不论以后的生活会怎样，？我只知道，我思念的心，永远地留在了这里，？这一刻思念的美丽，？已牢牢锁在我心中，并给我力量。
The Empty Box Filled Of Kiss装满吻的空盒
1。 Once upon a time， a man punished his 5-year-old daughter for using up the family’s only roll of expensive gold wrapping paper。 Money was tight， and he became even more upset when on Christmas Eve， he saw that the child had pasted the gold paper so as to decorate a shoebox to put under the Christmas tree。
2。 Nevertheless， the next morning the little girl， filled with excitement， brought the gift box to her father and said， “This is for you， Daddy！”
3。 As he opened the box， the father was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction。
4。 But when he opened it， he found it was empty and again his anger flared。 “Don’t you know， young lady，” he said harshly， “when you give someone a present there’s supposed to be something inside the package！”
5。 The little girl looked up at him with tears rolling from her eyes and said： “Daddy， it’s not empty。 I blew kisses into it until it was all full。”
6。 The father was crushed。 He fell on his knees and put his arms around his precious little girl。 He begged her to forgive him for his unnecessary anger。
7。 An accident took the life of the child only a short time later。 It is told that the father kept that little gold box by his bed for all the years of his life。 Whenever he was discouraged or faced difficult problems he would open the box， take out an imaginary kiss， and remember the love of this beautiful child who had put it there。
8。 In a very real sense， each of us as human beings have been given an invisible golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children， family， friends and God。
9。 There is no more precious possession anyone could hold。
1。 从前，一位父亲惩罚了自己5岁的女儿，因为她用光了家里仅有的一卷昂贵的金色包装纸。家中余钱无多，在圣诞前夜来临时，父亲变得更加心烦意乱，他看到了圣诞树下的一个鞋盒，女儿原来把金纸贴在了这个鞋盒上做装饰。
2。 然而，圣诞日的早上，小女孩满是兴奋得把这个圣诞礼盒呈到了父亲面前，说到：“爸爸，这个送给你！”
3。 在父亲打开礼盒时，他为自己先前的过度反应而局促不安着。
4。 但当他打开盒子后，发现里面是空的，他的怒火再次爆发了。“你不知道吗，小丫头，”他严厉地说，“当你送人礼物时，盒子里面应该是有东西的！”
5。 小女孩抬头看着气头上的父亲，泪水在她的眼眶中打圈：“爸爸，它不是空的。这里面装满了我的吻。”
6。 男人顿时被击垮了。他跪下双膝，双手环抱着自己珍爱的小女儿，祈求她的原谅。
7。 之后不久，一场事故夺走了小女孩的生命。据说，父亲便将那个小金盒子放在床头，一直陪伴着他的余生。无论何时他感到气馁或者遇到难办的事情，他就会打开礼盒，取出一个假想的吻，记起漂亮女儿给予了自己的特殊的爱。
8。 从一个非常真实的意义上说，我们每个人都被赠与过一个无形的金色礼盒，那里面装满了来自子女、家人、朋友及上帝无条件的爱与吻。
9。 人们所能拥有的最珍贵的礼物莫过于此了。
The Late Letter Of Love迟到的情书
1。 I was always a little in awe of Great-aunt Stephina。 Indeed， as children we were all frankly terrified of her。 The fact that she did not live with the family， preferring her tiny cottage and solitude to the comfortable but rather noisy household where we were brought up—added to the respectful fear in which she was held。
2。 We used to take it in turn to carry small delicacies which my mother had made down from the big house to the little cottage where Aunt Stephina and an old colored maid spent their days。 Old aunt Sanna would open the door to the rather frightened little messenger and would usher him or her into the dark living room， where the shutters were always closed to keep out the heat and the flies。 There we would wait， in trembling but not altogether unpleasant。
3。 She was a tiny little woman to inspire so much veneration。 She was always dressed in black， and her dark clothes melted into the shadows of the living room and made her look smaller than ever。 But you felt。 The moment she entered。 That something vital and strong and somehow indestructible had come in with her， although she moved slowly， and her voice was sweet and soft。
4。 She never embraced us。 She would greet us and take out hot little hands in her own beautiful cool one， with blue veins standing out on the back of it， as though the white skin were almost too delicate to contain them。
5。 Aunt Sanna would bring in dishes of sweet， sweet， sticky candy， or a great bowl of grapes or peaches， and Great-aunt Stephina would converse gravely about happenings on the farm， and， more rarely， of the outer world。
6。 When we had finished our sweetmeats or fruit she would accompany us to the step， bidding us thank our mother for her gift and sending quaint， old-fashioned messages to her and the Father。 Then she would turn and enter the house， closing the door behind， so that it became once more a place of mystery。
7。 As I grew older I found， rather to my surprise， that I had become genuinely fond of my aloof old great-aunt。 But to this day I do not know what strange impulse made me take George to see her and to tell her， before I had confided in another living soul， of our engagement。 To my astonishment， she was delighted。
8。 “An Englishman，” she exclaimed。 “But that is splendid， splendid。 And you，” she turned to George， “you are making your home in this country？ You do not intend to return to England just yet？”
9。 She seemed relieved when she heard that George had bought a farm near our own farm and intended to settle in South Africa。 She became quite animated， and chattered away to him。
10。 After that I would often slip away to the little cottage by the mealie lands。 Once she was somewhat disappointed on hearing that we had decided to wait for two years before getting married， but when she learned that my father and mother were both pleased with the match she seemed reassured。
