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一对双胞胎姐妹，命运却截然不同，一个能享受正常人的生活，而另一个身体严重残疾。时光荏苒，世事变迁， 或许在共同生活中会有摩擦与误解，但姐妹之间的亲情是无法割舍的，因为“我是她的另一半，她也是我的另一半”。
I am 23 years old, healthy, born with normal vision, normal hearing and normal speech.My twin sister, Dawn, was not born so lucky.My mother was very young when she gave birth to my sister and me.Because we were born so early we were placed in incubators1 till we were three weeks old.
While in the incubator, the doctor administered2 too much oxygen to my sister.She was later diagnosed with cerebral3 palsy4, a nervous disorder which causes a malfunction5 in the sensory motor skills and also brain damage.She had undergone several unsuccessful surgeries to restore her sight which was completely gone in her left eye and only 68% detectable in her right eye.
Along with a slow developing brain, and legal blindness, it was also determined that she was legally deaf in her right ear.She had to wear braces6 on her legs and she had to walk with crutches.She stuck out like a sore thumb connected to all these contraptions7, often causing people to stare and point.
While growing up a twin, I felt my identity was not my own.I wanted to just be Donnette, not Dawn’s twin sister.We lived in a small neighborhood where my sister was the only “different child”.We were both constantly picked on, and we never had any friends because of my sister’s condition.I began to loathe8 my sister, and I did everything to get her into trouble to get back at her being born mentally retarded9 and physically disabled.
I felt like she was a constant thorn10 in my side.I was embarrassed to be seen with her, so I made fun of her right along with the other children.When I turned twelve my mother was so disgusted with my behavior towards my sister. She figured I was old enough to know better, and that I should love my sister, for that is the way God created her.
My mother threw me in my bedroom and gave me a thick yellow book which looked to me like a photo album.What I saw in that book changed my life and my attitude about the way that I viewed my sister and other handicapped people like her.
There were numerous baby pictures of my sister and I dressed alike, the only difference: Dawn was hooked up to tubes and needles and machines.She had her hands and fingers taped so that she would not compromise11 the patch12 on her eye from surgery.She looked like a mummy.I looked small and peaceful.There were also several pictures of the two of us in the hospital till we were three years old.Once again, Dawn was wrapped up in a glorified13 mummy outfit, with tubes and needles attached to her everywhere. If you looked closely, you could see the pain reflected in her eyes.The picture that stood out the most was a Polaroid snapshot14 of the two of us hugging each other.The caption below read, “I am so happy to get a visit from my twin sister, Netty.The doctors make me cry.She makes me laugh.”
I noticed one common factor in all of the pictures: Even though she was in a great deal of pain, and suffered so much, this baby girl, who some would call a handicapped retard, smiled so big for the camera.I realized then what my mother was trying to show me.I felt ashamed at the way I treated her, and I cried myself to sleep.
Later that evening, my sister crawled over and woke me up for dinner.I kissed her and hugged her and profusely15 apologized for my behavior.She looked at me with uncertainty in her eyes.I knew she did not know what I was talking about.But I knew, I knew.
I am her other half, just as she is my other half.When Dawn hurts, I hurt. That is the unbreakable bond16 Dawn and I share.After all, I am Dawn’s twin sister , and she is my world.
