為什么成年人不能有新的愛好呢
Last weekend, I was talking about winter vacation plans with a friend when I suddenly realized that this year I should start up an old plan of learning how to skate again.
上個周末，在我正和一個朋友談論寒假計劃，我突然意識到今年我應該重新開始一個學習如何滑冰的老計劃。
I’ve always wanted to learn how to skate. As a child, my favorite TV sport was figure skating. I used to spend hours in front of the television, gawking at the screen as the pair in the skating rink jump and twirl with the most graceful posture one can imagine.
我一直想學習如何滑冰。小時數，我最喜歡看的體育節目就是花樣滑冰。我曾經在電視前花上幾個小時，呆呆地看著屏幕里那兩人在溜冰場上以一個人能夠想象到的最優美的姿勢跳躍、旋轉。
But I didn’t have a proper chance to learn figure skating. When I was young, the coastal city of about 20,000 people that I lived in had no ice rink. Back then, people didn’t often do sports for entertainment; they walked in the park or disco danced. My city didn’t even have a KFC until after I graduated from elementary school.
但是我沒有學習花樣滑冰的好機會。小時候，在我居住的那個大約有20000人的沿海城市里沒有溜冰場。那時的人們不太經常為了娛樂消遣而運動；他們在公園里散步或者跳迪斯科。直到我小學畢業前我的城市甚至都沒有一家肯德基。
My parents signed me up for classes at a skating school out of town. But I had to catch the early bus on the weekends to get there, and it took two hours to go and come back. So, I gave up learning how to skate pretty quickly.
我的父母給我在一所市外的溜冰學校報了班。但是我不得不在周末的時候趕早班公共汽車去那兒，而且往返都要兩小時。所以，我很快就放棄了學習滑冰。
Now is my chance to fulfill my childhood dream!
現在就是我實現童年夢想的機會！
Excited, I started calling skating rinks in Beijing, hoping to sign up for lessons. But the results were disappointing.
我非常興奮，開始給北京的溜冰場打電話，希望能報名參加課程。但是結果卻很讓人失望。
Some said they only had classes for children, especially children under the age of 10. A couple said it’s too much trouble to teach adults. One receptionist paused after my question and said strangely, "You never learned this as a child?"
一些溜冰場說他們只為小孩提供課程，尤其是10歲以下的孩子。一對夫婦表示說教大人太麻煩了。一位接待員在聽到我的問題之后停頓了一下，奇怪地說道：“你小時候從來沒有學過這個嗎？”
I understand if they don’t get many adult clients, but to say that adults are harder to teach than children is such a slap in the face. I thought I lived in a society that encourages people to take on lifelong learning. Is there some unspoken rule that says after one reaches a certain age, he or she is not allowed to learn systematically with a trainer anymore?
如果他們沒有多少成年客戶的話我能夠理解，但是說大人要比小孩更難教簡直就是打臉。我認為我生活在一個鼓勵人們終身學習的社會里。是否有潛規則說，達到某一年齡之后，人們就不再允許和教練進行系統學習了嗎？
Are adults not allowed to pursue new hobbies?
成年人就不允許有新的愛好嗎？
There are a number of things that I didn’t have time to properly learn when I was young, such as calligraphy, painting, basketball, and ballet. I had school, a social life, and so many things on the weekends.
我小時候沒時間好好學習的事情有很多，例如書法、繪畫、籃球和芭蕾。我要上學、我有自己的生活、周末還有那么多的事兒。
At that time, I failed to see how important hobbies were, and I was sick of my parents nagging me to do extracurricular activities. I thought that as long as I had books and TV, I could pass my time well enough.
那時，我看不出愛好有多么重要，也厭倦父母嘮叨著要帶我做課外活動。我那時認為只要我有書和電視，我就可以很好地消遣我的時間。
However, it proved untrue later in life. Now, when I get bored with being a couch potato and want to go out with friends, I find I have so few activities to do with them. I suck at sports, and I can’t sing or dance. I can’t even keep up with a jog through the park.
但是后來事實證明不是這樣的。現在，當我厭煩了一個肥宅的生活、想要和朋友們一起出門時，我發現可以和他們做的活動少得可憐。我討厭運動、也不會唱歌跳舞。我甚至不能跟上公園里慢跑的步伐。
Now, I’m being told that I can’t even make up for my childhood mistake. It seems that I’ve missed my chance. I missed it 20 years ago when I acted like the brat I was.
現在，我被告知我甚至不能彌補童年的錯誤。似乎我沒有抓好我的機會。20年前我就像一個臭小鬼那樣失掉了我的機會。
I did not realize I’d be regretting my decision as a grown-up. Now, I can only go on being ordinary. Perhaps I will transform my regret into nagging my children.