11。 Still， she often appeared anxious about my love affair， and would ask questions that seemed to me strange， almost as though she feared that something would happen to destroy my romance。 But I was quite unprepared for her outburst when I mentioned that George thought of paying a lightning visit to England before we were married。 “He must not do it，” she cried。 “Ina， you must not let him go。 Promise me you will prevent him。” she was trembling all over。 I did what I could to console her， but she looked so tired and pale that I persuaded her to go to her room and rest， promising to return the next day。
12。 When I arrived I found her sitting on the step。 She looked lonely and pathetic， and for the first time I wondered why no man had ever taken her and looked after her and loved her。 Mother had told me that Great-aunt Stephan had been lovely as a young girl， and although no trace of that beauty remained， except perhaps in her brown eyes， yet she looked so small and appealing that any man， one felt， would have wanted to protect her。
13。 She paused， as though she did not quite know how to begin。
14。 Then she seemed to give herself， mentally， a little shake。 “You must have wondered”， she said， “Why I was so upset at the thought of young George’s going to England without you。 I am an old woman， and perhaps I have the silly fancies of the old， but I should like to tell you my own love story， and then you can decide whether it is wise for your man to leave you before you are married。”
15。 “I was quite a young girl when I first met Richard Weston。 He was an Englishman who boarded with the Van Rensburgs on the next farm， four or five miles from us。 Richard was not strong。 He had a weak chest， and the doctors had sent him to South Africa so that the dry air could cure him。 He taught the Van Rensburgs’ children， who were younger than I was， though we often played together， but he did this for pleasure and not because he needed money。
16。 “We loved one another from the first moment we met， though we did not speak of our love until the evening of my eighteenth birthday。 All our friends and relatives had come to my party， and in the evening we danced on the big old carpet which we had laid down in the barn。 Richard had come with the Van Rensburgs， and we danced together as often as we dared， which was not very often， for my father hated the Uitlanders。 Indeed， for a time he had quarreled with my neighbor Van Rensburg for allowing Richard to board with him， but afterwards he got used to the idea， and was always polite to the Englishman， though he never liked him。
17。 “That was the happiest birthday of my life， for while we were resting between dances Richard took me outside into the cool， moonlit night， and there， under the stars， he told me he loved me and asked me to marry him。 Of course I promised I would， for I was too happy to think of what my parents would say， or indeed of anything except Richard was not at our meeting place as he had arranged。 I was disappointed but not alarmed， for so many things could happen to either of us to prevent out keeping our tryst。 I thought that next time we visited the Van Ransburgs， I should hear what had kept him and we could plan further meetings…
18。 “So when my father asked if I would drive with him to Driefontein I was delighted。 But when we reached the homestead and were sitting on the step drinking our coffee， we heard that Richard had left quite suddenly and had gone back to England。 His father had died， and now he was the heir and must go back to look after his estates。
19。 “I do not remember very much more about that day， except that the sun seemed to have stopped shining and the country no longer looked beautiful and full of promise， but bleak and desolate as it sometimes does in winter or in times of drought。 Late that afternoon， Jantje， the little Hottentot herd boy， came up to me and handed me a letter， which he said the English baas had left for me。 It was the only love letter I ever received， but it turned all my bitterness and grief into a peacefulness which was the nearest I could get， then， to happiness。 I knew Richard still loved me， and somehow， as long as I had his letter， I felt that we could never be really parted， even if he were in England and I had to remain on the farm。 I have it yet， and though I am an old， tired woman， it still gives me hope and courage。”
20。 “It must have been a wonderful letter， Aunt Stephia，” I said。
21。 The old lady came back from her dreams of that far-off romance。 “Perhaps，” she said， hesitating a little， “perhaps， my dear， you would care to read it？”
22。 “I should love to， Aunt Stephia，” I said gently。
23。 She rose at once and tripped into the house as eagerly as a young girl。 When she came back she handed me a letter， faded and yellow with age， the edges of the envelope worn and frayed as though it had been much handled。 But when I came to open it I found that the seal was unbroken。
24。 “Open it， open it，” said Great-aunt Stephia， and her voice was shaking。
25。 I broke the seal and read。
26。 It was not a love letter in the true sense of the word， but pages of the minutest directions of how “my sweetest Phina” was to elude her father’s vigilance， creep down to the drift at night and there meet Jantje with a horse which would take her to Smitsdorp。 There she was to go to “my true friend， Henry Wilson”， who would give her money and make arrangements for her to follow her lover to Cape Town and from there to England， “where， my love， we can he be married at once。 But if， my dearest， you are not sure that you can face lift with me in a land strange to you， then do not take this important step， for I love you too much to wish you the smallest unhappiness。 If you do not come， and if I do not hear from you， then I shall know that you could never be happy so far from the people and the country which you love。 If， however， you feel you can keep your promise to me， but are of too timid and modest a journey to England unaccompanied， then write to me， and I will， by some means， return to fetch my bride。”
