几个月后,我们就一起去告诉他的父亲,说我们要结婚了,婚礼就在文森特和他哥哥一起长大的这个村子里举行。他父亲经营了一家咖啡厅,独自含辛茹苦地把他们抚养成人。儿子们工作和生活都在城里,只有父亲还留在这个地方。他依旧守着这家店,一年到头都忙得不亦乐乎。夏天,会有很多游客慕名而来;冬天,村里的人更是蜂拥而至。不仅是因为他那优质的咖啡,同时还可以和他谈天说地。
那天,文森特把他从顾客中叫了出来,跟他说我们要结婚了。他低着头,沉默了许久,然后扬起脸点点头,但他深色的眼睛闪烁着光芒。我明白我们给他带来的快乐。
此刻我们走进咖啡店,这让我又想起了那个单纯快乐却已消逝的瞬间。他让我进屋,招呼我在壁炉前坐下,然后端来两杯热气腾腾的摩卡咖啡,并把奶油呈螺旋状倒在上面。
他望着炉火问道:“好长时间没见面了,你过得还好吗?”我明白他的话语中没有一丝责备,并没有怪我这么久都没来探望他。他是个非常率直、表里如一的人。这就是我要来看他,告诉他发生的事并希望他能谅解的原因所在。
他把外套穿上,然后我们一起出去散步。山上的雾正慢慢散去,但山顶仍是一片朦胧。我们东拉西扯地闲聊着,但我的内心在苦苦挣扎,紧张得以至于谈话也有些不自然。
一路上,我都在考虑该说些什么,如何说,但此刻怎么也开不了口。我们都沉默了。这时,我们走到了教堂旁边,我和文森特曾准备在这里举行婚礼。这座教堂很小,但对于这个小乡村来说已经足够了。入口处,仍有一些乳白色的玫瑰花尽情绽放着。
我问他:“您想进去吗?”他摇摇头,我的紧张一下子减轻了很多。他跟我说他不常来。“最初常去教堂,但现在不了。”
我们走着,穿过刷着白石灰的村舍和依然残留着几片树叶的古树。我们都在回忆着文森特,思念着他。
“从文森特看你的眼神中,我知道你就是他所爱的人。我为你们感到高兴。爱同时被爱,这已足够了。”
我紧紧地握住他的手。文森特由于骑车太快而意外身亡。他总是匆匆忙忙,忙得都来不及生活。我很想他。
此刻,我大声喊道:“我想他。”这也是说出真相的时候了。我要告诉文森特的父亲,说我已经找到另一个人了。
然而,精心准备的台词这时完全忘到了九霄云外,所有的话毫无逻辑地蹦了出来。我明白自己把事情的时间顺序弄乱了,因此不得不重新解释事情发生的是多么突然。尽管我们的友情已经持续了数月或是更久,但产生爱情真的不过是数周内的事。
“我不愿让你认为我是那种只为自己开心的寡妇。文森特过世还不到两年。我怕人们会觉得这太快了。”
他打断了我的话,并且很生气,很快地说出了下面一段话:
“不要担心别人怎么想。重要的是你心里的感觉。你的生活不能总被他人的看法所局限。一年、两年有什么关系呢?爱情这东西不是在你服丧五年后才可以订购的。只要你爱那个人,他也爱你,很自然的,你们就会在一起。”他长出了一口气,我也跟着长出了一口气。
我说:“还有……”当我说出我现在所爱的人正是他的长子,文森特的哥哥约瑟夫时,他本来没看着我,但听到这些后,他缓慢地转向我,脸上露出了灿烂的微笑,并张开双臂紧紧地拥抱了我。温和的清风在我们身边喃喃细语,仿佛在表达衷心的祝福。
心灵小语
坦诚地面对自己的心,坦诚地面对那些爱护你并为你所尊敬的人,只要他们理解你,支持你,那么其他人的看法,又有什么重要的呢?
记忆填空
1. Now that I’m here I am not so sure and think about turning____and leaving. I could put it off for another__ . Another day, another week ——what____would it make?
2. We talk about this and____but I’m struggling. There’s a____
in me that spills over into the conversation so it feels forced and unnatural.
3. You cannot have your life____by what other people think. One year, two years ——who__ ?____isn’t something you order after five years of mourning.
佳句翻译
1. 夏天,会有很多游客慕名而来;冬天,村里的人更是蜂拥而至。
译__________________________
2. 我明白自己把事情的时间顺序弄乱了,因此不得不重新解释事情发生的是多么突然。
译__________________________
3. 温和的清风在我们身边喃喃细语,仿佛在表达衷心的祝福。
译__________________________
短语应用
1. ...I needed to so that I have time to think and to find the right words.
so that:以便;以至于
造________________________
2. ...but gone and everything comes out in a rush...
come out:发表;发布
造________________________
汉诺威广场,不见不散
My Darling Wife
佚名 / Anonymous
Can it really be sixty-two years ago that I first saw you?
It is truly a lifetime, I know, but as I gaze into your eyes now, it seems like only yesterday that I first saw you, in that small cafe in Hanover Square.
From the moment I saw you smile, as you opened the door for that young mother and her newborn baby, I knew that I wanted to share the rest of my life with you.
I still think of how foolish I must have looked, as l gazed at you, that first time I remember watching you intently, as you took off your hat and loosely shook your short dark hair with your fingers I felt myself becoming immersed in your every detail, as you placed your hat on the table and cupped your hands around the hot cup of tea, gently blowing the steam away with your pouted lips.
From that moment, everything seemed to make perfect sense to me. The people in the cafe and the busy street outside all disappeared into a hazy blur. All I could see was you.
All through my life I have relived that very first day. Many, many times I have sat and thought about that the first day, and how for a few fleeting moments I am there, feeling again what is like to know true love for the very first time. It pleases me that I can still have those feelings now after all those years, and I know I will always have them to comfort me.
Not even as I shook and trembled uncontrollably in the trenches, did I forget your face. I would sit huddled into the wet mud, terrified, as the hails of bullets and mortars crashed down around me. I would clutch my rifle tightly to my heart, and think again of that very first day we met. I would cry out in fear, as the noise of war beat down around me. But, as I thought of you and saw you smiling back at me, everything around me would be silent, and I would be with you again for a few precious moments, far from the death and destruction.It would not be until I opened my eyes once again, that I would see and hear the carnage of the war around me.
I cannot tell you how strong my love for you was back then, when I returned to you on leave in the September, feeling battered, bruised and fragile. We held each other so tight I thought we would burst. I asked you to marry me the very same day and I whooped with joy when you looked deep into my eyes and said “yes” to being my bride.
I’ m looking at our wedding photo now, the one on our dressing table, next to your jewellery box. I think of how young and innocent we were back then. I remember being on the church steps grinning like a Cheshire cat, when you said how dashing and handsome I looked in my uniform. The photo is old and faded now, but when I look at it, I only see the bright vibrant colors of our youth.
I remember being so over-enjoyed,when a year later, you gently held my hand to your waist and whispered in my ear that we were going to be a family.
I know both our children love you dearly; they are outside the door now, waiting.
Do you remember, how I paniced like a mad man when Jonathon was born? I can still picture you laughing and smiling at me now, as I clumsily held him for the very first time in my arms. I watched as your laughter faded into tears, as I stared at him and cried my own tears of joy.
Sarah and Tom arrived this morning with little Tessie. Can you remember how we both hugged each other tightly when we saw our tiny granddaughter for the first time?
I know you are tired, my dear, and I must let you go. But I love you so much and it hurts to do so.
I must go now, my darling. Our children are waiting outside. They want to say goodbye to you.