A Dad Says Good-Bye （一个父亲的告别）

玲珑

  I watched her and her mother decorate her college dormitory room. Everything in place, organized and arranged, just so. Attractively designed bulletin board with carefully selected, and precisely cut, colored paper. Pictures and remembrances throughout of her dearest friends. Drawers and boxes under the bed. Her room nicely accommodates not only her clothes, accessories and bric-a-brac, but her roommate’s as well. I closely monitor that which I would have, in the past, ignored, knowing that this time is different. As her half of the room takes on her essence, I begin to accept that her room at home is no longer hers. It is now ours. Our room for her when she visits.
     I find myself thinking of when I held her in the cradle of my arm, in the chair alongside my wife’s hospital bed. One day old. Do small, so beautiful, so perfect, so totally reliant on her new, untested parents. All manner of thoughts went through my mind as I examined her every feature for what seemed to be an eternity. Time marches relentlessly.
She looks up now, catching me staring at her, causing her to say to her mother, “Mom, Dad’s looking at me funny.”
     The last few days, I touch her arm, her face-any thing- knowing that when my wife and I return home, she will not be with us and there will be nothing to touch. I have so much to say, but no words with which to say it.
     My life changed from the day I drove this child home form the hospital. I saw myself differently that day, and it has led to a lot of places that I would never have found on my own.
     She says, “It’ll be all right, Dad. I’ll be home from school soon.” I tell her she will have a great year, but I say little else. I am afraid some how to speak, afraid I’ll say something too small for what I’m feeling, and so I only hold on to our good-buy hug a little longer, a little tighter.
     I gazed into her eyes and turn to go. My wife’s eyes follow her as she leaves us. Mine do not. Maybe if I don’t look, I can imagine that she really hasn’t gone. I know that what she is embarking upon is exciting and wonderful. I remember what the world looked like to me when everything was new.
     As I walk to the car with my wife at my side, my eyes are wet, my heart is sore, and I realize that my life is changing forever.



    她和她妈妈在整理她的寝室：精致的剪纸装饰的布告栏，好朋友们的照片及其赠送的纪念品，床下的抽屉与整理箱，她和她室友两人的衣物。是啊，这一切都摆放得井井有条。以前，我不会注意这些细节。但现在，在这个不同以往的时刻，我仔仔细细地观察着这一切。她的身影将晃动在这有一半属于她的房间里。我开始承认，家里的那间房不再属于她，而是属于我们——在她偶尔回家时给她准备的客房！
    把她搂在臂弯里，抱着她坐在她妈妈病床旁的椅子上，这画面一幕幕浮现在我的脑海里。曾经的某一天，小小的她完全依赖在她初为人父出位人母的爸爸妈妈的怀里，那么地漂亮，那么地完美。我目不转睛地盯着她，注视着她的一颦一笑，一举一动。漫天的思绪掠过我的脑海，多么希望时间就此凝固，画面就此定格。但时间老人不会停住脚步，他永远不知疲倦地走着。
    她抬起头，看到我在盯着她，于是对她妈妈说道，“妈妈，爸爸在很奇怪地看着我。”
    在最后的几天里，我时不时挽着她的胳膊，抚摸下她的脸颊。因为我知道当我和妻子回到家的时候，那里已经没有她了。那刻，我才真正体会到什么是“千言万语尽在不言中”。
    自我把这个孩子从医院抱回家的那一天开始，我的生活就发生了变化。就在那天，我从不同的角度审视我自己。因为她，我看到了很多就我自己无法看到的东西。
    她说道，“爸爸，没有什么的，我很快就能从学校回家了。”我跟她说完她讲度过不平凡的一年，就沉默了。不知道为什么，我害怕开口说话，害怕我那些细腻的感情会在言语里表露无疑。我只能等到我们最后用拥抱时，拥得久一点，抱得紧一点。
    我凝视着她的眼睛然后转身离开，妻子的目光紧紧地跟着她，但我忍住了。也许是以为不回头看就可以想象，她并没有离开我们，她还在我们身边。我知道，即将开始的生活是多姿多彩的。我突然想起当我那时的生活因她改变时，世界是什么样的。
    当我和妻子走向轿车的时候，我的眼睛湿润了，心也跟着痛起来。我意识到我的生活将永远改变。

Cinderella

I watched her and her mother decorate her college dormitory room她和她妈妈在整理她的寝室：______应该是“在装饰她的大学寝室”，大学寝室和寝室，这是两种概念哦，而且这是这篇文章的第一句，一定要突出“大学”两字

Attractively designed bulletin board with carefully selected, and precisely cut, colored paper. Pictures and remembrances throughout of her dearest friends. Drawers and boxes under the bed. Her room nicely accommodates not only her clothes, accessories and bric-a-brac, but her roommate’s as well. ————————个人意见：这里你的翻译很简洁，但是我想原文作者正是想通过点点滴滴的细节观察，太凸显这位父亲今日的反常。所以，最好是忠实处理。

As her half of the room takes on her essence, I begin to accept that ————————参考：她那半间房，已带上她的香气。此时，我开始明白，。。。。

I find myself thinking of when I held her in the cradle of my arm, in the chair alongside my wife’s hospital bed.  One day old. Do small, so beautiful, so perfect, so totally reliant on her new, untested parents. All manner of thoughts went through my mind as I examined her every feature for what seemed to be an eternity. Time marches relentlessly.
把她搂在臂弯里，抱着她坐在她妈妈病床旁的椅子上，这画面一幕幕浮现在我的脑海里————我不由忆起自己坐在妻子病床旁，把刚出生的她轻轻搂在臂弯里的时候。刚出生一天的她。如此的弱小。如此的美丽。如此的完美。如此地依赖着毫无为人父母经验的我们。我仔细观察她每个表情，因为一切于我都将是永恒的瞬间，而与此同时，各种思绪掠过脑海。时间，在毫不留情地向前迈进。（请注意这一段作者都是用短句组成长句，给读者一种跳跃感，也带给读者一种思维的断续之中的连接。所以，我们翻译的时候，最好保留这样的句式。供你参考。而且这一段你有几处错译。）

我跟她说完她讲度过不平凡的一年——？？？？

afraid I’ll say something too small for what I’m feeling,我害怕开口说话，害怕我那些细腻的感情会在言语里表露无疑——————应该是“担心所有的言辞都无法表达我的感情”

我知道，即将开始的生活是多姿多彩的——————应该是“她即将开始的生活是多姿多彩的”

I remember what the world looked like to me when everything was new. 我突然想起当我那时的生活因她改变时，世界是什么样的————应该是“我还记得，曾经当我面对崭新的一切时，我以怎样的眼光看这世界。”这里，父亲是以自己曾经的经验，来理解女儿即将拥有或者正有的体验，所以他能理解，虽然自己依依不舍，可是女儿却像自己当年一样，毫不留恋，却只向往着那大学生活里未知的快乐了。

当我和妻子走向轿车的时候，我的眼睛湿润了，心也跟着痛起来。我意识到我的生活将永远改变————我走向轿车，妻子走在身侧，我眼睛湿润、喉咙疼痛，因为我意识到我的生活将永远不再一样。and在这里可以理解为原因，并且翻译保持原文的跳跃感。