27。 I read no further。
28。 “But Aunt Phina！” I gasped。 “Why…why…？”
29。 The old lady was watching me with trembling eagerness， her face flushed and her eyes bright with expectation。 “Read it aloud， my dear，” she said。 “I want to hear every word of it。 There was never anyone I could trust…Uitlanders were hated in my young days…I could not ask anyone。”
30。 “But， Auntie， don’t you even know what he wrote？”
31。 The old lady looked down， troubled and shy like a child who has unwittingly done wrong。
32。 “No， dear，” she said， speaking very low。 “You see， I never learned to read。”
1。 我对斯蒂菲娜老姑总是怀着敬畏之情。说实在话，我们几个孩子对她都怕得要死。她不和家人一块生活，宁愿住在她的小屋子里，而不愿住在舒舒服服、热热闹闹的家里——我们六个孩子都是在家里带大的——这更加重了我们对她的敬畏之情。
2。 我们经常轮替着从我们住的大房子里带些母亲为她做的可口的食品到她和一名黑人女仆一块过活的那间小屋里去。桑娜老姨总是为每一个上门来的怯生生的小使者打开房门，将他或她领进昏暗的客厅。那里的百叶窗长年关闭着，以防热气和苍蝇进去。我们总是在那里哆哆嗦嗦，但又不是完全不高兴地等着斯蒂菲娜老姑出来。
3。 一个像她那样身材纤细的女人居然能赢得我们如此尊敬。她总是身穿黑色衣服，与客厅里的阴暗背景融成一体，将她的身材衬托得更加娇小。但她一进门，我们就感到有一种说不清道不明、充满活力和刚强的气氛，尽管她的步子慢悠悠、声调甜柔。
4。 她从不拥抱我们，但总是和我们寒暄，将我们热乎乎的小手握在她那双秀美清爽的手里。她的手背上露出一些青筋，就像手上白嫩的皮肤细薄得遮不住它们似的。
5。 桑娜阿姨每次都要端出几碟粘乎乎的南非糖果和一钵葡萄或桃子给我们吃。斯蒂菲娜老姑总是一本正经他说些农场里的事，偶尔也谈些外边世界发生的事。
6。 待我们吃完糖果或水果，她总要将我们送到屋前的门廊，叮嘱我们要多谢母亲给她送食品，要我们对父母亲转达一些稀奇古怪的老式祝愿，然后就转身回到屋里，随手关上门，使那里再次成为神秘世界。
7。 让我感到吃惊的是，随着我逐渐长大，我发现打心眼里喜欢起我那位孤伶伶的老姑姑来。至今我仍不知道那是一种什么样的奇异动力，使我在还没有透露给别人之前就把乔治领去看望姑姑，告诉她我们已经订婚的消息。不成想，听到这个消息以后，她竟非常高兴。
8。 “是英国人！”她惊讶地大声说道，“好极了。你，”她转向乔治，“你要在南非安家吗？你现在不打算回国吧？”
9。 当她听说乔治已经在我们农场附近购置了一片农场并打算定居下来时，好像松了一口气。她兴致勃勃地和乔治攀谈起来。
10。 从那以后，我常常到那所位于玉米地边的小屋。有一次，当斯蒂菲娜老姑听说我们决定再过两年结婚时，露出了失望的神色，但一听说我的父母亲都对这门亲事满意时，她又放宽了心。
11。 但她对我的婚姻大事还是经常挂在嘴边。她常常问一些怪怪的问题，几乎像担心我的婚事会告吹一样。当我提到乔治打算在婚前匆匆回一趟国时，她竟激动了起来。只见她浑身哆嗦着大声嚷道：“他不能回去！爱娜！你不能放他走，你得答应我不放他走！”我尽力安慰她，但她还是显得萎靡不振。我只得劝她回屋休息，并答应第二天再去看她。
12。 我第二天去看她时，她正坐在屋前的门廊上，流露出抑郁孤寂的神情。我第一次感到纳闷：以前怎么没有人娶她、照料和爱抚她呢？记得母亲曾经说过，斯蒂菲娜老姑以前曾是一个楚楚可爱的小姑娘。尽管除了她那褐色的眼睛尚能保留一点昔日的风韵之外，她的美貌早已荡然无存。但她看上去还是那样小巧玲珑、惹人爱怜，引起男人们的惜香怜玉之情。我走到她的跟前。她拍着身边的椅子，淡淡一笑。“坐下吧，亲爱的，”她说，“我有话要告诉你。”
13。 她欲言又止，好像不知道话从何说起似的。
14。 接着，她仿佛振作了起来。她说：“我听你说乔治要回国，又不带你走，心里非常不安。我这份心事你是不明白的。我是一个老婆子了，大概还怀着老人们的那颗痴心吧。不过，我想把自己的爱情故事讲给你听。这样你就能明白在你们结婚之前让你的未婚夫离开你，是不是一个明智之举。”
15。 “我第一次遇见理查德·威斯顿时还是一个年轻姑娘。他是一个英国人，寄宿在我家附近四、五英里一个农场上的范·伦斯堡家里。他身体不好，胸闷气短。医生让他去南非让干燥的气候治好他的病。他教伦斯堡的孩子们念书，他们都比我小，尽管我们经常在一块玩。理查德是以教书为乐，并不是为了赚钱。
16。 “我和理查德是一见钟情，尽管直到我18岁生日那天我们才表示彼此的爱慕之情。那天晚上的舞会上，我们的亲友都来了。我们在仓房里铺上一条宽大的旧毛毯，翩翩起舞。我和他壮起胆子频频起舞。但事实上，没有多少次，因为我的父亲很讨厌‘洋人’。有一次，他曾抱怨说伦斯堡先生不应该让理查德寄住在他的家里，为此还跟他吵过一场，他后来就习以为常了。虽谈不上喜欢，但对这个英国人以礼相待。
17。 “那是我一生中最快乐的一个生日，因为理查德在跳舞间歇将我领到外面清凉的月光中，在点点繁星之下对我倾诉爱慕之情，并向我求婚。我二话没说答应了他的要求，因为我早已心醉神迷，想不到父母亲会说什么。我的心中除了理查德和他的爱情，什么也顾不上了。从那以后，我们就尽可能多地见面，但往往是秘密进行。我们就这样度过了将近1年时间。后来有一天，在他安排的约会处，理查德爽约没有来。失望之际，我没有大惊小怪，因为我们俩谁碰到形形色色的事都可能使我们无法幽会。我想我们以后去范·伦斯堡家看望之时，我就会明白理查德未能赴约的原因，再安排以后的约会……
18。 “所以，当父亲问我是否愿意和他一块开车去德里方丹时，我就高兴地答应了。但待我们赶到范·伦斯堡家，坐在他们家屋前的门廊上喝咖啡时，却听说理查德已经不辞而别回英国去了。他的父亲死了，他是继承人，不得不回去料理遗产。
19。 “那天的事我记不大清楚了，只记得当时阳光惨淡，田野也失去了美丽的风采和欣欣向荣的景象，萧瑟凄凉得跟冬天或大旱时一样。那天傍晚，在我和父亲动身回家之前，霍但托特族的小牧童詹杰交给我一封信，他说是那位英国老爷留给我的。这可是我有生以来收到的唯一的情书！它将我的忧伤一扫而光，使我的心情变得平静——当时对我来说几乎类似幸福的平静。我知道理查德仍在爱着我。不知怎么回事，有了这封信，我便觉得我们不可能真正分开，哪怕他到了英国、我还留在南非的农场。这封信我至今仍保留着，尽管我已经年迈体衰，但它仍能带给我希望和勇气。”
20。 “斯蒂菲娜老姑，那封信一定美极了吧，”我说。
21。 老太太从她那久远的爱之梦中醒过神来。“也许，”她带着犹豫的神情说，“也许，亲爱的，你想看看那封信吧？”
22。 “我很想看，斯蒂菲娜老姑，”我轻声说。
23。 她猛地站起身，奔进屋里，急切得像个小姑娘。她从屋里出来后，递给我一封信。由于天长日久，那信已经褪色发黄，信封边已经磨损，好像曾被摩挲过好多次。但在取信时，我发现封口还没有拆开。
24。 “拆开，拆开吧！”斯蒂菲娜老姑声音颤抖地说。
25。 我撕开封口，开始念信。
26。 严格说来，它算不上是一封情书，实际上只是几页内容详尽的行动指南。信里称“我最亲爱的菲娜”该怎么摆脱她父亲的监视，夜里逃出家门，詹杰会在浅滩上牵马等着她，然后将她驮到史密斯多普，到了那里再去找理查德的“知心朋友亨利·威尔逊”，他会给她钱为她作好安排，使她能跟随她的情人到开普敦，随后转道英国。“亲爱的，这样我们就可以在英国结婚了。但是我的至爱，如果你不能保证你能在一个陌生的地方和我一块生活，你就不必采取这个重大行动，因为我太爱你了，不能让你感到丝毫不快。如果你不来，如果我听不到你的回信，我就会知道，如果你离开你挚爱的亲人和乡土，你是不会幸福的。但如果你能实践你对我的许诺而由于你生性持重胆怯不愿单身前往英国，就来信告诉我，那我就会设法回南非来迎接我的新娘。”
27。 我没有再念下去。
28。 “可是，菲娜老姑，”我气喘吁吁地说，“为什么……为什么……”
29。 老太太的身子由于渴望知道信的内容而颤抖，她的眼睛炯炯有神地凝视着我，脸庞因急切的期待一片绯红。“亲爱的，大声念吧！”她说，“信里的一字一句，我都要听！当时我找不到可靠的人给我念……我年轻时，‘洋人’是被人深恶痛绝的……我找不到人给我念啊！”
30。 “可是老姑，难道你一直不知道信里的事吗？”
31。 老太太低头俯视着，像一个无心做错事的孩子一样怯生生的，不知说什么才好。
32。 “不知道，亲爱的，”她用低沉的声调说，“你知道，我从来没有念过书啊！”
Love Is The Strength Which Act In Our Hearts爱是活跃于人心中的力量
1。 On Christmas Day， all the joys of close family relationships were seen and felt throughout our parents’ home。 The smells of roasted turkey， southern baked ham and homemade bread hung in the air。 Tables and chairs were set up everywhere to accommodate toddlers， teenagers， parents and grandparents。 Every room was lavishly decorated。 No family member had ever missed Christmas Day with our mother and father。
2。 Only this year， things were different。 Our father had passed away November 26， and this was our first Christmas without him。 Mother was doing her best to be the gracious hostess， but I could tell this was especially hard for her。 I felt a catch in my throat， and again I wondered if I should give her my planned Christmas gift， or if it had become inappropriate in my father’s absence。
3。 A few months earlier I had been putting the finishing touches on portraits I had painted of each of my parents。 I’d planned to give them as Christmas gifts。 This would be a surprise for everyone， as I had not studied art or tried serious painting。 There was an undeniable urge within that pushed me relentlessly to do this。 The portraits did look like them， but I was still unsure of my painting techniques。
