When she returned to her room late that afternoon， on her chest was an expanse of billowing white bandage placed by a surgeon’s hands with a precision and delicacy she would have admired. I was reminded of the coverlet she had appliquéd for our children’s cradle when they were infants. The bandage looked gentle and protective—reassuring and not as harsh as I had expected.
Sitting beside her in a dimly lit room that smelled sharply of disinfectant， I realized that because my life was so intertwined with hers， I， too， was a patient. I felt depleted and wrecked as I stared blankly out the window at pink-gray clouds slowly traversing the afternoon sky.
It was almost 7p. m. before she stirred. I heard her moan， and moved to the edge of the bed. I lightly touched her lips with an ice chip from the pitcher on her bedside table， and brushed the gray-flecked hair across her sweaty brow.
“I love you， ”I said.
At these words， her eyes opened hesitantly. At first her gaze seemed confused and unfocused， but for an instant her eyes sharpened with recognition， and a gentle smile lifted the edges of her mouth.
“I love you too， ”she whispered， and then her eyelids shut. I was close to exhaustion and dislocated in time as I recalled the moment I first saw her. It was as if I was young again and the sun was resplendent in the morning sky. She is the one， I said once more in my mind’s voice. She is the one.
第一次见到她时，她正在校园的操场上漫步。我站在那里，目光追随着她的倩影，呆住了。她就是我的至爱，我对自己说。
那正是开学的第一天，我向同学问起她，他们说她已经有男朋友了，让我忘了她。
几个月后，听说她跟男朋友分手了。但是，至少过了半年后，我才向她提出约会的请求。我打电话到寝室找她，紧张得吐字不清，甚至把她的前后名字都说反了。“周六晚上请你吃晚饭，好吗？”提议完，我尴尬极了，害怕她会拒绝。“乐意之至。”她的声音听起来似乎很开心。
星期六，我去宿舍接她，她的美丽再次深深地打动了我。我在30里外的餐馆预订了晚餐。开车去那儿时，我却迷路了，在乡间小路上漫无目的地转了一个多小时后，我越来越焦躁，她却一直兴致高昂。她说，她读过这些乡村的历史，很高兴能来游玩。
我们最终没能找到那家餐馆，汽油快用完了。10点时，我们才吃了点汉堡和薯条，算是晚餐。她身着美丽的花裙，金黄的直发和姣好的面容，使她在当地孩子中间显得更加光彩照人。
回到学校后，我正要为晚上的一切道歉，但感觉到她用自己那温暖的手握住了我的手，然后迅速地在我脸上吻了一下，温柔地说道：“谢谢你让我度过一个快乐的夜晚，”我还没回过神来，她已消失在寝室里了。
我们之前曾有过多少这样的时刻啊——充满了包容、优雅与爱意，我几乎不敢相信。记得婚礼那天，在太平洋海滨，那个清新的星期天早晨，她挽着父亲的手步入教堂，我站在圣坛旁，向徐徐走来的她望去，她即将成为我妻；又或是我们的两个孩子出生，她经历了旁人无法体会的分娩痛楚后，脸上因欣喜而光彩四溢。
但是1993年10月15日，情形却完全不同。那天，在一个难眠之夜之后，我们早上5点钟就起床了。当手术刀即将划开你心上人的血肉肌肤时，你又怎能安然入眠呢？她吻了吻我们两个熟睡的孩子，但他们却没有醒来对她说“祝您好运”或者“我爱您，妈妈”。到了医院，签完一些文件后，我看她换上一件褪了色的棉袍和一双袜子，似乎手术室最大的伤害是寒冷。
她扑在我怀里哭着说不做手术。我握着她的手，注射器扎进她的手臂，泪水很快停住了，那原本清澈、机灵的双眼，现在却闭上了，看来起似乎充满了恐惧。
我痛苦而慌乱地与她吻别，然后，看着她穿过那道无情的门，被推进了手术室。我整天待在候诊室，用校对稿子来分散我的焦虑。
直到傍晚时，她才回到病房，胸前缠绕着一大片绷带，我想她一定会喜欢那个外科医生缠绕绷带时的细心与精巧的手艺。这使我想起我们的孩子还是婴儿的时候，她为他们的摇篮缝制床单。这些绷带看起来亲切又安全可靠——不像我想的那么粗糙。
灯光昏暗的房间里，充斥着强烈的消毒水的味道。坐在她旁边，我意识到我们的生命是如此的息息相关，以至于我此时也成了病人。我茫然地盯着窗外，只看到灰粉色的云彩掠过傍晚的天空，我感到心力交瘁。
差不多快7点时，她微微动了一下，听到她的呻吟，我移到床边。从桌子上的水罐里拿出一点冰片，轻轻碰触她的嘴唇，拂开她额前被汗水沁湿的灰白头发。
“我爱你。”我说。
听到这些话，她慢慢地睁开眼睛，起初，她的目光似乎有些迷茫，没有焦点，但很快，她的眼睛便变得透彻起来，她认出了我，嘴角浮现出一抹温柔的笑。
“我也爱你。”她呢喃道，眼睛又闭上了。此时的我几乎精疲力尽。回想起第一次见到她的情景，我仿佛又回到了年轻时代，回到了那个阳光灿烂的早上。她就是我的至爱。我再一次在心中对自己说道，她就是我的至爱。
心灵小语
寻寻觅觅，蓦然回首，那人却在灯火阑珊处。
记忆填空
1. I lost my____and drove aimlessly on rural roads for an hour as my exasperation mounted. She remained good-humored-happy， she said， to tour____whose histories she had____about.
2. Back at__ ， I was ready to apologize____the evening. But I felt her warm hand take mine， and then she quickly____my cheek. “Thank you for a wonderful__ ，” she said softly.
3. Sitting beside her in a dimly lit room that____sharply of disinfectant， I____that because my life was so intertwined with hers， I， too， was a__ .
佳句翻译
1. 我们之前曾有过多少这样的时刻啊——充满了包容、优雅与爱意，我几乎不敢相信。
译__________________________
2. 我仿佛又回到的年轻时代，回到了那个阳光灿烂的早上。
译__________________________
短语应用
1. I was reminded of the coverlet she had appliquéd for our children’s cradle when they were infants.
remind of：使(某人)想起……
造________________________
2. She’s the one， I said once more in my mind’s voice.
once more：再；又
造________________________
心 间
Among the Hearts
佚名 / Anonymous
He took in all the special sights while strolling through the mall；Hearts of every shape and size were hanging on the wall. He smiles and thinks the Christmas things are put away this year：the theme now is a valentine and that day now draws near.
He stands before the candy store amazed at what he sees：Hearts of every shape and size replaced the Christmas trees. He sees excitement on the faces of the people there； looking for that special thing for their loved ones to share.
He turns and sees a couple standing， locking arm in arm： In a jeweler’ s window pointing to a heart-shaped charm. He watehes as the young girl leans to give her man a kiss. He smiles and thinks “ah yes， young love” can there be more than this？
He sees an older couple now and once again he stops； peering in the window of one of the mall’ s card shops. Maybe in their 40’ s or at least he’ s sure midlife， with wedding rings so he assumes a husband and a wife.
He sees them looking through the cards and sharing what they say. And to himself he thinks that one time he had shopped that way. He watches as she grabs a card and reads the verse within， then shows her husband what it says and both begin to grin.