我23岁，视力正常，听力正常，语言也正常。我的双胞胎妹妹道恩就没这么幸运了。妈妈生我们俩时非常年轻。由于是早产儿，我们出生后前三周是在恒温箱中度过的。
在恒温箱中，医生给我妹妹吸氧过多，后来她被诊断出患有脑瘫，这是一种会引起感官运动机能紊乱和损坏大脑的神经性疾病。为了恢复视力，她曾经做过几次手术，但都没有成功。最后她左眼完全失明，而右眼的视力也只有68%。
大脑发育缓慢、几近失明，命中注定她的右耳也近于失聪。她必须在腿上装上支架，依靠拐杖才能行走。带着这些装置使她十分扎眼，经常引来别人的指指点点。
作为一起长大的双胞胎之一，我感觉我的身份不是我自己。我只想成为道莱特，而不是道恩的姐姐。我们所居住的小社区里，妹妹是唯一“与众不同”的孩子。我们俩经常被人捉弄。因为妹妹的身体状况不佳，我们从没有什么朋友。我开始讨厌妹妹，竭力给她制造麻烦，来报复她天生的智力障碍和身体残疾。
我视她为自己的眼中钉。被人看到和她一起时，我觉得很尴尬，所以我就和别的孩子一起捉弄她。12岁时，我对妹妹的所作所为令妈妈非常气愤。她说我应该懂事了，应该爱妹妹，因为上帝造就了这样的她。
母亲把我推进卧室，给了我一本厚厚的黄皮书，看起来像个相册。书的内容改变了我的生活，改变了我看待妹妹以及像她一样的残疾人的方式。
书里有许多我和妹妹的婴儿照，我们都穿着一样的衣服。唯一不同的是，道恩身上插着输液管、针头和仪器。她的双手被捆住，防止她损坏手术后戴上的眼罩。她看上去像个木乃伊，而我看起来又小又平和。还有几张我们3岁前在医院的照片。道恩同样被裹得像个木乃伊，管子和针头插得全身都是。如果凑近去看，你能看到她眼中的痛苦。最为醒目的是一张宝丽来快照，照片上我们俩相互拥抱。下面还写着 ：“我非常高兴我的双胞胎姐姐内蒂能来看我。医生会把我弄哭，她却能把我逗笑。”
我在所有照片中发现了一个共同特征 ：即便她遭受到巨大的痛苦，这个女婴——有些人也许会叫她智障儿——依旧对着相机笑得这么开心。那一刻我明白了母亲想让我看些什么。我为自己的所作所为羞愧难当，一直哭到入睡。
那天晚上，妹妹很慢地走来，叫醒我去吃饭。我亲吻她，拥抱她，为自己的行为一再道歉。她满眼疑惑地看着我。我知道她不明白我在说什么。但是我知道，我知道。
我是她的另一半，正如她也是我的另一半。道恩痛苦时，我也痛苦，这是道恩和我之间永远割舍不断的联系。毕竟，我是道恩的双胞胎姐姐，她就是我的全部。
陈浩 摘译自 Family Life
I am 23 years old, healthy, born with normal vision, normal hearing and normal speech.My twin sister, Dawn, was not born so lucky.My mother was very young when she gave birth to my sister and me.Because we were born so early we were placed in incubators1 till we were three weeks old.
While in the incubator, the doctor administered2 too much oxygen to my sister.She was later diagnosed with cerebral3 palsy4, a nervous disorder which causes a malfunction5 in the sensory motor skills and also brain damage.She had undergone several unsuccessful surgeries to restore her sight which was completely gone in her left eye and only 68% detectable in her right eye.
Along with a slow developing brain, and legal blindness, it was also determined that she was legally deaf in her right ear.She had to wear braces6 on her legs and she had to walk with crutches.She stuck out like a sore thumb connected to all these contraptions7, often causing people to stare and point.
While growing up a twin, I felt my identity was not my own.I wanted to just be Donnette, not Dawn’s twin sister.We lived in a small neighborhood where my sister was the only “different child”.We were both constantly picked on, and we never had any friends because of my sister’s condition.I began to loathe8 my sister, and I did everything to get her into trouble to get back at her being born mentally retarded9 and physically disabled.
I felt like she was a constant thorn10 in my side.I was embarrassed to be seen with her, so I made fun of her right along with the other children.When I turned twelve my mother was so disgusted with my behavior towards my sister. She figured I was old enough to know better, and that I should love my sister, for that is the way God created her.
My mother threw me in my bedroom and gave me a thick yellow book which looked to me like a photo album.What I saw in that book changed my life and my attitude about the way that I viewed my sister and other handicapped people like her.
