人生下行。
最近看到一句很扎心的话：
那一刻，也我们的青春真正结束的时候。无关年龄。
我最近在 Quora 看到一个话题：What is it like to be Chinese?。有个答案是这样的：
You learn an instrument when you are 6, performing whenever a guest comes around.
You are told to be the best, even though you know you can’t always be the best.
You are put into a school, and from then on you feel you shoulder a grave expectation.
Your teacher calls your parents because of your falling grades.
Your mother yells at you while your father stays silent.
You catch your mother weeping and decide to do your best.
You stay up late to prep for the entrance exam to junior high. Your mother comes in and gives you a glass of warm milk. She does this every night. You realize you’ve never told her you love her. You open your mouth but nothing comes out. You see the white creeping into her hair. It stings you.
You get into High school. You fall in love. Your teachers are all against it but you don’t care. You know it’s going to be forever.
You break your heart.
You study all day and all night, complaining about Gaokao while writing your 3rd practice exam for the day.
You feel like you’re going to die from the stress.
You don’t.
You go off to university, maybe somewhere far away.
Your parents see you off.
You feel lonely and lost. And for the first time, you appreciate the stress of Gaokao, the camaraderie forged in that fire will be memories for life.
You rarely come home, busy with your own stuff. Even on the phone it’s hard to find things to say. But you try your best when it’s Chinese New Year.
You see your relatives. They comment on how tall you’ve grown.
You don’t recognize half of them, but they seem keen on knowing every detail about you: Have you found somebody yet? Do you have a job? How much does it pay?
You remember this road, but was that store always there?
You get nervous butterflies when you’re finally about to enter your old home. Huh, so the old poets had a point after all.
Your mother is in the kitchen. Your father is drinking tea on the balcony. They look older. You don’t mention it. They rush to greet you, asking about your life. You’re fine, you say. You’re fine, you’re fine.
You eat as much as you could, but your parents tell you to eat more. You’re not used to this much affection. You don’t know how to react.
You notice your mother washing the dishes. You get up to help.
You are back in your old room, on your computer late into the night. You hear someone step in. A glass of warm milk is put on your table. You feel something rupture.
You wait until she leaves the room, lean back and stare up into the sky…
You’ve grown up.
And unfortunately, that’s all I can say for now, since I’m 20 myself. I could write more but it won’t be real. (Not that this is, but it should be relatable to most).
But being Chinese is much like being anything else. You laugh when you’re happy. You cry when you’re sad. You sometimes feel like you can’t go on, but then you notice in the horizon, the clouds washing over the sunset, like the cold winter waves over the beaches of summer. And you realize how beautiful it all is and you pick yourself up and move on.
GPT-4 下的翻译：
在你六岁的时候，你学习了一门乐器，每当有客人来访，你都会表演。
你被告知要做到最好，尽管你知道你不可能总是最好的。
你被送进了一所学校，从那时起，你感觉自己背负着沉重的期望。
你的成绩下滑，老师打电话给你的父母。
你的母亲向你大喊大叫，而你的父亲保持沉默。
你发现母亲在哭泣，于是决定尽全力。
你熬夜准备初中的入学考试。你的母亲进来，递给你一杯热牛奶。她每晚都会这么做。你意识到你从未告诉她你爱她。你张开嘴，却什么也说不出来。你看到她的头发里渐渐泛白。这让你心疼。
你进入了高中。你坠入了爱河。你的老师们都反对，但你不在乎。你知道这份感情会永恒。
你的心碎了。
你整天整夜地学习，一边抱怨高考，一边写着一天中的第三份模拟试卷。
你觉得压力让你快要死掉。
但你没有。
你去了大学，也许是在很远的地方。
你的父母送你走。
你感到孤独和迷茫。而这是你第一次感激高考的压力，因为在那个火炼中铸造的友谊将成为生命中的回忆。
你很少回家，忙于自己的事情。即使在电话里也很难找到话题。但每当春节来临，你都会尽全力。
你看到你的亲人。他们评论你长得多高了。
你认不出他们中的一半，但他们似乎非常想知道你的每一个细节：你找到对象了吗？你有工作吗？工资多少？
你记得这条路，但那家商店一直都在那儿吗？
当你终于即将走进老家时，你感到紧张。嗯，所以古诗人们说得对。
你的母亲在厨房。你的父亲在阳台上喝茶。他们看起来老了。你没有提起。他们迎上来问你的生活。你说你很好。你很好，你很好。
你吃得尽量多，但你的父母告诉你要多吃。你不习惯这么多的关爱。你不知道如何反应。
你看见母亲在洗碗。你站起来帮忙。
你回到了你的旧房间，深夜还在电脑前。你听到有人走进来。桌子上放了一杯热牛奶。你感到心里像是破了个洞。
你等她离开房间，往后靠去，看着天空...
你已经长大了。
不幸的是，到此为止，我只能说这么多，因为我自己也只有 20 岁。我可以写得更多，但那就不真实了。（虽然这个也不真实，但应该是大多数人能理解的）。
但做为一个中国人，与其他人并没有什么区别。你会因为快乐而笑，因为悲伤而哭。有时你会觉得无法继续，但然后你注意到在地平线上，云层如同冬日海滩上的冷波，洗过了夕阳。你意识到这一切多么美丽，然后你振作起来，继续前行。
40 岁其实也没什么不同。还是不知道如何回应亲人，仍然孤独。然后，不再觉得未来有无限可能。