You watch the lanterns float slowly in the dark sky, their soft lights like small stars on board a gentle sea. Around you, the quietly with laughter and the smell of sweet . You take stock of your evening, wondering if you made the right choice to come despite the steep learning curve of new faces and customs. It’s harder than you expected to fit in, but you don’t want to take a rain check on this night.
你看着灯笼在漆黑的天空中缓缓飘浮，它们柔和的光芒如同在温柔的海面上航行的小星星。 你周围的街道上，笑语声和甜米糕的香味悄然弥漫。 你审视着自己的夜晚，思索着尽管面对着新面孔和新习俗陡峭的学习曲线，但来到这里是否是正确的选择。 融入比你预想的要难，但你不想错过今晚。
You remember how you once taught students who seemed impossible to reach, how you had to push back against your own . Now, you think about the you carry — that small when you chose to throw in the towel and not pick someone’s brain about their dreams. It felt like a back then, just a talk through after class, but it was a , a performance bonus of hope lost. You try to leverage the you still have, to get the ball rolling with a stranger beside you, hoping for a .
你回想起曾经教导过那些似乎难以触及的学生，以及你如何不得不压制住自己的疑虑。 现在，你回想起自己怀揣的遗憾——那个你选择放弃，没有去探究某人梦想的瞬间。 当时感觉就像个副业，只是课后的一次闲聊，但却是一个错失的机会，是希望丢失的绩效奖金。 你试图发挥你仍有的勇气，与身边的陌生人开启对话，希望能有一个新的开始。
The quiet voice inside says, "Point taken, life moves on," as you help pass out paper lanterns for the next flight. A little girl pops by, offering a smile, and you see in her eyes the same light you almost let go. Maybe tonight is a debrief, a to flesh out new stories, to say yes instead of goodbye. You smile and nod, ready to drop by this moment again and again, for the gentle and the chance to try once more.
内心的声音轻声说道：“明白了，生活还在继续”，你一边说着，一边帮忙分发下一批要放飞的纸灯笼。 一个小女孩走了过来，露出羞涩的笑容，你从她眼中看到了自己差点放弃的那种光芒。 也许今晚是一个总结会，一个充实新故事的机会，一个说“是”而不是说“再见”的时刻。 你微笑着点头，准备一次又一次地重温这一刻，感激这温柔的光芒和再次尝试的机会。
