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I never have given the future much thought and I just let it happen. Yet today, when Dad took me to Princeton University, I began thinking about what I would become in ten years. Where will I be in the future?

Well, Dad showed me one of the many places I can be when I grow up. Princeton Univ. seems around the corner near home at the same time.

Before going to Princeton, the closest thing I know is a castle at Six Flags. But the word "castle" is basically the definition of Princeton. The hour-drive-away school, first of all, was huge. Most buildings looked old and had medieval kinds of facades. Each seemed just to resemble another. They were all smaller than I'd imagined, but spectacular nevertheless. The campus even felt like a public park at one point because many people came to stroll inside, whether for fun or to experience, I don't know for sure. As Dad and I continued to walk around, taking pictures and inspecting architecture, I began seeing modern designs too. There was a glass building near the main entrance, which stood out like a sore thumb. It's like seeing a gorilla in the Arctic. In case you didn't know, gorillas don't live in the Arctic. That's how weird it was. After hanging around the colonial type of buildings, seeing all-glass buildings was so alien.

Princeton is just so full of surprises, not to mention the squirrels. They were everywhere. No matter where I turned, a squirrel was in sight, either nibbling on a nut or climbing a tree. They also looked like students here.

To really think about it, Princeton Univ. does have a nice atmosphere. However, it sounds too far into the future for me. For now, I'll just stick to my middle school back to my hometown in PA.

【红霞译文】

我从未花费心思考虑过自己的未来，不过今天跟着爸爸去普林斯顿(意指“王子城”)大学转悠时，我才开始意识到十年后所面临的选择，将来我在哪里﹖

没错，爸爸就是想让我了解一下等自己长大以后可能要去的地方，况且普林斯顿大学近在眼前。
去王子城之前，我脑海里闪现出“六面旗”游乐园的城堡，“城堡”一词的确可以涵盖王子城校园景象。首先，离家仅有个把小时路程的大学幅员辽阔，多数建筑物看上去历久弥新，正面颇具中世纪古韵，楼与楼之间的建筑风格相差无几，虽比我想像的要小，但却蔚为壮观。校园又像一座公园，吸引不少游人停留驻步，休闲也好，参观也罢，无论怎样都十分惬意。我们转来转去，拍拍相片，看看建筑，同时还注意到夹杂的当代设计标记。一栋离校门不远的玻璃楼傲然屹立，显得稀奇古怪，如同在北极邂逅大猩猩。如果你不明白我的意思，让我直说吧，大猩猩从不来北极生活。因此，在层出不穷的古典殖民式建筑群里，冷不丁冒出一个玻璃楼外来货，令人感觉怪兮兮的。

当然，王子城到处充满惊喜博人眼球，且不忙夸那里的松鼠。说起松鼠，真可谓无所不在，我走到哪都能看到它们不是嗑坚果吃，就是树上树下窜来窜去，松鼠俨然也是普大学生中的一员。

仔细想一想，普林斯顿大学环境确实不错。不过对我而言，目前考虑若干年以后的事为时尚早，不如回到宾州老家好好把握自己初中时代的大好年华。

Today in History(历史上的今天):

2010: 小学二年级家长会(Second-Grade Parent-Teacher Conference)