I was born in Guangdong, the southernmost province in mainland China where in winter the temperature seldom falls be low 5C. For the past 19 years, I had never seen snow. I couldn't remember from when I had been dreaming of seeing a real snow, and experiencing a bleak winter.

我出生在广东，在中国大陆最南部的省份，在冬季温度极少会低于5度。在过去的19年里，我从未见过雪。我不记得从什么时候开始我梦想看到真正的雪，经历了一个荒凉的冬天。

Before I entered the university, I had never expected the climate difference of Shanghai and Guangzhou. But as October came, the falling golden leaves and the chilly winds indicated that this winter would be cold.

在我进入大学之前，我从来没有预料到上海和广州的气候差异这么大。但到了十月，落下金色的叶子和寒冷的风暗示着今年冬天会很冷。
October walked away in the whisper of the falling leaves.Winter approached in November, and then December.

十月，走在落叶的沙沙声中。冬天在十一月就来了，然后十二月。

The dazzling golden color already faded away, leaving only the bare branches sticking out into the frosty air. Grass that was once as thick as a fine cardigan carpet could no longer be found anywhere. What I saw were the slushy fields which were jade green in September.

耀眼的金色已经消失，只剩下赤裸的枝条在寒冷的空气中伸展。草曾经像细羊毛地毯一样厚，现在在任何地方也找不到了。我所看到的是九月翠绿色泥泞的田野。
I considered it a great fortune to watch the sun, which was mild, jumping off the horizon and into those bare branches.Even on sunny days, the temperature was still low. The campus was left deserted and lifeless.

我认为看到温和的，从地平线和那些赤裸的枝条中跳出来太阳是很需要运气的。即使在阳光明媚的日子，气温仍然很低。校园被遗弃而且没有生气。

Was this what I had been longing for? Could it be called a bleak winter? I thought I should feel satisfied. Shanghai is still in the south. I couldn't expect more. But there was still some thing in my mind, as it was only one step to my dream. I prayed every day for a snow. A slight one could be enough. Once again.God heard.

这是我一直向往的吗？它可以被称为一个寒冷的冬天？我想我应该感到满足。上海仍在南方。我不能期待更多。但仍有一些东西在我的脑海里，因为它只是我梦想的第一步。我每天都在祈祷下雪。一场小雪就可以了。上帝再次听到了。
I'll never forget the morning of Christmas. On my way to the library, a white elf found its way into my coat. It took me more than a minute to realize what was happening. Believe it or not, it snowed. Suddenly I understood why God took all the signs of life away in winter. He must have been clearing up a stage for his spoiled kid snow.

我永远不会忘记圣诞节的早晨。在去图书馆的路上，一个白色的小精灵跑到我的外套上。我花了超过一分钟的时间才意识到发生了什么。信不信由你，下雪了。我突然明白了为什么上帝在冬天把所有的生命迹象都带走了。他一定是清理一个舞台来给他宠坏的雪孩子。

Tears welled up in my eyes, for my thankfulness to God and to the special, bleak winter.

泪水涌上了我的眼睛，我感谢上帝和特别的，寒冷的冬天。

简 评
本文描写了一个在炎热的广州长大的女孩来到上海后经历的第一个冬天，第一场雪。秋天的金色逐渐褪去后，一切有生命的东西都不复存在，只留下光秃秃的树枝裸露在寒风中。作者对冬天的太阳印象深刻：尽管阳光普照，气温仍然很低。然而，作者并不满足于此，仍时时期盼着下雪。终于，下雪了，作者将飘进衣服的雪花比喻成a white elf，非常富有情趣，自然地流露出作者当时的欣喜之情。最后，作者对冬天万物凋零做了一个非常新颖但合理的解释：清扫舞台，为调皮的孩子——雪花上台做准备。
文章对作者渴望感受严冬，期盼下雪的心情的描写细腻生动
给人留下了深刻的印象。