During my junior year in high school, Mr. Reynolds, my English teacher, handed each student a list of thoughts or statements written by other students, then gave us a creative writing assignment based on one of those thoughts.

　　上初中时，英文老师雷诺兹先生给每位同学发了一张纸条。纸条上列出其他同学写的各种想法和陈述。然后，他要我们据此写一篇创造性的作文。

　　At 17, I was beginning to wonder about many things, so I chose the statement, "I wonder why things are the way they are?" That night, I wrote down in the form of a story all the questions that puzzled me about life. I realized that many of them were hard to answer, and perhaps others could not be answered at all.

　　17岁的我对很多事情都非常疑惑不解。所以我选择了"我不明白为什么事物都是现在这个样子？" 作为题目。那天晚上，我以故事的形式写下了我对生活的所有困惑。我知道很多问题很难回答，或许有些问题根本找不到答案。

　　When I turned in my paper, I was afraid that I might fail the assignment because I had not answered the question, "I wonder why things are the way they are?" I had no answers. I had only written questions.

　　交上作文后，我非常担心作业过不了关。因为我根本没有回答 "我不明白为什么事物都是现在这个样子"这个问题，我找不着答案，只写下了问题。

　　The next day Mr. Reynolds called me to the front of the class and asked me to read my story for the other students. He handed me my paper and sat down in the back of the room. The class became quiet as I began to read my story:

　　第二天，雷诺兹先生让我到讲台上把我的作文念给全班同学听。他把我的文章递给我，坐到了教室的后面。教室非常安静。我开始朗读自己编写的故事。

　　Mommie, Daddy...Why? 

　　《妈妈，爸爸……为什么？》

　　Mommie, why are the roses red?

　　妈妈，为什么玫瑰是红的?

　　Mommie, why is the grass green and the sky blue?

　　妈妈，为什么草是青的，天是蓝的?

　　Why does a spider have a web and not a house?

　　为什么蜘蛛织网不造房?

　　Daddy, why can't I play in your toolbox?

　　爸爸，为什么我不能在你的工具箱里玩耍?

　　Teacher, why do I have to read?

　　老师，为什么我一定要读书?

　　Mother, why can't I wear lipstick to the dance?

　　妈妈，为什么我不能抹上口红参加舞会?

　　Daddy, why can't I stay out until 12:00? The other kids are.

　　爸爸，为什么我不能在外面玩到中午12点? 别的小孩却可以。

　　Mother, why do you hate me?

　　妈妈，你为什么讨厌我?

　　Daddy, why don't the boys like me?

　　爸爸，为什么男生不喜欢我?

　　Why do I have to be so skinny?

　　为什么我必须苗条如柴?

　　Why do I have braces and wear glasses?

　　为什么我一定要系上背带，戴上眼镜?

　　Why do I have to be 16?

　　我为什么必须得过16岁?

　　Mom, why do I have to graduate?

　　妈，为什么我必须毕业? 

　　Dad, why do I have to grow up?

　　爸，为什么我得长大?

　　Mom, Dad, why do I have to leave?

　　妈，爸，为什么我必须离开你们?

　　Mom, why don't you write more often?

　　妈，为什么您不给我多写几封信?

　　Dad, why do I miss my old friends?

　　爸，为什么我思念老朋友?

　　Dad, why do you love me so much?

　　爸，为什么您这么爱我?

　　Dad, why do you spoil me?

　　爸，为什么您这么宠我?

　　Your little girl is growing up.

　　您的女儿已经长大。

　　Mom, why don't you visit?

　　妈，为什么您不常来看看?

　　Mom, why is it hard to make new friends?

　　妈，为什么结交新朋友这么困难?

　　Dad, why do I miss being at home?

　　爸，为什么我怀念在家的日子?

　　Dad, why does my heart skip a beat when he looks in my eyes?

　　爸，为什么每次他与我对视时我就心跳加快?

　　Mom, why do my legs tremble when I hear his voice?

　　妈，为什么一听见他的声音我就双腿打颤?

　　Mother, why is being "in love" the greatest feeling in the world?

　　妈，为什么坠入爱河是世界上最美妙的感觉?

　　Daddy, why don't you like to be called "Gramppy"?

　　爸爸，为什么不喜欢有人叫您"外公"?

　　Mother, why do my baby s tiny fingers cling so tightly to mine?

　　妈妈，为什么我的小宝贝要紧抓着我的手?

　　Mother, why do they have to grow up?

　　妈妈，为什么他们一定要长大?

　　Daddy, why do they have to leave?

　　爸爸，为什么他们必须离开我们?

　　Why do I have to be called "Grammie"?

　　为什么必须得有人叫我 "奶奶"?

　　Mommie, Daddy, why did you have to leave me? I need you.

　　妈妈，爸爸，为什么你们要离我而去?我需要你们!

　　Why did my youth slip past me?

　　为什么我的青春已悄悄溜走?

　　Why does my face show every smile that I have ever given to a friend or a stranger?

　　为什么我会笑对朋友，也会笑对陌生人?

　　Why does my hair glisten a shiny silver?

　　为什么我满头银发?

　　Why do my hands quiver when I bend to pick a flower?

　　为什么我弯腰摘花时会双手抖动?

　　Why, God, are the roses red?

　　上帝啊，为什么玫瑰是红的?

　　At the conclusion of my story, my eyes locked with Mr. Reynold s eyes, and I saw a tear slowly sliding down his cheek. It was then that I realized that life is not always based on the answers we receive, but also on the questions that we ask.

　　读完故事，我双眼紧盯着雷诺兹先生，雷诺兹先生也正凝视着我。我看到一颗泪珠正缓缓地从他的面颊上滚下来。就在那时，我豁然意识到，生活的根基不仅包括我们得到的所有答案，而且还包括我们提出的所有问题。