随身之物

Track 9

by anonymous翻译：常青

随身之物

Track 9

by anonymous翻译：常青

The most important thing in my bag that I carry year around is not the heaviest， but the strongest. It’s my EpiPen注. This one1）needle has the ability to save my life within seconds. In the early 2000， I began to have trouble breathing at the dinner table. And in that same day， I was informed that peanuts were now the new addition to the list of things I needed to stay away from. From that day on， I had to carry around this needle everywhere I go just in case.

Carrying around an EpiPen involves carrying a great amount of responsibility. The weight of responsibility that I carried is far greater than anything else. Being a young adult， I am responsible for my work， my health， and most importantly， my safety. Having responsibility2）ages you in a way that can prepare you for the future. With responsibility， I carry the expectations that I must hold above my head wherever I go. As a woman， each day I try to prove the3）stereotypes that have been set upon us are wrong.4）Gender should not be thought of as a5）factor to determine who is better or worse in society， yet sometimes it is. The same thing goes with my race. Being African American has caused many to6）think less of me or to feel as though I must follow a certain standard because of the7）pigments in my skin. It’s thought as though I must not be able to do something as well or even better than a person with a lighter8）complexion than me. I believe that the expectation that I carry around is much heavier than most things and requires a lot of strength and patience.

I must also carry the weight of trust that I’ve built with friends and family. Trust is a weight that if I stop carrying， it won’t feel as though I am lighter. I carry my mistakes， but with them I carry my9）accomplishments. I carry my fears， but with them I carry love. I10）guard it with my life because life is too short to live without having the feeling of loving someone or being loved. With each new moment in life， I carry another memory. With each memory， I carry the hope that I will continue to carry along memories which will have11）shaped me into the woman I want to become.

我一年到头在包里装着的，虽不是最沉重的，但却是对我来说最重要的东西，那便是我的肾上腺素笔。这支针管可以在几秒钟内挽救我的生命。2000年初，我在餐桌上发现了自己开始有呼吸困难的问题。而就在同一天里，我又被告知自己的“禁忌物”清单上多了花生类食品。从那天起，为以防万一，我到哪儿都要随身携带着这支针管。

随身携带肾上腺素笔的同时我也正背负着巨大的责任感，这种责任感远远重于其他一切。作为一名青年，我要对我的工作和健康负责，最重要的还有我的自身安全。责任感会让你变得成熟，让你时刻准备好迎接未来的挑战。有了责任感，我便承载着自己无论走到哪里都必须昂首挺胸的期许。作为一名女性，我每天都试图证明那些建立在我们身上的刻板印象是错误的。性别不应该成为社会去判定一个人好坏的因素，但有的时候它就是这样。而我所属的种族亦会面临同样的问题。非洲裔美国人的身份让很多人将我看轻，或者让他们因为我的肤色而觉得我必须遵循一定的标准做事。他们似乎认为，与肤色较浅的人相比，我肯定什么事都不能做得跟他们一样好，或者更好。我想我身上承载着的对自我的期许要比大多数事物更为沉重，而且它还需要注入极大的力量与耐心。

我还必须背负着朋友和家人对我的信任之重。哪怕我放弃了信任的重量，我似乎也并不会感到轻松一些。我谨记着自己的错误，也正因为这样我才会获得自己的成就。我携带着自我的恐惧，但同时我也承载着爱。我会用生命来守护爱，因为倘若没有爱或被爱的感觉，短暂的生命便会被虚度。在人生中的每一个新的阶段，我都会携带着又一份全新的记忆。因为拥有着这每一个记忆片段，我便会带着希望，希望我能够继续带着那些美好的记忆，逐渐将自我塑造成我想成为的那种女性。

1） needle ［'niːdl］ n. 针

2） age ［eɪdʒ］ v. 使……老化，使成熟

3） stereotype ［'stɪərɪəJtaɪp］ n. 陈规，刻板印象

4） gender ［'dʒendə］ n. 性别

5） factor ［'fæktə］ n. 因素，要素

6） think less of 看低……

7） pigment ［'pɪgmənt］ n. 色素

8） complexion ［kəm'plekʃən］ n. 肤色（尤指面部）

9） accomplishment ［ə'kʌmplɪʃmənt］ n. 成就

10） guard ［gɑːd］ v. 保护

11） shape ［ʃeɪp］ v. 影响

注：即肾上腺素笔。病人在发生严重过敏反应，或过敏症状表现较重时可立即用其注射肾上腺素，及时挽救生命。

The Things I Carry