4。 While painting one day， I was surprised by a doorbell ring。 Quickly putting all my painting materials out of sight， I opened the door。 To my astonishment， my father ambled in alone never before having visited me without my mother。 Grinning， he said， “I’ve missed our early morning talks。 You know the ones we had before you decided to leave me for another man！” I hadn’t been married long。 Also， I was the only girl and the baby of the family。
5。 Immediately I wanted to show him the paintings， but I was reluctant to ruin his Christmas surprise。 Yet something urged me to share this moment with him。 After swearing him to secrecy， I insisted he keep his eyes closed until I had the portraits set on easels。 “Okay， Daddy。 Now you can look！”
6。 He appeared dazed but said nothing。 Getting up， he walked closer to inspect them。 Then he withdrew to eye them at a distance。 I tried to control my stomach flip flops。 Finally， with a tear escaping down one cheek， he mumbled， “I don’t believe it。 The eyes are so real that they follow you everywhere and look how beautiful your mother is。 Will you let me have them framed？”
7。 Thrilled with his response， I happily volunteered to drop them off the next day at the frame shop。
8。 Several weeks passed。 Then one night in November the phone rang， and a cold chill numbed my body。 I picked up the receiver to hear my husband， a doctor， say， “I’m in the emergency room。 Your father has had a stroke。 It’s bad， but he is still alive。”
9。 Daddy lingered in a coma for several days。 I went to see him in the hospital the day before he died。 I slipped my hand in his and asked， “Do you know who I am， Daddy？” He surprised everyone when he whispered， “You’re my darling daughter。” He died the next day， and it seemed all joy was drained from the lives of my mother and me。
10。 I finally remembered to call about the portrait framing and thanked God my father had gotten a chance to see the pictures before he died。 I was surprised when the shopkeeper told me my father had visited the shop， paid for the framing and had them gift wrapped。 In all our grief， I had no longer planned to give the portraits to my mother。
11。 Even though we lost the patriarch of our family， everyone was assembled on Christmas Day making an effort to be cheerful。 As I looked into my mother’s sad eyes and unsmiling face， I decided to give her daddy’s and my gift。 As she stripped the paper from the box， I saw her heart wasn’t in it。 There was a small card inside attached to the pictures。
12。 After looking at the portraits and reading the card， her entire demeanor changed。 She bounced out of her chair， handed the card to me and commissioned my brothers to hang the paintings facing each other over the fireplace。 She stepped back and looked for a long while。 With sparkling， tear filled eyes and a wide smile； she quickly turned and said， “I knew Daddy would be with us on Christmas Day！”
13。 I glanced at the gift card scrawled in my father’s handwriting。 “Mother—Our daughter reminded me why I am so blessed。 I’ll be looking at you always—Daddy。”
1。 圣 诞 节 的 那 天 ， 父 母 的 家 中 满 溢 着 一 大 家 子 的 欢 乐 之 情 。 烤 火 鸡 、 南 部 烘 火 腿 和 晾 挂 的 家 制 面 包 喷 香 四 溢 。 桌 椅 被 孩 子 、 年 轻 人 、 父 母 和 祖 父 母 们 四 处 安 置 。 每 个 房 间 都 装 饰 得 异 常 华 丽 。 家 中 无 人 不 怀 念 与 父 母 共 度 的 圣 诞 节 。
2。 惟 独 今 年 有 所 不 同 。 我 们 的 父 亲 在 11月 26日 过 世 了 ， 这 是 我 们 第 一 次 没 有 与他 共 度 圣 诞 。 母 亲 竭 力 扮 演 亲 切 的 女 主 人 ， 可 我 看 得 出 这 对 她 尤 其 困 难 。 我 感 到 喉 咙 给 堵 着 了 ， 我 再 一 次 考 虑 该 不 该 把 我 原 来 准 备 好 的 圣 诞 礼 物 送 给 她 ， 也 许 在 没 有 父 亲 的 情 况 下 这 么 做 不 是 恰 当 之 举 。
3。 数 月 前 ， 我 给 双 亲 各 自 画 了 一 幅 肖 像 ， 给 它 们 添 上 几 笔 润 色 ， 打 算 作 为 圣 诞 礼 物 送 给 他 们 。 每 个 人 都 将 会 大 吃 一 惊 ， 因 为 我 没 有 学 过 美 术 ， 也 没 有 认 真 地 学 过 画 。 是 内 心 一 股 无 法 遏 制 的 冲 动 让 我 不 停 地 去 画 。 肖 像 酷 似 他 们 ， 但 我 依 然 对 自 己 的 画 技 没 有 把 握 。
4。 一 天 正 在 作 画 的 时 候 ， 门 铃 声 把 我 吓 了 一 跳 。 我 迅 速 将 画 画 的 材 料 收 藏 妥 当 ， 开 了 门 。 令 我 大 为 吃 惊 的 是 ， 父 亲 一 个 人 慢 慢 地 走 了 进 来 ——以 前 没 有 妈 妈 陪 同 他 从 没 登 门 拜 访 过 。 他 笑 着 说 ： “我 真 怀 念 我 们 以 前 在 清 晨 的 谈 话 。 你 知 道 ， 是 在 你 决 定 离 开 我 到 另 一 个 男 人 身 边 之 前 ！”我 才 新 婚 不 久 ，而 且 我 是 家 中 惟 一 的 女 孩 。
5。 我 立 即 想 让 他 看 看 肖 像 ， 又 不 愿 破 坏 他 的 圣 诞 惊 喜 。 但 有 股 力 量 促 使 我 要 和 他 共 享 此 刻 。 他 发 誓 会 保 密 后 ， 我 坚 持 让 他 先 闭 上 眼 睛 ， 然 后 把 肖 像 摆 到 画 架 上 。 “好 了 ， 爸 爸 。 现 在 你 可 以 看 了 ！”
6。 他 目 瞪 口 呆 ， 什 么 话 也 说 不 出 来 。 缓 过 来 后 ， 他 走 近 一 些 仔 细 端 详 ，接 着 后 退 一 些 从 远 处 凝 望 。 我 尽 量 控 制 着 砰 砰 的 心 跳 。 父 亲 的 眼 泪 滴 在 脸 颊 上 ， 他 终 于 喃 喃 地 说 道 ： “真 是 难 以 置 信 ！这 双 眼 睛 是 那 么 的 栩 栩 如 生 ， 无 论 你 走 到 哪 儿 它 们 都 追 随 着 你 ——看 你 妈 妈 有 多 美 。 我 给 它 们 配 个 框 好 吗 ？”
7。 他 的 反 应 让 我 激 动 万 分 ， 我 兴 高 采 烈 ， 并 且 自 告 奋 勇 第 二 天 就 拿 去 装 框 。
8。 几 个 星 过 去 了 。 11月 的 一 天 ， 电 话 铃 响 了 ， 一 股 寒 意 冻 得 我 发 僵 。 我 拿 起 话 筒 ， 听 到 我 当 医 生 的 丈 夫 说 ： “ 我 在 急 诊 室 。 你 爸 爸 中 风 了 ， 情 况 很 糟 ， 不 过 他 还 活 着 。 ”
9。 爸 爸 昏 迷 了 数 日 。 在 他 逝 世 的 前 一 天 ， 我 到 医 院 去 看 他 。 我 把 手 放 在 他 掌 心 上 问 道 ： “你 知 道 我 是 谁 吗 ， 爸 爸 ？”令 所 有 人 都 感 到 惊 讶 的 是 ， 他 低 声 轻 语 道 ：“ 你 是 我 的 乖 女 儿 。 ” 第 二 天 他 溘 然 离 世 ， 所 有 的 欢 乐 在 妈 妈 和 我 的 生 命 中 似 乎 都 随 之 而 去 了 。
10。 最 终 我 记 起 了 给 画 装 框 的 事 ， 谢 天 谢 地 ， 让 父 亲 在 离 世 前 看 到 了 这 些 画 。 令 我 惊 讶 的 是 ， 店 主 对 我 说 父 亲 来 过 商 店 ， 交 了 装 框 的 钱 ， 还 把 它 们 包 了 装 。 由 于 沉 浸 在 悲 痛 中 ， 我 再 没 想 过 把 画 送 给 母 亲 。
11。 尽 管 失 去 了 一 家 之 主 ， 圣 诞 节 那 天 所 有 的 人 还 是 到 齐 了——努 力 使 气 氛 轻 快 起 来 。 当 我 看 到 妈 妈 悲 伤 的 双 眼 和 挤 不 出 笑 容 的 面 孔 时 ， 便 决 定 把 爸 爸 和 我 的 礼 物 送 给 她 。 我 看 得 出 ， 她 从 盒 子 里 拿 出 礼 物 拆 去 包 装 时 心 不 在 焉 。 在 画 像 上 附 有 一 张 小 卡 片 。
12。 看 了 肖 像 和 卡 片 之 后 ， 她 的 态 度 整 个 儿 变 了 。 她 从 椅 子 上 蹦 起 来 ， 把 卡 片 递 给 我 看 ， 让 我 的 兄 弟 把 画 面 对 面 地 挂 到 壁 炉 上 方 。她 向 后 退 了 几 步 ， 看 了 好 长 一 会 ，然 后 她 迅 速 转 过 身 来 ， 眼 睛 亮 闪 闪 的 ， 她 泪 水 盈 眶 而 又 笑 容 灿 烂 地 说 道 ： “我 就 知 道 圣 诞 节 爸 爸 会 和 我 们 在 一 起 的 ！”
