One Life, One Story to Tell

　　用一生，讲一个故事

-Mr Strugnell

　　I completed my Honours Degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Canterbury, in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is in a different city, on a different island to where my parents live and where I went to high school. Moving to the city of Christchurch meant starting a new chapter of life; new surroundings, new home, new friends.

　　我在新西兰坎特伯雷大学拿到了土木工程荣誉学士学位，坎特伯雷大学位于新西兰基督城。和我家以及我的高中学校不同，这个城市在另一座岛上。所以，搬到基督城意味着我将开启人生的新篇章，我会在全新的环境中生活，结交新的朋友。

　　I remember feeling both sad and excited at the prospect of changing cities. I felt sad about moving because I was leaving behind my family and my best friends. The notion of leaving was also exciting in the way that I could wash away any embarrassing events in my past. No one in my new city would know that I sang in my school choir or about the time that I slipped and smashed my head in the gymnasium during a Physical Education class. I could start afresh, with a clean slate.

　　我还记得因为要搬去新城市的难过和兴奋，难过于要离开家人和好友，却又兴奋于能够“一洗前耻”。在新城市里没有人知道我是合唱团成员，也没人知道有次上体育课我不小心滑倒撞到了自己的头。我可以删除数据，重建新档。

　　I felt a freedom and boldness to set my life on a different path. In a new setting I felt brave enough to try new things including surfing and rock climbing, attend Indian cooking classes, share my opinion more in conversation, who knows… maybe even be brave enough to ask a girl for her phone number.

　　就像重获自由一般，我充满了勇气准备开启全新的生活，尝试很多新事物，包括冲浪、攀岩、印度菜烹饪，与人交谈时更大胆地表达自己的想法，谁知道呢......说不定我还能鼓起勇气向心仪的女孩要电话号码呢。

　　Going to study in a different city was a form of graduation in its own rite. It was a big step towards independence and adulthood.

　　前往一个不同的城市上学，是毕业本身的一种独特仪式，是跨向独立和成熟的一大步。

　　Last days at home

　　The three photos included in this article are of me when I was around the age of our A2 students now. There is a picture of me with my sister, the week before I left home. One picture is of my ferry journey, heading south to the University of Canterbury. The last picture is of me during our university orientation week when we painted ourselves for a party and did silly situation photos.

　　文中有三张我的照片，当时的我和我们高三同学现在的年纪差不多。第一张是我离家前一周和妹妹的合影，另一张是我乘船南下前往坎特伯雷大学时所拍，最后一张是大学迎新周，在派对上将自己涂成花脸的照片。

　　Moving to University

　　Those first weeks at university were very eventful. We were all in the same position. We had freedom and little responsibility. As is natural for any curious person, we looked for and tested the boundaries of our new environment. I think this must be a very scary time for each student’s parents. There were parties most weekends. I remember one student setting off a fire alarm around midnight one night just to see what would happen. We all had to evacuate the building and the fire department turned up at our halls of residence. That student had to pay a large fine. Another student released chickens within the halls of residence as a practical joke.

　　开学后的前几个星期发生了很多事，几乎每个周末都有派对。所有同学都一样，享受着自由又无需承担过多责任。出于好奇的天性，我们寻找试探着新环境的底线。我想这是一个对每个父母来说都特别可怕的时期。我记得有一次半夜，一个同学出于好奇弄响了火警铃，全体学生都被疏散出了寝室，消防员也出动了，后来这位同学不得不支付很大一笔罚金；还有一位同学恶作剧，竟放了一只鸡在宿舍楼里。

　　We were all in a new environment. Many of us were waiting for other people to make a first move, to introduce themselves to us. In the midst of these days of self-discovery, there were people who stood out. These people had defining qualities about them that others were drawn to. Kyle was a guy who decided that he wanted to meet each of the 175 other students in our hall of residence.

　　我们当时都处于一个新的环境，很多人都在等待别人跨出第一步，主动向我们介绍自己。在自我探索的这一阶段，有一部分同学非常出众，他们都有着吸引人的特质。比如一个叫Kyle的男生，他决定将学生公寓里的175个同学都认识个遍。

　　Over the first few days he went and knocked on each room door and introduced himself. Most other people only got to know their neighbours on the same floor. We all got to know Kyle very quickly. In fact he almost felt like a welcoming committee. He wasn’t arrogant or pushy. He was just brave and social. Later he ended up being one of the best people to know because he was so helpful.

　　开学后的前几天，他挨个去敲寝室门向大家介绍自己。当时大多数同学都只认识同一层楼的邻居，但所有人都很快认识了Kyle。感觉他就像是一位迎新委员会的成员似的。Kyle的举动并不是因为他傲慢或莽撞。相反，他是一个勇敢并擅长社交的人。基于Kyle乐于助人的性格，他后来成为了我们当中最值得认识的人之一。

　　Some other guys, Mark and Dave, were hard working Engineering students who were keen to form a study group. They invited me to work on assignments with them. The support we were to each other helped so much. We are still friends today.

　　另外比如Mark和Dave同样也是如此，他俩是工程系学生，学习很勤奋，打算成立一个学习小组。他们邀请我一起完成作业，团队中的互相支持让我们都受益良多。这么多年过去了，我们依然还是好朋友。

　　Hall of Residence

　　I used to go on spontaneous outings for a change of scenery, maybe a walk on the beach or go rock climbing. I would invite people from my dormitory to join me on these adventures. I got to know people who otherwise would only have greeted when passing in the corridor or while eating at our communal dinner hall.

　　我时常会来一场说走就走的“旅行”，去欣赏不同的美景，或许仅仅是去沙滩散步，亦或是去攀岩。通常我会邀请宿舍的同学一起，因此结交了不少朋友。现在想来，如果当时我未曾主动邀请他们，可能我们就只是相遇时打个招呼或是在餐厅吃饭的点头之交了。

　　Most of the people who made a positive impression in my time at university were people who were willing to take a first step, to introduce themself, offer help, or share something they had with someone who was without.

　　在大学时光里，大多数给我留下好印象的同学都是主动的，他们愿意跨出第一步向别人介绍自己，同时也乐于助人乐于分享。

　　Going to university is a new stage of life. It was one of the first and most defining opportunities in my life, to make decisions about who I wanted to be and which path to take to get there.

　　上大学是人生中一个崭新的阶段，是我人生中面临的第一次也是最关键的一次机会，这一步让我决定了我未来的人生方向。

　　One of my favourite bands is a group called Switchfoot. They are surfing friends from San Diego, California. Many of their songs circle around the theme of the paths in life that we can choose. The words below are an excerpt from the song Live it Well.

　　Switchfoot浪行者是我最喜欢的乐队之一。乐队成员是一群来自加州圣地亚哥的冲浪爱好者。他们的很多歌都围绕着人生选择这一主题。以下歌词摘自歌曲Live it Well《好好生活》：

　　“I want to sing with all my heart a lifelong song,

　　我想用心吟唱一首毕生之歌

　　even if some notes come out right and some come out wrong.

　　尽管是非对错，尽充斥其中

　　Life is short I want to live it well,

　　人生苦短，青春易逝，我想把握流年韶华，珍惜大好时光

　　One life, one story to tell.”

　　用一生，讲一个故事

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