成designer store或brand name store。这儿用designer store是因为从文中的描写看，这是一家名牌专卖商店。

　　3. “舍不得”：begrudge wearing it，意思是一件东西太好，用了自己都觉得可惜。

　　4. “抓住一些自己的时间”：enjoy some time for myself，如果完全直译成seize some of my own time，就会显得不地道。

　　5. “每当我想起这几句话时”：英文用了whenever I remembered what he had said，因为直译并不合适。

　　6. “而不是要捱过去的日子”：英文用了not days we just have to endure，表明这些日子应该珍惜。

　　7. “已经不存在于她的字典里了”：英文用了are not contained in her vocabulary any more， 而不是 are not contained in her dictionary。用dictionary读者会不理解为什么字典里没有这些词，换成vocabulary大家就能明白是在她个人的语汇中已经没有这些词了。

　　8. “另一半”：这里可以用our partners或our other half，不过spouse表示结了婚的另一半，因此更合适些。

　　Never Save Something Beautiful for That Special Day

　　By Xin Qing

　　Years ago I was talking with a classmate in Sydney. At the time his wife had just passed away not too long ago. He told me while going through her things, he found a silk scarf bought in a designer store when they had traveled to New York City. The scarf was beautiful, with elegant designs, and a high price tag still hanging. His wife begrudged wearing it; she was saving it for a special day.

　　He stopped at that moment; I didn't say anything either. After a long pause he said: "Never save something beautiful for that special day. Each living day is a special day."

　　Whenever I remembered what he had said, I would put down the things I was doing to grab a novel, turn on the music and lie down on the couch to enjoy some time for myself. I would appreciate the glorious scenery of the Tanshui River through a French window, ignoring the dust gathered on the glass. I would take my wife out to dinner, not thinking what to do with the meal already cooked. Life should be the experience we truly cherish, not days we just have to endure.

　　One time I shared the above conversation with a lady. When I saw her again, she told me that she no longer kept the beautiful china in a cabinet. She had thought to save them for a special day, only to discover that it never actually came. "Future", "someday" are not contained in her vocabulary any more. If there are things that are pleasant or make her complacent, she wants to hear or see them now.

　　We often hope to gather with old friends, but always say, "let's find an opportunity." We often want to hug our grown children, but always wait for the appropriate moment. We often want to write to our spouses to express our strong affection or to show our deep admiration, but always tell ourselves that there is no need to hurry. In fact, each morning when we open our eyes, we should tell ourselves that this is a special day. Each day, each minute is so incredibly valuable.

　　来源：外研社《英语学习》