13。 我 看 着 礼 品 卡 上 爸 爸 的 手 迹 。 “妈 妈 ——女 儿 提 醒 了 我 是 多 么 有 福 气 。 我 将 永 远 凝 视 着 你 ——爸 爸 。 ”
The Missed Blessings 错过的祝福
1。 A young man was getting ready to graduate from college。 For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer’s showroom， and knowing his father could well afford it， he told him that was all he wanted。？？
2。 As Graduation Day approached， the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car。 Finally， on the morning of his graduation， his father called him into his private study。 His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son， and told him how much he loved him。 He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box。 Curious， but somewhat disappointed， the young man opened the box and found a lovely leather-bound Bible， with the young man’s name embossed in gold。 Angrily， he raised his voice to his father and said， “With all your money you give me a Bible？” He then stormed out of the house， leaving the Bible。
3。 Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business。 He had a beautiful home and a wonderful family， but realizing his father was very old， he thought perhaps he should go to see him。 He had not seen him since that graduation day。 Before he could make the arrangements， he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away， and willed all of his possessions to his son。 He needed to come home immediately and take care of things。
4。 When he arrived at his father’s house， sudden sadness and regret filled his heart。 He began to search through his father’s important papers and saw the still new Bible， just as he had left it years ago。 With tears， he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages。 As he was reading， a car key dropped from the back of the Bible。 It had a tag with the dealer’s name， the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired。 On the tag was the date of his graduation， and the words…… “PAID IN FULL”。
5。 How many times do we miss blessings because they are not packaged as we expected？ Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not； but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for。？？
6。 Sometimes we don’t realize the good fortune we have or we could have because we expect “the packaging” to be different。 What may appear as bad fortune may in fact be the door that is just waiting to be opened。
1。 从前，有位年轻人即将大学生毕业。数月来，他一直渴望得到某汽车商产品陈列室中的一辆跑车。他知道，他那富有的父亲肯定买得起这辆车，于是，他便跟父亲说他很想得到那辆漂亮的跑车。
2。 在毕业典礼即将来临的日子里，年轻人等待着父亲买下跑车的消息。终于，在毕业典礼那天上午，父亲将他叫到自己的书房，并告诉他，有他这么出色的儿子自己感到非常自豪而且非常爱他这个儿子。接着，父亲递给儿子一个包装精美的礼品盒。年轻人感到好奇，但带着些许失望地打开礼品盒，却发现里面是一本精美的精装本《圣经》，上面以金子凸印着年轻人的名字。看罢，年轻人怒气冲冲地向父亲大喊道：“你有那么多钱，却只给我一本《圣经》？”说完，便丢下《圣经》，愤怒地冲出房子。
3。 多年以后，年轻人已事业有成。他拥有一所漂亮的房子，一个温馨的家庭。但当得知父亲年事已高，他想，或许应该去看看他。自从毕业那天起他就一直不见父亲。就在起程时，他收到一封电报——父亲已逝世，并已立下遗嘱将其所有财产转给儿子。他要立即回父亲家处理后事。
4。 在父亲的房子里，他突然内心感到一阵悲伤与懊悔。他开始仔细搜寻父亲的重要文件，突然发现了那本《圣经》——还跟几年前一样崭新。他噙着泪水打开《圣经》并一页一页地阅读着。忽然，从书的背面掉出一把钥匙。钥匙上挂着一个标签，上面写着一个汽车经销商的名字——正是他曾渴望的那辆跑车的经销商。标签上还有他的毕业日期及“款已付清”的字样。
5。 我们多少次与祝福擦肩而过，仅仅因为他们没有按我们想象中的样子包装好？不要在渴望得到没有的东西时损坏你已经拥有的东西；要记住一点：你现在所拥有的恰恰正是你曾经一心渴望得到的。
6。 有时，我们并没有意识到我们已经拥有或本该拥有的好运，仅仅因为它的外表与我们想象中的有所不同。其实，表面上看起来像是坏运气的东西或许正是等待开启的幸运之门。
Love Is Too Short While Forgotten Is Too Long爱情太短，遗忘太长
1。 Tonight I can write the saddest lines。
2。 Write， for example， “the night is starry
3。 and the stars are blue and shiver in the distance。”
4。 The night wind revolves in the sky and sings。
5。 Tonight I can write the saddest lines。
6。 I loved her， and sometimes she loved me too。
7。 Through nights like this one I held her in my arms。
8。 I kissed her again and again under the endless sky。
9。 She loved me， sometimes I loved her too。
10。 How could one not have loved her great still eyes？
11。 Tonight I can write the saddest lines。
12。 To think that I do not have her。
13。 To feel that I have lost her。
14。 To hear the immense night， still more immense without her。
15。 And the verse falls to the soul like dew to the pasture。
16。 What does it matter that my love could not keep her，
17。 The night is starry and she is not with me。
18。 This is all。
19。 In the distance someone is singing。 In the distance。
20。 My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her。
21。 My sight tries to find her as though to bring her closer。
22。 My heart looks for her， and she is not with me。
23。 The same night whitening the same trees。
24。 We， of that time， are no longer the same。
25。 I no longer love her， that’s certain， but how I loved her。
26。 My voice tried to find the wind to touch her hearing。
27。 Another’s。 She will be another’s。 As she was before my kisses。
28。 Her voice， her bright body。 Her infinite eyes。
29。 I no longer love her， that’s certain， but maybe I love her。
30。 Love is so short， forgetting is so long。
31。 Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms。
32。 My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her。
33。 Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer
34。 and these the last verses that I write for her。
1。 今夜我可以写下最哀伤的诗句。
2。 写，譬如， “夜镶满群星，
3。 而星星遥远地发出蓝光并且颤抖。”
4。 夜风在天空中回旋并低唱。
5。 今夜我可以写下最哀伤的诗句。
6。 我爱她，而且有时她也爱我。
7。 如同今晚的夜，我曾拥她入怀，
8。 在无尽的天空下一遍又一遍地吻她。
9。 她爱我，有时我也爱她。
10。 怎会不爱上她那沉静的双眼？
11。 今夜我可以写下最哀伤的诗句。
12。 去想我并不拥用她，
13。 感觉我已失去她。
14。 去聆听广阔的夜，因没有她而更加广阔。
15。 诗句坠入我的灵魂，如同露水落在牧草上。
16。 我的爱若不能拥有她又会怎样？
17。 群星满夜，而她不在我身边。
18。 这就是一切了。
19。 远处有人在唱着歌。那么远。
20。 我的空虚是因为没有她。
21。 我的目光搜寻她，想要把她拉近；
22。 我的心寻找她，而她并没有和我在一起。
23。 相同的夜让相同的树木泛白。
24。 彼时，我们也不再相似如初。
25。 我不再爱她，这是确定的，但我曾多爱她。
