Old friends. They finish your sentences, they remember the cat that ran away when you were twelve, and they tell you the truth when youve had a bad haircut. But mostly, they are always there for youwhether its in person or via late night phone callsthrough good times and bad. But as the years pass, it becomes increasingly difficult to see each other, to make new memories. Fortunately, my high school girlfriends and I vowed long ago not to let this happen. We vowedto have reunions.
老友。他们会接完你没说完的句子，他们记得在你十二岁时跑掉的那只猫，假如你剪了一个非常糟糕的发型，他们会告诉你实话。但主要的是，不论是在美好抑或糟糕的日子里，他们总会在你身边或是面对面交流，或是深夜与你通电话。但伴随年月流逝，彼此愈加难见到他们，也愈加难制造新的回忆了。幸运的是，非常早以前，我与我的一帮高中女朋友们曾立下誓词不让如此的事发生。大家许诺必须要重聚。
A few months ago, we met up for a three-day weekend in the American Southwest. We grew up together in Maine and have said for years that we should have an annual event, yet its often postponedor canceled due to schedule conflicts. Not this year.
几个月前的一个周末，大家在美国西南部聚了三天。大家一块在缅因州长大，这几年来一直都在说大家应该有个一年一度的聚会，但一般都由于日程计划冲突而延迟或取消。今年终于如愿了。
Four of us-two from San Francisco, one from Boston, and one from Seattle-boarded planes bound for Santa Fe, New Mexico, where one of the ganglives and works for an art gallery. Two years ago, she moved there-escaped, rather-from the film industry in New York City, where she led a life that felt too fast, too unfulfilling. The artist in her longed for vibrant landscapes and starry moonlit skies. She wanted to drive a truck on dusty roads, a trusty dog at her side, riding shotgun. She got all that and found love, too. She is happy.
大家一行四人两个来自旧金山，一个来自波士顿，还有一个来自西雅图登上了飞往新墨西哥州圣菲的航班。大家这帮人中有一个住在圣菲，为那里的一家画廊工作。两年前，她搬到那里更准确地说是从纽约的电影业中逃离出来。她当时感觉在纽约生活步伐太快，太没收获感。她那艺术家的本性向往生机盎然的自然景致和繁星点缀的月夜。她期望能在尘土飞扬的路上开着卡车，有只忠诚的狗坐在前排的乘客座位，伴随她左右。这所有都达成了，她还找到了爱情。她是幸福开心的。
The rest of us-still big city folks-converged on her like a cyclone straight out of the pages of a girlfriend novel. Chattering and memory swapping, we were fifteen again in a space of five minutes. Naturally, we relived some of the stories of our youth-angst and all-but we also brought much more to the gathering this time. We were new people. We were wives and girlfriends to someone back home. We were businesswomen, artists and writers. We were no longer girls, no longer post-college grads. We were women.
大家其余几人仍然是大城市居民像是从女人小说的页面中直接跳出来的一股旋风似地向她袭去。大家聊天、推荐回忆，仿佛在短短的五分钟内又重返十五岁。大家自然而然地重温了年轻时候的故事哀愁怅惘等种种情感但大家给这次聚会带来的还不止这类。大家是有着全新身份的人。大家是家那位的老婆或女朋友。大家是女商人、艺术家及作家。大家不再是小姑娘，也不再是刚毕业的大学生。大家已成为女性。
I shared an air mattress that night with my friend from Boston, the one who calls me, while rubbernecking in traffic, to catch up on her cell phone, to tell me of her life and love. On the next mattress was a gal from San Francisco, newly single and enjoying her independence. Our host, the artist, shared her bedroom that weekend with a married dot-commer from San Francisco. Yes, we are different, but we are also the same. The years of our youth say so.
那天晚上，我与来自波士顿的朋友共睡一张充气床。路上交通堵塞时,她会边看热闹边给我打电话闲聊，说说她的生活及爱情。旁边的另一张床上睡的是来自旧金山的朋友，她刚刚恢复单身，正享受着一个人的生活。大家的主人那位艺术家,那个周末与来自旧金山，就职IT行业的一位已婚姐妹同住一间房。是的，大家变得不同了，但大家又仍然未变。大家的青春岁月可以证明这所有。
The apartment was open and we talked late into the night, our voices carrying back and forth between the rooms as we laughed, cackling about things that would only be humorous to friends with this kind of history. The next morning, I awoke to a brilliant blue sky, beautifully contrasted by the earthy brown of the surrounding adobe. It was Saturday and the art enthusiasts were out, so, with coffee in hand, I dropped off our host at work. I returned to find the others still deep in slumber, deep lines on their faces evidence of a restfulsleep.
