My husband Bill's Grandma Z was quite a character.
我丈夫的奶奶Z是一個(gè)很有個(gè)性的奶奶。

Over the years
多年來

we grew very close
我們十分親近

and I was actually with her when she died.
她去世的時(shí)候，我就在她的病榻前

In Grandma Z's later years
Z奶奶最后的幾年里

she lived in a nursing home.
她住在一個(gè)養(yǎng)老院

Her eyesight was almost gone
她的視力幾乎已經(jīng)完全消退

and she spent most of her day in a wheelchair.
終日坐在輪椅里

For the most part,
但大多數(shù)時(shí)候

her mind was sharp
她的神志都很清明

until the end of her life
直到生命的終結(jié)

at age 101.
享年101高壽

We lived out of state for several years
我們?cè)谕獾刈×撕脦啄?/div>

and didn't see her all that often.
并不能經(jīng)常看到她

However,
可是

when we did,
每次見面

she always brought a smile to my face.
她總會(huì)讓我臉上出現(xiàn)開心的笑容

Grandma had her way of saying things
她有自己獨(dú)特的說話方式

that would crack me up.
常讓我捧腹大笑

On one of our visits,
一次我們?nèi)グ菰L她的時(shí)候

she leaned forward in her chair
她從椅子里傾身過來

and said,
對(duì)我說

"Kay, let me feel your legs."
Kay,讓我摸摸你的腿

Knowing Grandma
我素來知道奶奶的心性

I shouldn't have been surprised,
本不應(yīng)該驚訝

but I was.
但那次我卻很驚訝

"Are you kidding?
你是在捉弄我嗎

What for and why?"
你想做什么？為什么要摸我的腿？

was all I could think to say.
這是我唯一能想到說的話

Grandma didn't explain,
奶奶沒有解釋

but insisted,
但卻堅(jiān)持這樣做

so I let her feel my legs.
于是我讓她摸了我的腿

After giving each leg a few squeezes
她在我兩條腿上都捏了幾下

she sat back in her wheelchair.
然后坐回了輪椅

In a very matter of fact way
擺出一副實(shí)事求是的模樣

she announced,
她宣告說

"Kay, you're getting flabby!
Kay，你長(zhǎng)胖了

You know,
你知道

I don't tell everybody this."
我并不是對(duì)每個(gè)人都會(huì)這么說的

I didn't know quite what to think.
我當(dāng)時(shí)腦中一片茫然

Should I be happy
我應(yīng)該高興嗎

she had selected, just me,
她選擇了我，僅僅我一個(gè)人

to tell this to?
來說這番話

If that wasn't bad enough
如果你覺得這還不算太糟

Grandma went on.
奶奶還有話要說

Now she wanted to know how much I weighed.
接著她又問我的體重

I thought I'd just tease with her
我想我只用和她打趣就行了

so I joked that
于是便開玩笑說

I wasn't about to answer that question.
我不打算回答這個(gè)問題

Grandma was quiet for a moment.
奶奶沉默了一會(huì)兒

Then trying to catch me off guard
接著卻想趁其不備

she continued,
于是又說到

"I weigh 111 right now.
我現(xiàn)在有111磅重了

Where do you come in around that number?"
你跟我的體重差了多少

I laughed
我大笑

and let her know
告訴她

I knew she was trying to trick me
我知道她在試圖捉弄我

into telling her my weight
讓我交代自己的體重

and it wasn't going to work!
這對(duì)我沒用

I weighed about 103 at the time.
那時(shí)我只有103磅重

Certainly not a heavy duty!
一點(diǎn)也不胖

Maybe
或許

I should have just ignored Grandma's "flabby" comment,
我應(yīng)該直接忽略奶奶說我“長(zhǎng)胖”了

but I didn't.
但我卻沒有

I decided to join a fitness club
我決定加入一個(gè)瘦身俱樂部

after we returned home.
一回家就這么干

I went faithfully
我滿懷虔誠(chéng)的去了

and had a fun time exercising with the girls.
抓緊一切時(shí)間和俱樂部里的女孩們一起鍛煉

Plus,
不僅如此

I made some life long friends in the process.
在此過程中，我還結(jié)交了一些終身的朋友

The next summer
第二年夏天

we were back at the nursing home
我們又來到養(yǎng)老院

visiting Grandma.
來拜訪奶奶

After giving her a hug
我擁抱了她

I announced,
并且宣布

"Hey Grandma
嘿奶奶

I joined a fitness club!
我參加了一個(gè)健身俱樂部

Don't you want to feel my legs?"
你想不想摸摸我腿上的肉

With a tone,
拿腔拿調(diào)的

only Grandma would use she gasped,
這是奶奶專有的調(diào)侃人的腔調(diào)

"Heaven's no,
她說，“老天，我不想那么做

”why would I?"
為什么我要做這種事

I laughed
我大笑

and continued,
又說

"Well,
好吧

last time we were here
上次我們來這兒的時(shí)候

you wanted to feel my legs
你想要摸我的腿

and you actually said,
你還對(duì)我說

"Kay, you're getting flabby!"
Kay，你長(zhǎng)胖了

after feeling them.
你摸到了我腿上的肉

I'll never forget Grandma's response.
我永遠(yuǎn)不會(huì)忘記奶奶對(duì)我的回答

In a tone of disbelief,
她嗤之以鼻

she scoffed ,
哂笑說

"Flabby, flabby??
長(zhǎng)胖？長(zhǎng)胖？

That word is not even in my vocabulary!"
我的字典里根本沒有這個(gè)詞！

?