26。 我的声音试着循风来抚摸她的听觉。
27。 别人的。她将会是别人的。如同她曾接受的我的千吻。
28。 她的声音，她洁白的身体，她无尽的双眼，
29。 我不再爱她，这是确定的，但也许我还爱她。
30。 爱情太短，遗忘太长。
31。 借着如同今晚的夜，我曾拥她入怀。
32。 我的灵魂因失去了她而失落。
33。 这是她最后一次让我承受的伤痛；
34。 而这些，便是我为她而写的最后的诗句。
Call With The Love让爱相随
1。 In the unconscious
2。 We had already mutually known to mutually love so many days
3。 You are always get around
4。 But， I am continuously making track for
5。 Ignore is which voice
6。 We all can
7。 Diligently listen to
8。 Probably
9。 In boundless person’s nautical mile
10。 We all can’t go before hold hands
11。 I still want to make great effort
12。 Make great effort of let you of the breathing stay in my heart bottom
13。 Don’t let to remember fondly to become a kind of disease
1。 在不知不觉间
2。 我们已经相知相恋了这么多的日子
3。 你总是在回避
4。 而我却在不断地追寻
5。 不管是哪一个声音
6。 我们都可以
7。 用心倾听
8。 或许
9。 在茫茫人海里
10。 我们都不能携手前行
11。 我还是要努力
12。 努力地让你的气息留在我的心底
13。 不要让思念成为一种病
Go Home 回家
1。 They say you can never go home again。
2。 Well， you can。 Only you might find yourself staying at a Travel Lodge， driving a rented Ford Contour and staking out your childhood home like some noir private eye just trying to catch a glimpse of the Johnny-come-lately that are now living in your house。
3。 It’s a familiar story。 Kids grow up； parents sell the family home and move to some sunnier climate， some condo somewhere， and some smaller abode。 We grown up kids’ box up all the junk from our childhood’s dusty ballet shoes， high school text books， rolled up posters of Adam Ant and wonder where home went。
4。 I’m not a sentimental person， I told myself。 I don’t need to see old 3922 26th Street before we sell the place。 I even skipped the part where I return home to salvage my mementos from the garage。 I let my parents’ box up the stuff which arrived from San Francisco like the little package you get when released from jail。 You know， here’s your watch， the outfit you wore in here， some cash。 Here’s the person you once were。
5。 After a year， San Francisco called me home again。 I missed it。 High rents had driven all my friends out of the city to the suburbs so I made myself a reservation at a motel and drove there in a rented car。
6。 The next day， I cruised over to my old neighborhood。 There was the little corner store my mom used to send me to for milk， the familiar fire station， the Laundromat。
7。 I cried like the sap I never thought I’d be。 I sat in the car， staring at my old house， tears welling up。 It had a fresh paint job， the gang graffiti erased from the garage door。 New curtains hung in the window。
8。 I walked up and touched the doorknob like it was the cheek of a lover just home from war。 I noticed the darker paint where our old mezuzah used to be。 I sat on our scratchy brick stoop， dangling my legs off the edge， feeling as rootless as I’ve ever felt。
9。 You can’t go home in a lot of ways， I discovered that night， when I met up with an ex-boyfriend。
10。 “Great to see you，” he said， giving me a tense hug。 “The thing is that I only have an hour。”
11。 What am I， the LensCrafters of social engagements？
12。 As it happens， his new girlfriend wasn’t too keen on my homecoming。 We had a quick drink and he dropped me back off at my motel where I scrounged up my change to buy some Whoppers from the vending machine for dinner。 I settled in for the evening to watch “Three to Tango” on HBO。
13。 “You had to watch a movie with a Friends’ cast member，” said my brother， nodding empathetically。 “That’s sad。”
14。 My brother and I met up at our old house， like homing pigeons。 We walked down the street for some coffee and I filled him in on my trip。 He convinced me to stay my last night at his new place in San Bruno， just outside the city。 I’ll gladly pay $98 a night just for the privilege of not inconveniencing anyone， but he actually seemed to want me。
15。 “I love having guests，” he insisted。 So I went。
16。 It’s surprising how late in life you still get that “I can’t believe I’m a grown-up feeling”， like when your big brother， the guy who used to force you to watch “Gomer Pyle” reruns， and owns his own place。 It was small and sparse and he had just moved in but it was his。 The refrigerator had nothing but mustard， a few cheese slices and fourteen cans of Diet 7-Up。
17。 We picked up some Taco Bell， rented a movie， popped some popcorn and I fell asleep on his couch。
18。 Insomniacs rarely fall asleep on people’s couches， I assure you。 I don’t know why I slept so well after agonizing all weekend over the question of home， if I had one anymore， where it was。 I only know that curled up under an old sleeping bag， the sound of some second-rate guy movie playing in the background， my brother in a chair next to me， I felt safe and comfortable and maybe that’s part of what home is。
19。 But it’s not the whole story。 As much as I’d like to buy the click about home being where the heart is， or as Robert Frost put it， “The place where when you have to go there， they have to take you in，” a part of me thinks the truth is somewhere between the loftiness of all those platitudes and the concreteness of that wooden door on 26th street。
20。 I’ll probably be casing that joint from time to time for the rest of my life。 I’ll sit outside， like a child watching someone take away a favorite toy， and silently scream， “MINE”！
1。 人们都说你是再也回不了你的家了。
2。 其实你是可以的。这样的话，你会发现自己将会住进寒酸的汽车旅馆里面，开着租来的廉价福特康拓车，在你童年的家门口久久地徘徊，就像黑色电影里的私家侦探一样，你总想窥探那些占了你“巢穴”的到底是些什么样的人。
3。 这样的故事让你觉得似曾相识。孩子长大了，父母们便要把老家卖掉，搬到气候更宜人的地方去，住公寓或更小的房子。而我们这些已经长大成人的孩子，将所有童年时期的破烂玩意儿打包收拾好，包括已经尘封了的芭蕾舞鞋、高中时期的课本和已经卷好的歌手亚当·恩特的海报，可当我们收拾好之后，才惊奇地发现家不见了！
