an old man's letter

A letter to ...

Dear son...

孩子…..

The day that you see me old and I am already not, have patience and try to understand me …

哪天你看到我日渐老去,身体也渐渐不行,请耐著性子试著了解我……

If I get dirty when eating… if I can not dress… have patience.

如果我吃的脏兮兮,如果我不会穿衣服……有耐性一点……

Remember the hours I spent teaching it to you.

你记得我曾花多久时间教你这些事吗?

If, when I speak to you, I repeat the same things thousand and one times… do not interrupt me… listen to me.

如果,当我一再重覆述说同样的事情…不要打断我,听我说…..

When you were small, I had to read to you thousand and one times the same story until you get to sleep…

你小时候,我必须一遍又一遍的读著同样的故事,直到你静静睡著……..

When I do not want to have a shower, neither shame me nor scold me…

当我不想洗澡,不要羞辱我也不要责骂我……

Remember when I had to chase you with thousand excuses I invented, in order that you wanted to bath…

你记得小时后我曾编出多少理由,只为了哄你洗澡…..

When you see my ignorance on new technologies… give me the necessary time and not look at me with your mocking smile…

当你看到我对新科技的无知,给我一点时间,不要掛著嘲弄的微笑看著我…..…

I taught you how to do so many things… to eat good, to dress well… to confront life…

我曾教了你多少事情啊….如何好好的吃,好好的穿…如何面对你的生命…….

When at some moment I lose the memory or the thread of our conversation… let me have the necessary time to remember… and if I cannot do it, do not become nervous… as the most important thing is not my conversation but surely to be with you and to have you listening to me…

如果交谈中我忽然失忆不知所云,给我一点时间回想…

如果我还是无能为力,请不要紧张…..

对我而言重要的不是对话,而是能跟你在一起,和你的倾听…..

If ever I do not want to eat, do not force me. I know well when I need to and when not.

当我不想吃东西时,不要勉强我.我清楚知道该什么时候进食

When my tired legs do not allow me walk...

… give me your hand… the same way I did when you gave your first steps.

当我的腿不听使唤…..扶我一把….

如同我曾扶著你踏出你人生的第一步….

And when someday I say to you that I do not want to live any more… that I want to die… do not get angry… some day you will understand…

Try to understand that my age is not lived but survived.

当哪天我告诉你不想再活下去了….请不要生气….

总有一天你会了解….

试著了解我已是风烛残年,来日可数.

Some day you will discover that, despite my mistakes, I always wanted the best thing for you and that I tried to prepare the way for you..

有一天你会发现,即使我有许多过错,我总是尽我所能要给你最好的…

You must not feel sad, angry or impotent for seeing me near you. You must be next to me, try to understand me and to help me as I did it when you started living.

当我靠近你时不要觉得感伤,生气或无奈.

你要紧挨著我,如同我当初帮著你展开人生一样的了解我,帮我….

Help me to walk… help me to end my way with love and patience. I will pay you by a smile and by the immense love I have had always for you.

扶我一把,用爱跟耐心帮我走完人生…

我將用微笑和我始终不变无边无际的爱来回报你.