The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged1 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 beaming2 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 giant3 squeeze4.

　　" 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.

　　" 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 milkshake5. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop6. I was always mesmerized7 listening to this " time machine" as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.

　　Over the course of the year， Rose became a campus icon8 and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in9 the attention bestowed10 up her from the other students. She was living it up11. 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 podium12. As she began to deliver her prepared speech， she dropped her three by13 five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said， " I'm sorry I'm so jittery14. I gave up beer for Lent15 and this whisky is killing me！ I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell 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."

　　" You have to laugh and find humor every day."

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

　　" 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."

　　" 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."

　　She concluded her speech by courageously16 singing " The Rose." She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out17 in our daily lives.

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

　　Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute18 to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.

　　Remember， growing older is mandatory19， growing up is optional.

　　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。

　　"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。

　　"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".

　　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。"

　　"每天都要笑，每天都要找到幽默。"

　　"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！"

　　"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。"

　　"不要后悔。年長的人一般不會為我們的所做的事而后悔，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。"

　　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。

　　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。

　　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。

　　記住，衰老是無法抗拒的，而成熟卻是可以選擇的。

　　注釋：

　　1.challenge ]vt.要求

　　2.beam vi.（面）露喜色，（人）滿臉堆

　　3.giant adj.特大的

　　4.squeeze n.緊握，緊抱

　　5.milkshake n.泡沫牛奶（將牛奶、冰淇淋等混合后攪拌至起泡的飲料）

　　6.nonstop adv.不斷地，不停地

　　7.mesmerize vt.迷惑，迷住

　　8.icon n.偶像，崇拜對象

　　9.revel vi.（與in連用）陶醉，著迷

　　10.bestow vt.把…給予

　　11.live it up 狂歡，享樂一番

　　12.podium n.講臺

　　13.by prep. 表示乘、除、面積等

　　14.jittery adj.緊張不安的，神經過敏的

　　15.Lent n.大齋節（指復活節前為期40天的齋戒及懺悔，以紀念耶穌在荒野禁食。）

　　16.courageously adv.無畏地

　　17.live out 實踐，身體力行

　　18.tribute n.頌辭，稱贊

　　19.mandatory adj.強制的

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