There were numerous baby pictures of my sister and I dressed alike, the only difference: Dawn was hooked up to tubes and needles and machines.She had her hands and fingers taped so that she would not compromise11 the patch12 on her eye from surgery.She looked like a mummy.I looked small and peaceful.There were also several pictures of the two of us in the hospital till we were three years old.Once again, Dawn was wrapped up in a glorified13 mummy outfit, with tubes and needles attached to her everywhere. If you looked closely, you could see the pain reflected in her eyes.The picture that stood out the most was a Polaroid snapshot14 of the two of us hugging each other.The caption below read, “I am so happy to get a visit from my twin sister, Netty.The doctors make me cry.She makes me laugh.”
I noticed one common factor in all of the pictures: Even though she was in a great deal of pain, and suffered so much, this baby girl, who some would call a handicapped retard, smiled so big for the camera.I realized then what my mother was trying to show me.I felt ashamed at the way I treated her, and I cried myself to sleep.
Later that evening, my sister crawled over and woke me up for dinner.I kissed her and hugged her and profusely15 apologized for my behavior.She looked at me with uncertainty in her eyes.I knew she did not know what I was talking about.But I knew, I knew.
I am her other half, just as she is my other half.When Dawn hurts, I hurt. That is the unbreakable bond16 Dawn and I share.After all, I am Dawn’s twin sister , and she is my world.
我23岁，视力正常，听力正常，语言也正常。我的双胞胎妹妹道恩就没这么幸运了。妈妈生我们俩时非常年轻。由于是早产儿，我们出生后前三周是在恒温箱中度过的。
在恒温箱中，医生给我妹妹吸氧过多，后来她被诊断出患有脑瘫，这是一种会引起感官运动机能紊乱和损坏大脑的神经性疾病。为了恢复视力，她曾经做过几次手术，但都没有成功。最后她左眼完全失明，而右眼的视力也只有68%。
大脑发育缓慢、几近失明，命中注定她的右耳也近于失聪。她必须在腿上装上支架，依靠拐杖才能行走。带着这些装置使她十分扎眼，经常引来别人的指指点点。
作为一起长大的双胞胎之一，我感觉我的身份不是我自己。我只想成为道莱特，而不是道恩的姐姐。我们所居住的小社区里，妹妹是唯一“与众不同”的孩子。我们俩经常被人捉弄。因为妹妹的身体状况不佳，我们从没有什么朋友。我开始讨厌妹妹，竭力给她制造麻烦，来报复她天生的智力障碍和身体残疾。
我视她为自己的眼中钉。被人看到和她一起时，我觉得很尴尬，所以我就和别的孩子一起捉弄她。12岁时，我对妹妹的所作所为令妈妈非常气愤。她说我应该懂事了，应该爱妹妹，因为上帝造就了这样的她。
母亲把我推进卧室，给了我一本厚厚的黄皮书，看起来像个相册。书的内容改变了我的生活，改变了我看待妹妹以及像她一样的残疾人的方式。
书里有许多我和妹妹的婴儿照，我们都穿着一样的衣服。唯一不同的是，道恩身上插着输液管、针头和仪器。她的双手被捆住，防止她损坏手术后戴上的眼罩。她看上去像个木乃伊，而我看起来又小又平和。还有几张我们3岁前在医院的照片。道恩同样被裹得像个木乃伊，管子和针头插得全身都是。如果凑近去看，你能看到她眼中的痛苦。最为醒目的是一张宝丽来快照，照片上我们俩相互拥抱。下面还写着 ：“我非常高兴我的双胞胎姐姐内蒂能来看我。医生会把我弄哭，她却能把我逗笑。”
我在所有照片中发现了一个共同特征 ：即便她遭受到巨大的痛苦，这个女婴——有些人也许会叫她智障儿——依旧对着相机笑得这么开心。那一刻我明白了母亲想让我看些什么。我为自己的所作所为羞愧难当，一直哭到入睡。
那天晚上，妹妹很慢地走来，叫醒我去吃饭。我亲吻她，拥抱她，为自己的行为一再道歉。她满眼疑惑地看着我。我知道她不明白我在说什么。但是我知道，我知道。
我是她的另一半，正如她也是我的另一半。道恩痛苦时，我也痛苦，这是道恩和我之间永远割舍不断的联系。毕竟，我是道恩的双胞胎姐姐，她就是我的全部。
陈浩 摘译自 Family Life