When I was eight, I saw a movie about an island that had an erupting volcano and jungles filled with wild animals.
我八岁的时候，看了一部关于海岛的电影。在电影中，岛上有一座活火山，丛林里栖息着野生动物。
The island was ruled by a beautiful woman called Tondalaya, the Fire Goddess of the Volcano.
一个漂亮的女人统治者这座岛，她叫彤达拉雅，是这座火山的火神。
It was a low-budget movie, but to me, it represented the perfect life. But through the years, Tondalaya was forgotten.
那是一部低成本的电影，但对我来说，它展现出了完美的生活。多年过去，我已经记不清彤达拉雅。
The week I turned 50, my marriage came to a sudden end. My house, furniture and everything I'd owned were sold to pay debts.
我满五十岁的那周，我的婚姻突然破裂了。我的房子、家具和每件财产都被卖了拿去还债。
In a week I had lost my husband and my home. I'd lost everything except my four teenage children.
一周之内，我失去了丈夫，没了家，没了一切，只有四个未成年的孩子。
I used every penny I had to buy five plane tickets from Missouri to Hawaii.
我把手里所有钱拿去买了五张机票，从密苏里州飞到夏威夷。
Everyone said I was crazy to think I could just run off to an island and survive. I was afraid they were right.
大家都说我疯了，才会想跑到一座岛上去生存。我很害怕被他们说中了。
I worked 18 hours a day and lost 30 pounds because I lived on two meals a day.
我每天工作十八个小时，瘦了将近三十磅，因为每天只吃两顿饭。
One night as I walked alone on the beach, I saw the red-orange lava（火山岩浆） pouring out of Kilauea Volcano in the distance. It was time to live my imagination!
一天晚上，我独自在沙滩上散步，看到远处的基洛阿火山喷涌出橙红色的岩浆。我开始漫无目的地想象。
The next day, I quit my job, bought some art supplies and began doing what I loved.
第二天我辞了工作，买了些画画的材料，开始做我爱的事。
I hadn't painted a picture in 15 years. I wondered if I could still paint. My hands trembled the first time I picked up a brush.
过去十五年里，我没画过一张画，不知道现在还能否画画。时隔多年再一次拿起画笔的时候，双手都在颤抖。
But before an hour had passed, I was lost in the colors spreading across the canvas（画布） in front of me.
但不到一个小时，我就沉迷于眼前画布上的色彩。
And as soon as I started believing in myself, other people started believing in me, too. The first painting sold for $1,500.
我一开始信任自己，其他人也开始信任我。我的第一副画卖了1500美元。
The past six years have been filled with adventures. My children and I have gone swimming with dolphins, watched whales and hiked around the crater（火山口） rim of the volcano.
过去六年里，我尝试了很多冒险，我和孩子们跟海豚一起游过泳，看过鲨鱼，爬过山，见过火山口。
We wake up every morning with the ocean in front of us and the volcano behind us. The dream I had more than 40 years is now reality.
每天清晨醒来就能看到面前的大海，身后的火山。四十多年的梦想终于成为了现实。
Remember, the story of your life isn't written in stone. It is never too late to start over your life.
记住，你的人生并非不可更改。任何时候你都可以重头再来。
我是阁香书院，如果你喜欢看我的英语文章，想看更多的英语文章的话，欢迎关注我，让我们一起学习英语，一起进步吧！
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