双语美文：孤单却不寂寞，是我人生最好的状态

Twenty-five is an embarrassing age for asingle Chinese girl, and that is exactly how old I am. Thanks to my sweet mom and the great pressure she put on me to find her a son-in-law, my life is not too boring.

25岁，对于中国的单身女孩来说，是一个尴尬的年纪，而我正好25岁。多亏了我的好妈妈和她让我快点结婚的压力，我的生活才不会那么无聊。

My mom and I are very close friends. We started to talk over the phone on a daily basis after I came to Beijing forwork three years ago. I tell her about my daily life and ask for her opinion when I have questions about life and work. However, I stopped doing so when she began to answer all of my questions with "that is because you don’t have a boyfriend."

妈妈和我是非常亲密的朋友。三年前我来北京工作后，我们每天都通电话。我告诉她关于我的日常生活，当我的生活和工作出现问题时，我征求她的意见。然而，当她开始用“那是因为你没有男朋友”来回答我所有的问题时，我再也不想每天和她通话了。”
 

embarrassing /ɪmˈbærəsɪŋ/adj. 使人尴尬的，令人为难的

pressure /ˈpreʃə(r)/n. 压力

basis /ˈbeɪsɪs/n. 基础;主要成分

opinion /əˈpɪnjən/n. 意见，主张

This practice reached a fever pitch when I went home during the recent National Day holidays. She became really excited and took me to a secret place which, according to her, could perhaps change my future. Later, I found that the place belongs to a so-called fortune teller, who predicted that I would probably meet the one I was meant to be with this winter. If not, I’d have to wait another two years. My mom got a bit anxious and asked if there is any way to secure my boyfriend this winter, and the fortune teller suggested that I put a bunch of flowers or a piece of amethyst on the west wall of my room.

当我在最近国庆假期回家时，这种做法达到了狂热的程度。她变得非常兴奋，带我去一个秘密的地方，据她说，那可能会改变我未来的人生。之后我发现，她说的这个地方居然是去看所谓的算命先生，他预言我可能在今年冬天遇到我的另一半。如果没有的话，我还得再等两年。我妈妈有点着急，问我有没有办法保证这个冬天找到男朋友，算命先生则建议我在房间西面墙上放一束花或一颗紫水晶。

fever /ˈfi:və(r)/n.发热，发烧;一时的狂热

pitch /pɪtʃ/ n. 音高;场地;最高点

National Day /ˈnæʃnəl/ 国庆

belong /bɪˈlɒŋ/ v. 属于;是…的成员

fortune /ˈfɔ:tʃu:n/n. 幸运;(某人的)命运

predict /prɪˈdɪkt/ v. 预言，预测

probably /ˈprɒbəbli/adv. 大概;或许;很可能

anxious /ˈæŋkʃəs/adj. 焦急的;渴望的

secure /sɪˈkjʊə(r)/ v. 保护;(使)获得;担保

suggest /səˈdʒest/ v. 暗示;建议，提议

amethyst /ˈæməθɪst/n. 紫晶;紫水晶

On our way home my mom kept saying that I definitely cannot wait, or it would be too late to find a nice man, as once I hit a certain age, my best years are behind me. Over the next few days, she pestered me to buy flowers and amethyst immediately after I return to Beijing.

在我们回家的路上，妈妈不停的唠叨说，我绝对不能再等了，不然就太晚了，找不到优秀的男人了，好像我已经达到了某个年纪，最美好的年华都逝去了。在接下来的几天里，她就一直在啰嗦着让我回北京后买花，买紫水晶。

Also, just like I thought, after I got back to work, everything she said to me over the phone began with, "Did you buy it and put in the right place?"

并且，正如我所预料的那样，在我回到北京后，她打电话给我，第一句话总是：“你买了那些东西没有，放在那个位置没有?”

I love my mom, and I fully understand her worry, but I can’t agree with her.

我爱我的妈妈，我也完全理解她的担忧，但是我却不同意她的做法。
 

definitely /ˈdefɪnətli/adv. 明确地;一定地

certain /ˈsɜ:tn/adj. 某一;必然的

pester /ˈpestə(r)/v. 纠缠;使烦恼

immediately /ɪˈmi:diətli/adv. 立即，马上

understand /ˌʌndəˈstænd/v. 懂，理解
 

The social custom has stamped so many labels on us, "older woman," "leftover," "single dog" and so on, which makes it even harder to be true to ourselves. But if you can’t be who you really are, then you’re just pretending to live your life, which is the real tragedy.

社会习俗给我们贴了如此多的标签，“大龄女孩”“剩女”“单身狗”等等，这使得我们更难忠实于自我。但如果不能做真实的自己，只是假装过着你的人生，那才是真正的悲剧。

Twenty-five is just an age, 30 is also good. As long as you feel happy and comfortable, each year could be the best age.

25岁只是一个年龄而已，30岁同样也很好。只要你感到快乐、幸福，每个年龄都是最好的年龄。

Whatever change may happen in this world,something like my own happiness should never be compromised. At least, for me,being alone but not lonely is the best state of my life.

不管这个世界会怎样改变，有一些东西比如自我的快乐，永远不应当被妥协。至少，对我来说，孤单却不寂寞，是我人生最好的状态。

stamp /stæmp/ v. 标记;盖章于…

label /ˈleɪbl/n. 标签;称标记，符号

leftover /ˈleftəʊvə(r)/n. 剩余物;剩女;剩斗士

pretend /prɪˈtend/ v. 装扮;假装

tragedy /ˈtrædʒədi/n. 悲剧，惨剧

comfortable /ˈkʌmftəbl/adj. 舒适的;安逸的

compromise /ˈkɒmprəmaɪz/v. 折中解决;妥协，退让

state /steɪt/ n. 状况，情况