As she spent longer days and months at the nursing home, I could not help noticing other things. She began to hide her possessions under the mattress, in the closet, under the cushion of her chair, in every conceivable, reachable space. And she began to think that people were "stealing" from her.
随着她住在疗养院的日子越来越长,我不经意间发现了一些其他的事情:她开始把她的东西藏在褥垫下、衣橱里、椅垫下,任何她能想到和够得着的地方。她开始认为有人在“偷”她的东西。
When a walker became necessary, my mother took the time to make a bag that could be attached to it, so that my grandmother could carry things around while keeping her hands on the walker. I had not paid much attention to this bag until we went to the nursing home to take her home with us for our traditional Christmas Eve sharing of gifts.
到了祖母需要用助步车时,母亲花时间做了一个可以挂在助步车上的提包,这样祖母把手放在助步车上的同时也能带上自己的东西了。在我去疗养院接她回家过分享礼物的平安夜之前,我都没太注意到这个提包。
As we left, my grandmother took her long, unsteady walk down the hallway, balancing herself with her walker, laboriously moving it ahead, one step at a time, until finally we were at the car outside. Once she was safely seated, I picked up her walker to put it in the back. I could barely lift it. Then I noticed that the bag attached to it was bulging. Something clicked, but it still wasn't complete enough to grasp.
当我们离开疗养院时,祖母拖着蹒跚不稳的步伐走在长廊里,用手扶住助步车以维持身体的平衡,她费力地推着车子,一次只能走一步,走到了外面的车旁。等她坐稳之后,我拿起助步车准备放在后备箱,我几乎搬不动它。于是我才注意到助步车上系着一个鼓鼓的提包,提包里还有什么东西咯咯嗒嗒地响,但这不足以让我想知道包里装了什么。
At home in my mother's house, I was asked to get some photographs from my grandmother's purse. Lifting her pocketbook, I was surprised again at the weight and bulk. I watched as my mother pulled out an alarm clock, a flashlight, a small radio, thread, needles, pieces of sewing, a book and other items that seemed to have no reason for being in a pocketbook.
回到母亲家后,母亲让我从祖母的包里找些照片出来,提起她的提包,我又一次惊讶于它的重量和大小。我看着母亲从里面拿出一只闹钟、一个手电筒、一个小型收音机、针、线、一些缝补的衣物、一本书和一些别的东西,在别人看来这些东西实在没什么必要放在提包里。
I looked at my grandmother, sitting bent over in her chair, rummaging through the bag on the walker, slowly pulling out one item and then another, and lovingly putting it back.
我看着祖母,她弯腰坐在椅子上,在助步车上的提包里翻找着,慢慢地拿出一件又一件东西,然后再爱怜地放回去。