过年前回家，我又看见了那台旧机器。
Guònián qián huí jiā, wǒ yòu kànjiàn le nà tái jiù jīqì.
Going home before the New Year, I saw that old machine again.
它比我大三岁，是妈妈结婚那年买的。
Tā bǐ wǒ dà sān suì, shì māma jiéhūn nà nián mǎi de.
It is three years older than me, bought the year my mother got married.
小时候，我和妹妹的衣服几乎都是它做出来的。
Xiǎoshíhou, wǒ hé mèimei de yīfu jīhū dōu shì tā zuò chūlái de.
When my sister and I were little, almost all our clothes were made by it.
学校的裤子、过年的新上衣，都是它的作品。
Xuéxiào de kùzi, guònián de xīn shàngyī, dōu shì tā de zuòpǐn.
School trousers and new tops for the New Year were all its work.
针在线里走，机器能响一个晚上。
Zhēn zàixiàn lǐ zǒu, jīqì néng xiǎng yí gè wǎnshang.
The needle walked through the thread, and the machine could hum all evening.
那时候我以为，全世界的衣服都是这样做出来的。
Nà shíhou wǒ yǐwéi, quán shìjiè de yīfu dōu shì zhèyàng zuò chūlái de.
Back then I thought all the clothes in the world were made this way.
现在我常常给自己买新衣服，机器早就用不上了。
Xiànzài wǒ chángcháng gěi zìjǐ mǎi xīn yīfu, jīqì zǎo jiù yòng bú shàng le.
Now I often buy myself new clothes, and the machine has long been useless.
我跟母亲说过好几次，把旧东西处理了吧，家里太满。
Wǒ gēn mǔqīn shuō guò hǎo jǐ cì, bǎ jiù dōngxi chǔlǐ le ba, jiā lǐ tài mǎn.
I told my mother several times to get rid of the old things, since the house was too full.
她每次都答应，每次都不动。
Tā měi cì dōu dāying, měi cì dōu bú dòng.
She agreed every time, and every time did nothing.
今年回家，我的箱子在路上破了一个小洞。
Jīnnián huí jiā, wǒ de xiāngzi zài lùshang pò le yí gè xiǎo dòng.
This year coming home, my suitcase got a small hole on the way.
我说不用管，回去买个新的。
Wǒ shuō búyòng guǎn, huíqù mǎi gè xīn de.
I said never mind, I would buy a new one after going back.
母亲说：能补的东西，为什么要扔？
Mǔqīn shuō: néng bǔ de dōngxi, wèi shénme yào rēng?
My mother said: why throw away something that can be mended?
她把箱子翻过来，戴上眼镜，看了半天。
Tā bǎ xiāngzi fān guòlái, dài shàng yǎnjìng, kàn le bàntiān.
She turned the suitcase over, put on her glasses, and studied it for a long time.
然后她坐到那台旧机器前面，一点脚，机器真的又响了。
Ránhòu tā zuò dào nà tái jiù jīqì qiánmiàn, yì diǎn jiǎo, jīqì zhēn de yòu xiǎng le.
Then she sat in front of the old machine, tapped the pedal once, and it really hummed again.
那个声音一出来，我好像一下子回到了小学。
Nàge shēngyīn yì chūlái, wǒ hǎoxiàng yíxià zi huí dào le xiǎoxué.
The moment that sound started, I was suddenly back in primary school.
我坐在旁边看她干活。
Wǒ zuò zài pángbiān kàn tā gàn huó.
I sat beside her watching her work.
她的动作还是那么熟，可是眼睛跟不上了。
Tā de dòngzuò háishi nàme shú, kěshì yǎnjing gēn bú shàng le.
Her hands were still so practiced, but her eyes could not keep up.
每一次穿针，她都要把线头咬一下，对着灯看很久。
Měi yí cì chuān zhēn, tā dōu yào bǎ xiàn tóu yǎo yíxià, duì zhe dēng kàn hěn jiǔ.
Each time she threaded a needle, she had to bite the thread end and look at it under the lamp for a long while.
我说：妈妈，我来。
Wǒ shuō: māma, wǒ lái.
I said: Mom, let me.
我把线穿好，递给她。
Wǒ bǎ xiàn chuān hǎo, dì gěi tā.
I threaded the needle and handed it to her.
她接过去，头也没有抬，说：儿子长大了。
Tā jiē guòqù, tóu yě méiyǒu tái, shuō: érzi zhǎng dà le.
She took it without even raising her head and said: my son has grown up.
我说：小时候看您穿针，一次就好了。
Wǒ shuō: xiǎoshíhou kàn nín chuān zhēn, yí cì jiù hǎo le.
I said: when I was little, I watched you thread needles in one try.
她笑了一下，没有说话，脚下的速度慢了下来。
Tā xiào le yíxià, méiyǒu shuōhuà, jiǎo xià de sùdù màn le xiàlái.
She smiled a little, said nothing, and her feet slowed down.
那天晚上，台灯亮到很晚。
Nà tiān wǎnshang, táidēng liàng dào hěn wǎn.
That night the desk lamp stayed on very late.
我睡着以前听见机器响，醒来的时候它还在响。
Wǒ shuì zhe yǐqián tīngjiàn jīqì xiǎng, xǐng lái de shíhou tā hái zài xiǎng.
Before I fell asleep I heard the machine; when I woke up, it was still going.
除了箱子，她还把我的外套都看了一遍。
Chúle xiāngzi, tā hái bǎ wǒ de wàitào dōu kàn le yí biàn.
Besides the suitcase, she went over all my coats as well.
袖子松了的、扣子要掉的，一件一件都处理好了。
Xiùzi sōng le de, kòu zi yào diào de, yí jiàn yí jiàn dōu chǔlǐ hǎo le.
Loose sleeves, buttons about to fall: she dealt with them one by one.
我试穿那件外套，大小正好，像新的一样。
Wǒ shì chuān nà jiàn wàitào, dàxiǎo zhènghǎo, xiàng xīn de yíyàng.
I tried on that coat: a perfect fit, as good as new.
回城那天，她在门口跟我说：家里什么都不缺。
Huí chéng nà tiān, tā zài ménkǒu gēn wǒ shuō: jiā lǐ shénme dōu bù quē.
The day I returned to the city, she said at the door: we lack nothing at home.
我说知道，又说：那台机器，您留着吧。
Wǒ shuō zhīdào, yòu shuō: nà tái jīqì, nín liú zhe ba.
I said I knew, then added: keep that machine.
她点了点头，转身走了进去。
Tā diǎn le diǎntóu, zhuǎnshēn zǒu le jìnqù.
She nodded, turned, and went inside.
在火车上我打开箱子，每件衣服都平平整整。
Zài huǒchē shàng wǒ dǎkāi xiāngzi, měi jiàn yīfu dōu píng píng zhěngzhěng.
On the train I opened the suitcase; every piece of clothing was neat and smooth.
我忽然明白，她留下那台机器，不是为了做衣服。
Wǒ hūrán míngbai, tā liúxia nà tái jīqì, bú shì wèile zuò yīfu.
I suddenly understood: she kept the machine not to make clothes.
机器响起来的时候，她就还是那个妈妈。
Jīqì xiǎng qǐlái de shíhou, tā jiù háishi nàge māma.
When the machine hums, she is still that same mother.
那个什么都能给孩子补好的妈妈。
Nàge shénme dōu néng gěi háizi bǔ hǎo de māma.
The mother who could mend anything for her children.
HearMandarin