我沒有意識到等我長大之后會后悔自己的決定。現在，我只能繼續平凡。也許我會把我的悔恨變成對我孩子的嘮叨。
Last weekend, I was talking about winter vacation plans with a friend when I suddenly realized that this year I should start up an old plan of learning how to skate again.
上個周末，在我正和一個朋友談論寒假計劃，我突然意識到今年我應該重新開始一個學習如何滑冰的老計劃。
I’ve always wanted to learn how to skate. As a child, my favorite TV sport was figure skating. I used to spend hours in front of the television, gawking at the screen as the pair in the skating rink jump and twirl with the most graceful posture one can imagine.
我一直想學習如何滑冰。小時數，我最喜歡看的體育節目就是花樣滑冰。我曾經在電視前花上幾個小時，呆呆地看著屏幕里那兩人在溜冰場上以一個人能夠想象到的最優美的姿勢跳躍、旋轉。
But I didn’t have a proper chance to learn figure skating. When I was young, the coastal city of about 20,000 people that I lived in had no ice rink. Back then, people didn’t often do sports for entertainment; they walked in the park or disco danced. My city didn’t even have a KFC until after I graduated from elementary school.
但是我沒有學習花樣滑冰的好機會。小時候，在我居住的那個大約有20000人的沿海城市里沒有溜冰場。那時的人們不太經常為了娛樂消遣而運動；他們在公園里散步或者跳迪斯科。直到我小學畢業前我的城市甚至都沒有一家肯德基。
My parents signed me up for classes at a skating school out of town. But I had to catch the early bus on the weekends to get there, and it took two hours to go and come back. So, I gave up learning how to skate pretty quickly.
我的父母給我在一所市外的溜冰學校報了班。但是我不得不在周末的時候趕早班公共汽車去那兒，而且往返都要兩小時。所以，我很快就放棄了學習滑冰。
Now is my chance to fulfill my childhood dream!
現在就是我實現童年夢想的機會！
Excited, I started calling skating rinks in Beijing, hoping to sign up for lessons. But the results were disappointing.
我非常興奮，開始給北京的溜冰場打電話，希望能報名參加課程。但是結果卻很讓人失望。
Some said they only had classes for children, especially children under the age of 10. A couple said it’s too much trouble to teach adults. One receptionist paused after my question and said strangely, "You never learned this as a child?"
一些溜冰場說他們只為小孩提供課程，尤其是10歲以下的孩子。一對夫婦表示說教大人太麻煩了。一位接待員在聽到我的問題之后停頓了一下，奇怪地說道：“你小時候從來沒有學過這個嗎？”
I understand if they don’t get many adult clients, but to say that adults are harder to teach than children is such a slap in the face. I thought I lived in a society that encourages people to take on lifelong learning. Is there some unspoken rule that says after one reaches a certain age, he or she is not allowed to learn systematically with a trainer anymore?
如果他們沒有多少成年客戶的話我能夠理解，但是說大人要比小孩更難教簡直就是打臉。我認為我生活在一個鼓勵人們終身學習的社會里。是否有潛規則說，達到某一年齡之后，人們就不再允許和教練進行系統學習了嗎？
Are adults not allowed to pursue new hobbies?
成年人就不允許有新的愛好嗎？
There are a number of things that I didn’t have time to properly learn when I was young, such as calligraphy, painting, basketball, and ballet. I had school, a social life, and so many things on the weekends.
我小時候沒時間好好學習的事情有很多，例如書法、繪畫、籃球和芭蕾。我要上學、我有自己的生活、周末還有那么多的事兒。
At that time, I failed to see how important hobbies were, and I was sick of my parents nagging me to do extracurricular activities. I thought that as long as I had books and TV, I could pass my time well enough.
那時，我看不出愛好有多么重要，也厭倦父母嘮叨著要帶我做課外活動。我那時認為只要我有書和電視，我就可以很好地消遣我的時間。
However, it proved untrue later in life. Now, when I get bored with being a couch potato and want to go out with friends, I find I have so few activities to do with them. I suck at sports, and I can’t sing or dance. I can’t even keep up with a jog through the park.
但是后來事實證明不是這樣的。現在，當我厭煩了一個肥宅的生活、想要和朋友們一起出門時，我發現可以和他們做的活動少得可憐。我討厭運動、也不會唱歌跳舞。我甚至不能跟上公園里慢跑的步伐。
Now, I’m being told that I can’t even make up for my childhood mistake. It seems that I’ve missed my chance. I missed it 20 years ago when I acted like the brat I was.
現在，我被告知我甚至不能彌補童年的錯誤。似乎我沒有抓好我的機會。20年前我就像一個臭小鬼那樣失掉了我的機會。
I did not realize I’d be regretting my decision as a grown-up. Now, I can only go on being ordinary. Perhaps I will transform my regret into nagging my children.
我沒有意識到等我長大之后會后悔自己的決定。現在，我只能繼續平凡。也許我會把我的悔恨變成對我孩子的嘮叨。
