How does it feel to once be extremely gorgeous and pretty, grow old, and now no one pays attention to you?

曾经貌美如花、沉鱼落雁，却慢慢老去，直到现在没人愿意看你一眼是什么感觉？

I don't know about "extremely gorgeous”, but when I was younger I was often asked to model.

我不知道什么算“貌美如花”，但我年轻时常被叫去当模特。

I'm 53 now, and no one asks me to model anymore. It's ok. It is what it is.

现在我53岁，没人再叫我去当模特了。没关系，这就是现实。

Sure, I'd prefer the wrinkles go away. I'd love be to be 110# no matter what I eat again, and I do miss that long, blond, shiny hair…but wishing for something that was, but no longer is,…that's a recipe for unhappiness.

当然我想让皱纹都消失不见，我想再回到怎么吃体重都是110磅的日子，我真怀念那时长长的金色秀发，但期望那些一去不复回的东西真是自寻烦恼。

It just is what it is.

这就是现实。

I am glad for the years though. The wisdom that comes with experience is priceless, and something the younger generations just can't understand.

过去的这些年我很开心，阅历带给我的智慧是无价之宝，也是年轻一代不会懂的。

Just about everyone becomes less attractive as they age.

几乎每个人的容颜都会随着年龄的增长而老去。

I am experiencing that myself. I used to like to look at myself in the mirror and in pictures. I got a lot of attention from both sexes because of my appearance.

我自己现在正经历着这些，我过去喜欢看镜子和照片里的自己，因为我的外表无论男女都会投来目光。

I’m now middle aged, slightly overweight, and really nothing special to look at.

现在我人到中年，稍胖，也真的没什么特殊之处可看了。

But my self-worth is derived¹ from what I do for people, how I care for my friends and family, and what I am capable of doing.

但我的自身价值也从为他人所做的事、对朋友和家人的关心照顾以及我自己的能力中得到了体现。

It feels like wearing a cloak of invisibility.

那感觉就像穿了隐形斗篷。

When I was in my 20's and 30's, I had an excellent figure (36-23-35), and was considered "beautiful" by many people.

我二三十岁时身材很好(36-23-35)，很多人都说我很漂亮。

I was used to men's heads swiveling when I walked by, and people watching when I crossed the room.

我习惯了走过男人身边时的回头率，穿过房间时人们投来的目光。

Time and health problems have taken their toll²; but you know what--when someone likes me--I know they like me for who I am inside--not as a pretty "doll-like" individual that many did not want to bother to get to know, beyond the decorative³ factor.

时间和健康问题都在摧残着我的容颜，但你知道吗？现在有人喜欢我时，我知道他们喜欢的是我的内在，而不是很多人除了外表都不想费心去了解的漂亮“洋娃娃”。

A co-worker and I were discussing marriage vs raising children as a single mom, the difficulty in dating again and other things surrounding my life at the time.

同事和我正讨论是该结婚还是做一个单亲妈妈独自带娃、再去约会的困难，还有当时我生活中的其他事情。

I told her I just wasn’t feeling like seriously dating anyone yet.

She got quiet for a while and then told me that I “really should enjoy being young because one day you will wake up and you will have become truly invisible”.

她沉默了一会儿，然后告诉我“真该好好享受年轻的时光，因为有一天醒来会发现真是没人会看你了。

I was 38 at the time. She was nearing retirement⁴ and said a man hadn't looked at her that way in 15 years, except her husband of course.

我当时38岁，她要退休了，她说有15年没有男人那样看过她了，当然除了她丈夫。

She said it literally⁵ occurred to her one day.

她说这其实就是一夜之间的事。

It's not just about age either, 20 extra pounds can have the same effect as 20 years of aging. Men you would normally expect to at least glance your direction just don't.

这当然不只是年龄的问题，超重20磅就相当于老了20岁，你本来以为至少会瞥你一眼的男人都不再看你了。

When my son was a teen he would become so annoyed when men would look at me that I would have to send him to fetch something across the grocery store, or leave him in the car. He became hyper aware.

我儿子10多岁的时候有男人看我他会很生气，我就得叫他去杂货店里别的地方拿点东西，或者把他留在车里，他变得特别敏感。

Now, in my forties, I am noticing the decline in attention that I had previously⁶ completely ignored.

现在我四十多岁了，我注意到回头率的下降，这种回头率以前我都视而不见的。

I don't think I bothered to really “enjoy being young” as Sue had suggested.

我觉着我没有像Sue建议我的那样费心去真正享受“年轻的时光”。