苏思安道：“就当你欠我一个人情吧，以后要答应我的一个要求。”
霍艾道：“只要是我能做到的，我会尽力去做。”
“这可不行，我要求你做到，不是让你开出尽力的空头支票。”
霍艾咬牙：“作为一个好公民，我拒绝做违法乱纪的事。对霍家人不利的事也一概免谈。”
苏思安爽快地答应了。
……
于是，霍艾和苏思安成为了亲密无间的合作伙伴。她们一同研究纺织技法，推陈出新，在霍家针法原有的基础上，创造了新的体系。这套纺织技法，被称为“霍艾-苏思安纺织法”或者“霍氏纺织法”。
纺织学这门古老的学科被注入了新鲜的血液，热度持续不褪，经历过三个世纪，无数少年少女梦想接过霍艾手中的火种，将它继续传承下去，发扬下去。
而作为手工纺织法的集大成者，霍艾的名字永垂史册。
“我们最新的研究，是如何改进机械纺织法，将这套霍氏法用于机械加工，投入大批量生产。”霍艾道，“我和我的合作伙伴都希望它能从艺术品的高度走下来，进入千万百姓家。这才是纺织真正的意义。”
报告完成后，全场灯光亮起，在雷鸣般的掌声中，她走下讲台，越走越快，直到迎上观众席前排一个站立鼓掌的身影。
“思安，我的成就有你的一半。”霍艾扬起脸，闪亮的灯光将她的脸照耀地眉目辉煌，“我的妈妈一定会为我骄傲，谢谢你。”
“那么……现在请你兑现答应我的条件吧。”苏思安挑了挑一边眉毛。
霍艾收起笑容，露出认真的神情道：“你说吧。”
“请你，一直坚持走下去。”苏思安道，“永远不要停止攀登纺织学的高峰，把你的一生献给它，不要在乎名声、财富，不要改变你最初的理想。”
“新的事物，总会遇到布满荆棘的道路，科学和艺术尤甚。无论未来有什么阻力等待着你，都要一直向前。”
“……”
“而我，会永远陪伴你。”
原版答案
Holly was confused as she opened the gift from her best friend, Susan.
“I……I thought you could use it for something.” Susan’s explanation did nothing to help us understand why a twelve-by-eighteen-inch dark blue carpet was being presented as a birthday gift.
The murmured “thanks” was barely heard as Holly tried hard not to allow her disappointment to show. She laid the piece of carpet on the kitchen counter, and the two girls headed outside to play with the family dogs.
Holly’s disappointment over the incident didn’t become evident until the following evening when she came downstairs to say good night. “Well, I guess we know how much my best friend thinks of me, huh, Mom?” Her attempt at a cheerful tone failed completely.
The next morning, I carried a kitchen rubbish bag outside. My heart wrenched as I opened the rubbish can and saw Susan’s carpet lying among the other waste items. Hesitating only a moment, I reached in and pulled it out of the can. After giving it a light brushing, I brought it into the house and put it away in the hall closet. Occupied by the business of daily living, the carpet was soon forgotten.
Before Holly’s birthday, Susan had been a regular visitor in our home. On several occasions, she rode the bus home with Holly and was one of the few friends ever permitted to stay over on a school night. The girls did their homework together and went to bed at a reasonable hour. Now as I cooked the evening meal, I realized it had been nearly three weeks since we’d even heard the mention of Susan’s name. I missed her warm smile and eager-to-please ways.
The noise at the front door told me Holly had arrived home from school. “Susan invited me to come over to her house after school tomorrow.” She announced as she put her books down on the kitchen table. Although her voice carried a so-what attitude, I sensed she was pleased by the invitation.
Arrangements were made, and the girls rode home together on the school bus the following day. As I travelled along the winding country road that led to her house, Susan talked nervously about her foster mom (养母) and the seventeen cats she had taken in and cared for with Susan’s help.
Susan guided us through the house. She proudly showed us her room, which was decorated with used furniture. An old picture frame (框架) sitting beside the bed contained pictures of Susan’s parents and siblings from whom, we later learned, she had long since been separated.
I followed Susan’s foster mom — who introduced herself as Glenda — into the kitchen. After clearing a small area, Glenda placed a couple of cups on the table. Her hand trembled slightly as she poured us each a cup of steaming black coffee. She began to relax as we drank our coffee and chatted about her cats.
Her eyes shone as she showed her fondness for Susan. But her expression turned blue when she referred briefly to the girl’s past. In a short time, I came to respect this generous-hearted woman who had opened her home to a young girl and attempted to make a difference in her life.