那房屋的设计是开放式的，大家聊天至深夜，笑谈着那些要有同样历程才感觉逗笑的事情，大伙的声音在每个房间之间来回飘荡着。第二天早上醒来后，我发现外面阳光灿烂,在周围那泥褐色的房子的映衬下，蔚蓝的天空看上去分外漂亮。当天是周六，那些艺术喜好者们都出动了。于是，我手捧咖啡送大家的主人去工作。回来后,我发现别的人还在熟睡，她们脸上压出的深痕表明她们睡得非常沉非常香。
We checked out town and headed to the airport to pick up the last straggler, who came in from San Francisco for one night. I wouldnt have missed this for anything, she said, despite her 4 a.m. trip to the airport. That night we celebrated over margaritas and Southwestern fare, each of us gazing at the faces around the table as we wondered, who would have thought the bonds of childhood could last this long? Some of us have been friends since the age of five, some since age twelve and, yet, here we are approaching the age of thirty. Quite rapidly, I might add.
大家离开城里，去机场接最后一个落伍者。她来自旧金山，会来呆上一晚。我如何也不可以错过这次聚会。她说。尽管她要凌晨四点赶到机场。那天晚上，大家喝着玛格丽塔酒，吃着美国西南部的佳肴来庆祝。彼此都凝看着围坐在桌子前的这类面孔，心生感慨：哪个会想到孩童时的友谊可以保持这么长期呢？大家其中一些人自五岁起便是朋友，有的是十二岁才开始成为朋友，然而，大家目前都接近三十岁了。真的过得非常快，我不能不加上这句。
The weekend consisted of long talks by the pool, wonderful meals, and a hike that brought the entire group to tears. Not tears of sadness or anger, but an outpouring of emotion over the sheer wonderment that we can be this close-twelve years after graduation-with such physical distance between us. Its heartbreaking that we cant spend our days together in the same neighborhood, walking the same streets, reading the same newspaper at the same coffee shop. But thats life. Grown-up life.
那个周末的活动包含在池塘边长期谈心，享用美味的饭菜与一次让大家所有人泪湿衣襟的远足步行。这类不是伤心或愤怒的眼泪，而是纯粹惊叹尽管毕业十二年了，彼此距离那样遥远，但却可以维持这样亲密的关系，眼泪是这种情感的迸发。大家不可以在同一个社区里生活，不可以天天走在同一条街道上，不可以坐在同一间咖啡馆里看同一份报纸，这都叫人感到悲伤。但，这就是生活，成年人的生活。
Most amazing is the groups adaptability to one another. The months we spend apart are non-existent. No need to get reacquainted, we jump back in the saddle and its as comfortable as ever. Old friends-friends with an ever-present sense of support and sisterhood, friends that know each other innately-are hard to come by and yet we remain as tight today as we were, years ago, giggling in the back row of Mr. McKechnies 9th grade math class.
最叫人感觉不可思议的是大家这帮人对彼此的适应性。仿佛大家分开的那些日子不曾存在过。无须重新知道熟知他们，只须跳回各自的角色，舒心依然。老友们那些不断给予支持，姐妹情深的朋友，那些命定知心的朋友是非常难遇见的。然而现在，大家亲密如故，就像当年念初三时在麦基奇尼先生教的数学课上大家在教室后排咯咯傻笑那样。
Life today, however, is no math class. Our world, spinning slightlyoff its axis is full of doubt, full of fear. Yet it reminds me-now, more than ever-how vital it is that we stay in close touch. We may have questions about our future, but we have true faith in our past, and though this reunion of friends has come to a close, we are already drawing up plans for the next one.
虽然大家现在已不需要再上数学课了。大家的世界稍微有点离轴，其中充满了猜疑和恐惧。然而，这反而提醒了我让我目前比以前更了解地了解，维持亲密关系是多么的要紧。大家或许会对将来充满疑问，但大家对于过去有真的的信念。尽管这次的朋友聚会已接近尾声，但大家已经开始着手计划下一次聚会了。
（编辑：英语之家）