Time Waits for No One

I never saw my father home from work late or ill, nor did I ever see my father take a “night out with the boys.”

我从未见过父亲下班后很晚回家或生病，也从未见过父亲“晚上和一帮兄弟出去玩”。

He had no hobbies, other than taking care of his family.

除了照顾家人，他没有别的爱好。

For 22 years, since I left home for college, my father called me every Sunday at 9:00 am.

22年来，自从我离家上大学，我父亲每周日上午9点给我打电话。

He was always interested in my life, how my family was doing, and I never once heard him lament（悲叹） about his lot in life.

他总是对我的生活很感兴趣，想知道我的家人过得怎么样，我从来没有听他抱怨过自己的命运。

The calls even came when he and my mother were in Australia, England or Florida.

即使他和我母亲在澳大利亚、英格兰或佛罗里达，电话还是会打过来。

Nine years ago when I bought my first house, my father, 67 years old, spent eight hours a day for three days, painting my house.

九年前，我买了第一套房子，我67岁的父亲花了三天时间，每天八个小时来粉刷我的房子。

He would not allow me to pay someone to have it done. All he asked, was a glass of iced tea, and that I hold a paintbrush for him and talk to him.

他不允许我花钱请人来做这件事。他只要了一杯冰茶，要我帮他拿着漆刷，和他说说话。

But I was too busy, for I had a law practice（律师事务所） to run, and I could not take the time to hold the paintbrush, or talk to my father

但我太忙了，因为我有一个律师事务所要经营，我不能抽出时间拿着漆刷，或与我的父亲聊天。

Five years ago, my 71-year-old father spent five hours putting together a swing（秋千） set for my daughter.

五年前，我71岁的父亲花了五个小时为我女儿组装了一套秋千。

Again, all he asked was that I get him a glass of iced tea, and talk to him. But again, I had laundry to do, and the house to clean.

他又一次要求我给他倒杯冰茶，跟他聊聊天，但我又一次拒绝了他，我有衣服要洗，还有房子要打扫。

The morning on Sunday, January 16, 1995, my father telephoned me as usual.

1995年1月16日星期天上午，我父亲像往常一样给我打电话。

This time he had seemed to have forgotten some things we had discussed the week before. I had to get to church, and I cut the conversation short.

这一次他似乎忘记了我们上周讨论过的一些事情。我得去教堂，于是我打断了谈话。

The call came at 4:40 am. That day my father was sent to hospital in Florida.

电话是凌晨4点40分打来的。那天，我父亲被送往佛罗里达州的医院。

I got on a plane immediately, and I vowed（发誓） that when I arrived, I would make up for the lost time, and have a nice long talk with him and really get to know him.

我立刻上了飞机，我发誓当我到达医院，我会弥补失去的时间，和他好好谈一谈，真正了解他。

I arrived in Florida at 1:00 am, but my father had passed away at 9:12 pm.

我在凌晨1点到达佛罗里达州，但是我的父亲在前一天晚上9点12分去世了。

This time it was he who did not have time to talk, or time to wait for me.

这次是他没有时间说话，也没有时间等我。