The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a wrinkled，little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being. She said，“Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I' m eighty－seven years old. Can I give you a hug？”I laughed and enthusiastically responded，“Of course you may.”and she gave me a giant squeeze.

　　開學的第一天教授做了自我介紹，他還要求我們去結識某位我們還不認識的人。就在我站起來四處張望時，一只手輕輕地搭在了我的肩上。我轉過身一看，一位滿臉皺紋個子矮小的老太太正沖著我微笑。這微笑使她渾身光彩照人。她說：“嘿，帥小伙兒，我叫羅斯，今年８７歲。我可以擁抱你嗎？”我笑了起來，熱情地答道：“當然可以啦。”她緊緊地擁抱了我。

　　“Why are you in college at such a young，innocent age？”I asked. She jokingly replied，“I'm here to meet a rich husband，get married，have a couple of children，and then retire and travel.”“No，seriously？”I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

　　“你為什么在這么年輕而天真的年齡上大學？”我問。她開玩笑地回答說：“我要在此遇到一個有錢的丈夫，結婚，生幾個孩子，然后退休，去旅游。”“真的嗎？不對吧？”我問她。我很想知道，她這么大年紀，是什么促使她接受這樣的挑戰呢。

　　“I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one.”she told me. After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milk shake We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this“time machine”as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.

　　“我一直夢想接受大學教育。而現在我如愿以償了。”她告訴我說。課后我們一同到學生活動樓，共飲了一杯巧克力泡沫牛奶。我們一下子就成了朋友。在此后的三個月中，我們每天都一起離開課堂，聊起來沒完沒了。在她向我傳授她的智慧和經驗時，我總是著了迷似地傾聽這個“時間機器”。

　　Over the course of the year，Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed up her from the other students. She was living it up. At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech，she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said，“I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent(一種威士忌的牌子) and this whisky is killing me. I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just t ell you what I know.”As we laughed she cleared her throat and began：“We do not stop playing because we are old；we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young，being happy，and achieving success.”

　　在這一年里，羅斯成了校園里的偶像。不管到哪里，她很容易地就交上了朋友。她喜歡精心打扮，陶醉于其他學生對她的注意。她盡情地享受這一切。到學期末，我們請羅斯在我們的足球宴會上講話。我永遠也不會忘記她給我們的教誨。介紹完畢后她就登上講臺。正當她要開始已準備好的演講時，她的５寸長３寸寬的卡片掉在了地上。她有些不知所措，還有點尷尬，于是就靠近話筒干脆說了起來：“很抱歉我這么緊張。我為大齋節戒了啤酒，而這威士忌可是毀了我。按原先準備好了的講是不可能了，還是把我所知道的說給你們聽吧。”我們都笑了，她則清了清嗓子開始說：“我們并不因為自己老了而不娛樂；我們因為停止了娛樂而變老。要想保持年輕，過得幸福并取得成功只有４條秘訣。”

　　“You have to laugh and find humor every day.”

　　“每天都要笑，每天都要找到幽默。”

　　“You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams，you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead an d don't even know it.”

　　“一定要有夢想。失去了夢想，人就死了。在我們周圍有那么多行尸走肉般的人，他們卻不自知。”

　　“There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing，you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty－seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty－eight. Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding the opportunity in change.”

　　“變老和成熟是有巨大區別的。如果你１９歲，在床上躺一整年，而不做一件有成效的事情，你會到２０歲。如果我８７歲，在床上待一年什么也不做，我也會到８８歲。誰都會老，那不需要天才或能力。我的意思是要通過在變化中不斷地尋找機會而達到成熟。”

　　“Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did，but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.”

　　“不要后悔。年長的人一般不會為我們所做的事而后悔，而會為我們所沒有做的事后悔。只有充滿遺憾的人才懼怕死亡。”

　　She concluded her speech by courageously singing“The Rose.”She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.

　　她勇敢地唱了一首《玫瑰之歌》作為結束，還要求我們每個人學習歌詞并在日常生活中將詞意付諸行動。

　　At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years a go. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

　　年末，羅斯結束了她多年前就開始的大學生涯，取得了學位。畢業一周之后，羅斯在睡夢中平靜地去世。

　　Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.

　　兩千多名大學生出席了她的葬禮，對這位了不起的女士表示敬意。她以自身范例教育我們：發揮自己的潛能永不為晚。

　　Remember，growing older is mandatory，growing up is optional.

　　記住，衰老是無法抗拒的，而成熟卻是可以選擇的。