老的理由

兩位年過不惑的女人在某個場合偶然相遇，此前她們已有多年未見。兩個女人恰好都是我的熟人。事后甲遇到我說：沒想到，乙竟然這么老了。

奇怪的是，乙遇到我同樣驚呼：甲怎么了，她怎么老得那么快？

依我看，甲不算老。甲向來注意保養(yǎng)，定期上美容院，尋找各種減肥良方，故一直保持臉皮白嫩，腰身正常，與她18歲的女兒上街，人家都當她是姐姐。

依我看，乙更不能說老。乙一直單身，走南闖北，敢于冒險，思想敏捷，興趣廣泛，簡直像個年輕人。

但是她們都說對方老了。他們有什么理由？

甲說乙老的理由大概是——她從不沾化妝品的邊，夏天從不戴遮陽帽，她皮膚黝黑，皺紋深深，在那些對生活細加雕飾的同齡人中，她看上去確實顯老了。

乙說甲老同樣有理由——她竭力想維持現狀，不再有沖動熱望，平和平靜掩飾著無奈無為，在精力充沛敢于玩命的人看來，這還不是老了？

但我知道在甲的女友圈子中，總是互相打量互相寬慰：“你真年輕。”“你也年輕。”

我知道在乙的朋友圈中，也總是互相贊美互相欽佩：“真難想象你已過了40歲。”“你簡直就是個年輕人。”

她們其實都是在寬慰或贊美自己，用足夠的理由告訴自己：我不老。

而一旦看到活法和自己不一樣的同齡人，她們一眼便看出了人家老的理由。

Two women in forties met somewhere by chance after they hadn＇t seen each other for many years.It so happened that I know both of them. Later on when encountering me， Miss A said， ″ I can＇t believe Miss B looks so old.″

Strange to say that B， when meeting with me， exclaimed， ″ what makes A age so fast?″

It seems to me that A looks younger than her age. She regularly goes to the beauty salon to have her skin protected and she is always on the lookout for some new ways of becoming slim. With a fair complexion and a small waist， she is often taken for the old sister of her eighteen-hear-old daughter when they walk in the street.

It seems to me the B is not old at all. A， as an adventurous woman having wide interests， still single and quick-witted， she has gone to every part of the country. She seems simply a woman of young age.

But why does each think the other old?

A＇s reason is perhaps that B＇s dark and wrinkly face resulting from never using face cream and wearing a sunbonnet in summer makes her look older than her peers who keep fit and protect their fair complexions in the latest fashion.

B＇s reason is that A， short of zeal and initiative， tries to maintain her present situation. Her inactivity is nothing but an excuse for her attempting and accomplishing nothing. Wouldn＇t that be evidence of her getting old in the eyes of those brave， vigorous people?

But I know A has a small circle of friends. They often look one another up and down and comfort themselves by saying， ″ You look very young.″ ″ So do you.″

I also know that B has a small circle of friends. They often admire and sing the praises of one another: ″ I can＇t believe you are in your forties.″ ″ You look simply a young woman.″

In fact either A or B is comforting and praising herself by presenting evidence to prove that she is not old.

Therefore each sees at a glance why the other， whose way of life is different from her own ， has become old.