She said she had started to play in church where she and her grandmother had to walk over tow miles, and that she then played in school, had won many awards and a music scholarship.

 

她说，她开始在教堂里弹琴，她和奶奶要走两英哩去那家教堂。后来，她在学校里弹琴，获得许多奖并一项音乐奖学金。

 

She had married an attorney in Memphis and he had bought her that beautiful grand piano she was playing.

 

她嫁了一位孟菲斯的律师，先生给她买了那架她正在弹的，漂亮的平台钢琴。

 

Something else entered my mind .Elise, I asked,It's a little dark in here. What color is that piano?

 

我想起了另外一件事。艾丽丝， 我问她，这里有点儿暗。那架钢琴是什么颜色的？

 

It's red mahogany, she said, Why?

 

是一架红木的，她说，为什么？

 

I couldn't speak.

 

我一时语塞。

 

Did she understand the significance of the red mahogany?

 

她懂得这红木的意义吗？

 

The unbelievable audacity of her grandmother insisting on a red mahogany piano when no one in his right mind would have sold her a piano of any kind?

 

她奶奶那令人难以置信的勇气，当没有一个人在处于正常思维情况下肯卖给她任何一架钢琴的时候，她却坚持要一架红木的？

 

No, I'm sure she didn't understand that either.

 

我不认为她懂。

 

But I did, and my throat tightened.

 

但是，我懂。我的喉咙哽咽了。

 

Finally, I found my voice.I just wondered, I said.

 

最后，我终于能说话了。我刚才想。。。

 

I‘m proud of you, but I have to go to my room..

 

我为你骄傲...不过，我得进我的房间了。

 

And I did have to go to my room,because men don't like to be seen crying in public.

 

我的确得回我的房间去了，因为男人不愿意被人看到在公开场合流泪。