4。 我对自己说，我并不是个多愁善感的人。我们老家，26街3922号，卖掉之前我并没有要去多看一眼的冲动，甚至没有亲自回老家打捞车库里的那些纪念品，而是让父母帮我打包后从旧金山寄了过来。收到那包裹的时候感觉就像出狱一样。这是你的手表，这是你在这穿过的，这里还有些现金……你可以从这包东西看到自己的过去。
5。 搬家一年后，出于对家乡的想念，我回了趟旧金山。当时因为房租太高，朋友们都搬到市郊去住了。我无处可投，便向当地一家汽车旅馆订了个房，租了辆车开了去。
6。 第二天我便到处去走访那些老街坊。我旧地重游了街道拐角的那家迷你便利店，当年妈妈经常打发我去那里买牛奶，还有那熟悉的消防局和洗衣店……
7。 我坐在车里，直直地盯着老家看。此时的我，哭得像个傻瓜一样，我从来没有想过自己会哭得那么凶。此刻的老屋，里里外外都被重新粉刷了一遍，车库门上的涂鸦作品也被抹去，窗上还挂起了新窗帘。
8。 我走到门前，轻轻地触摸了门把手，就像轻抚从战场归来的爱人的脸一样。门上那块颜色黯淡的漆，正是我们以前贴平安符的地方呀！我在砖面粗糙的门廊上坐下，双脚悬荡着，一种前所未有的无根感涌上心头。
9。 是啊！有很多时候你是回不了家的。那天晚上我和前男友的碰面，使我终于明白了这一点。
10。 “见到你真是太好了，”他见面就说，然后紧紧地拥抱了我，“可我有事，我只有一个小时的时间。”他接着说。
11。 他把我当什么了？听起来像是一小时快速配眼镜一样！
12。 可想而知的是，他的新女友并不怎么欢迎我的突如其来。我们随便喝了点东西，然后他就把我送回了旅馆。我凑了点零钱，找个自动贩卖机买了些汉堡包，晚餐就这么打发了。晚上将就着在旅馆里看了电影台播放的《三人探戈》。
13。 “你应该看一部由《老友记》那帮演员演的一部片子，”电话那边哥哥同情地劝我说，“你现在看的那部太悲了。”
14。 我和哥哥在老屋门口见了面，就像两只归家的鸽子。我们沿着街道找了家咖啡店，我把这几天发生的事情告诉了他。哥哥说最后一天就到他新家去住吧，就在市郊的圣布鲁诺城。其实我很乐意付98美金一晚住旅馆，只要能不麻烦别人，但哥哥似乎真的很想我过去住。
15。 “我喜欢家里有客人来住！”哥哥坚持说。于是我就跟着去了。
16。 很奇怪为什么人们总是不愿意承认自己已经长大了。看看我哥，我还记得他以前一遍一遍地强迫我看那部老掉牙的电影《傻子格麦派》，而现在他居然有了他自己的房子。哥哥刚搬来不久，地方不大，摆设也少，但却是他自己的家。冰箱里面的东西很少，有几根芥菜、几片芝士切片，还有十四罐健怡七喜。
17。 我们在一家墨西哥速食店买了些食物，再去租了部电影，啃了点爆米花。后来我就在哥哥的沙发椅上睡着了。
18。 我敢保证，常失眠的人是很难在别人家的沙发上睡着的。可是不知道为什么这次我却睡得很好，尽管我整个周末都在苦苦思考一个问题：如果我有家的话，那么我的家到底在哪里？我只知道，当我蜷缩在破破的睡袋里头，哥哥坐在椅子上看着蹩脚演员主演的电影，就在我的身旁，我会觉得既安全又舒适，或许家的一部分就应该是这样的。
19。 但这些并不是全部。我可以相信诸如“家就在心中”这样的老话，也欣赏诗人罗伯特·莱特所说的：“家就是当你想去，人家就得让你进去的地方。”但同时我也坚信，真正的家既可以如陈词滥调所形容的那般飘渺，也可以跟26街那扇木门一样的坚实。
20。 在以后的日子里，我可能还会不止一次地回到老屋门前徘徊。我会坐在屋子外面，像个小孩看到有人拿走了他心爱的玩具那样，默默地在心底大喊：“那是我的！”
A Walk In The Woods 林中漫步
1。 I was puzzled！ Why was this old woman making such a fuss about an old copse which was of no use to anybody？ She had written letters to the local paper， even to a national， protesting about a projected by-pass to her village， and， looking at a map， the route was nowhere near where she lived and it wasn’t as if the area was attractive。 I was more than puzzled， I was intrigued。
2。 The enquiry into the route of the new by-pass to the village was due to take place shortly， and I wanted to know what it was that motivated her。 So it was that I found myself knocking on a cottage door， being received by Mary Smith and then being taken for a walk to the woods。
3。 “I’ve always loved this place”， she said， “It has a lot of memories for me， and for others。 We all used it。 They called it ‘Lovers lane’。 It’s not much of a lane， and it doesn’t go anywhere important， but that’s why we all came here。 To be away from people， to be by ourselves” she added。
4。 It was indeed pleasant that day and the songs of many birds could be heard。 Squirrels gazed from the branches， quite bold in their movements， obviously few people passed this way and they had nothing to fear。 I could imagine the noise of vehicles passing through these peaceful woods when the by-pass was built， so I felt that she probably had something there but as I hold strong opinions about the needs of the community over-riding the opinions of private individuals， I said nothing。 The village was quite a dangerous place because of the traffic especially for old people and children， their safety was more important to me than an old woman’s whims。
5。 “Take this tree”， she said pausing after a short while。 “To you it is just that， a tree。 Not unlike many others here”。 She gently touched the bark。 “Look here， under this branch， what can you see？”
6。 “It looks as if someone has done a bit of carving with a knife” I said after a cursory inspection。
7。 “Yes， that’s what it is！” she said softly。 “There are letters and a lover’s heart”。
8。 I looked again， this time more carefully。 The heart was still there and there was a suggestion of an arrow through it。 The letters on one side were indistinct， but on the other an ‘R’ was clearly visible with what looked like an ‘I’ after it。 “Some budding romance？” I asked， “Did you know who they were？”
9。 “Oh yes， I knew them”， said Mary Smith， “it says RH loves MS”。
10。 I realized that I could be getting out of my depth， and longed to be in my office， away from here and this old lady， snug， and with a mug of tea in my hand。
11。 She went on， “He had a penknife with a spike for getting stones from a horse’s hoof， and I helped him to carve my initials。 We were very much in love， but he was going away， and could not tell me what he was involved in the army。 I had guessed of course。 It was the last evening we ever spent together，because he went away the next day， back to his Unit。 ”
12。 Mary Smith was quiet for a while， and then she sobbed。 “His mother showed me the telegram。 ‘Sergeant R Holmes… Killed in action in the invasion of France’”。
13。 “‘I had hoped that you and Robin would one day get married’ she said， ‘He was my only child， and I would have loved to be a Granny。 They would have been such lovely babies’。 She was like that！ ”
14。 “Two years later she too was dead。 ‘Pneumonia， following a chill on the chest’ was what the doctor said， but I think it was an old fashioned broken heart。 A child would have helped both of us。”
15。 There was a further pause。 Mary Smith gently caressed the wounded tree， just as she would have caressed him。 “And now they want to take our tree away from me。” Another quiet sob， then she turned to me。 “I was young and pretty then， I could have had anybody， and I wasn’t always the old woman you see here now。 I had everything I wanted in life， a lovely man， health and a future to look forwards to。”
16。 She paused again and looked around。 The breeze gently moved through the leaves with a sighing sound。 “There were others， of course， but not a patch on my Robin！” she said strongly。 “And now I have nothing—except the memories this tree holds。 If only I could get my hands on that awful man who writes in the paper about the value of the road they are going to build where we are standing now， I would tell him。 Has he never loved， has he never lived， does he not know anything about memories？ We were not the only ones， you know， I still meet some who came here as Robin and I did。 Yes， I would tell him！”
17。 I turned away， sick at heart。
1。 我实在不明白！为什么这个年老女士会对一片毫无用处的老灌木林如此紧张呢？她给当地报纸写了信，甚至给全国性的报纸也写了信，对拟将在她们村子里修建小路的方案表示抗议。但从地图上看，这条拟建的小路离她家并不近，那一带也并非风景优美。这不仅使我感到迷惑，还激起了我的好奇心。
2。 很快就要进行对新小路的调查了，我想了解一下她反对的原因。于是我敲响了小屋的门，一位叫玛丽·史密斯的女士接待了我，然后她带我去树林中走走。
3。 “我一直深爱这个地方，”她说，“这里珍藏了我和其他许多人的回忆。我们都曾在这个地方呆过。人们称它为‘情人路’。它其实并不能算是什么路，也不通往什么重要的地方，但这正是我们来这里的原因。远离他人，只有我们自己。”她补充说道。
4。 那天林间实在迷人，小鸟唱着歌，松鼠在树枝间张望，很自在地活动，显然这里人迹罕至，它们一点都不害怕。我能想象得出，在小路修好后，汽车通过这片宁静的树林将会是怎样的喧闹，因此我猜这对她来说可能意味着些什么。但我坚持认为社区的需要重于个人的意见，所以我没说什么。村里目前的交通，特别是对于老人和小孩来说，尤其危险，所以对我来说他们的安全比这个老年女士的怪念头更重要。
5。 “拿这棵树来说吧，”她停了一会儿说，“对你来说它只是一棵普通的树，与这里其它的树没什么区别。”她轻轻地摸着这棵树的树皮说：“看这，在这个枝条下面，你看见了什么？”
6。 “好像有人用小刀在这里刻过什么东西。”我略略看了一下后说。
7。 “是的，正是这样！”她轻轻地说，“是一些字母和一颗爱人的心。”
8。 我又看了一下，这回看得认真了一些。刻的那颗心还在那，此外还依稀可以看见有支箭穿心而过。心一边的字母已无法辨认了，但在另一边，字母“R”清晰可见，后面还有个像是“I”的字母。“初恋罗曼史？”我问道，“你知道他们是谁吗？”
9。 “唔，我知道。”玛丽·史密斯说，“写的是‘RH爱MS’。”
10。 我意识到我可能涉入太深了，真希望自己身在办公室，远离这个地方和这个老年女士，手里还端着杯茶，舒舒服服地。
11。 她继续讲着，“他拿着一把袖珍折刀，折刀上嵌有长钉，那种长钉可以用来挖出夹在马蹄上的石块，我们一起刻了我名字的第一个字母。我们深深相爱，但他却要离开了，而且不知道他将在军队里干什么。当然我也曾猜想过。那是我们在一起的最后一个夜晚，因为他第二天就回部队去了。”
12。 玛丽·史密斯停了一会儿，接着抽泣起来，“他母亲给我看了那封电报。‘R·荷尔姆斯军士……在解放法国的战役中牺牲。’”
13。 “‘我本来希望你和罗宾会结婚的。’她母亲说，‘我只有他一个孩子，我本希望能做祖母，有非常可爱的小宝宝。’她真是那么说的！”
14。 “两年后她也去世了。医生说是‘肺炎，胸部着凉造成的’，但我认为这是典型的伤心过度。如果有个孩子那我们俩就都不会这样了。”
15。 玛丽·史密斯又停了会儿没说话。她轻柔地抚摸着那棵刻过的树，就像她曾经抚摸他一样。“现在他们想把我们的树夺走。”她又轻轻地抽噎了一下，然后她转过身来对着我，“当时我年轻漂亮，我爱嫁给谁都可以，我当时可不是现在这么老的。我拥有生命里所要的一切，一个值得爱的男人、健康的身体和充满梦想的未来。”
16。 她顿了顿，朝四周看了一眼。微风轻轻吹拂着树叶，发出叹息般的沙沙声。“当然， 那时还有其他人，但他们连罗宾的一丝一毫都比不上！”她肯定地说，“现在我一无所有——只剩下残留在这棵树上的记忆。那个可恶的家伙竟建议把路修在我们所站的这个地方，我真希望掐死他，我会对他说：你从没爱过吗，你活过吗，你从不知道什么叫记忆吗？你知道，不仅仅是我们，现在我仍能看见些男男女女像当年的我和罗宾那样到这儿来。是的，我一定要对他说！”
17。 我转过身去，心里感到很难过。
She Left Her Shoes爱的遗鞋
1。 She left her shoes； she took everything else， her toothbrush， her clothes， and even that stupid little silver vase on the table we kept candy in。 Just dumped it out on the table and took the vase。 The tiny apartment we shared seemed different now， her stuff was gone， and it wasn’t much really， although now the room seemed like a jigsaw puzzle with a few pieces missing， incomplete。 The closet seemed empty too； most of it was her stuff anyway。 But there they were at the bottom， piled up like they usually were every single one of them。 Why did she leave her shoes？ She couldn’t have forgotten them， I knew too well that she took great pride in her shoe collection， but there they still were， right down to her favorite pair of sandals。 They were black with a design etched into the wide band that stretched across the top of them， the soles scuffed and worn； a delicate imprint of where her toes rested was visible in the soft fabric。
2。 It seemed funny to me， she walked out of my life without her shoes， is that irony， or am I thinking of something else？ In a way I was glad they were still here， she would have to come back for them， right？ I mean how could she go on with the rest of her life without her shoes？ But she’s not coming back， I know she isn’t， she would rather walk barefoot over glass than have to see me again。 But Christ she left all of her shoes！ All of them， every sneaker， boot and sandal， every high heel and clog， every flip-flop。 What do I do？ Do I leave them here， or bag them up and throw them in the trash？ Do I look at them every morning when I get dressed and wonder why she left them？ She knew it， she knows what’s she’s doing。 I can’t throw them out for fear she may return for them someday。 I can’t be rid of myself of her completely with all her shoes still in my life， can’t dispose of them or the person that walked in them。
3。 Her shoes， leaving a deep footprint on my heart， I can’t sweep it away。 All I can do is staring at them and wonder， stare at their laces and straps their buttons and tread。 They still connect me to her though， in some distant bizarre way they do。 I can remember the good times we had， what pair she was wearing at that moment in time。 They are hers and no else’s， she wore down the heels， and she scuffed their sides， it’s her fragile footprint imbedded on the insole。 I sit on the floor next to them and wonder how many places had she gone while wearing these shoes， how many miles she walked in them， what pair was she wearing when she decided to leave me？ I pick up a high heel she often wore and absently smell it。 It’s not disgusting I think。 It’s just the last tangible link I have to her。 The last bit of reality I have of her。 She left her shoes； she took everything else， except her shoes。 They remain at the bottom of my closet， a shrine to her memory。
1。 她把鞋子留在了这里，其他的她统统都带走了，包括她的牙刷、她的衣服，甚至我们摆放在桌上装糖果的银色小瓶子，她直接把糖果倒在了桌上，然后把瓶子拿走了。这个二人世界的小蜗居看上去已经和以前大不一样了，属于她的东西虽然不是特别多，可都给搬得干干净净，这间房子现在就如同一幅残缺的拼图，不再像以前那样完整。衣柜也变得空空如也，里面的东西本来都是她的。然而就在柜子的底层，也和往常一样堆积在那里，她的鞋子却给留了下来，一只也不少。她为什么要把鞋子留下来呢？她绝对不可能是忘了拿，我知道她向来很宝贝她的鞋子收藏。可是，这些鞋子真的就躺在那里，还包括那双黑色的凉鞋，她的至爱凉鞋宽宽的鞋面，上面还镂刻有花纹，鞋底已经磨损破旧，她的脚趾印还依稀可见于鞋内软皮上。
2。 这可真让我百思不得其解，她既然选择离开我，却又不带走她的鞋？这是一种讽刺吗？还是我想歪了？从某种角度说，我又暗自高兴，鞋子既然给留了下来，那么她总有一天会回来拿的，对吗？我是说没了这些鞋子，她以后日子怎么过啊？可是，她不会再回来了。我知道她不会的，她宁愿光脚踩玻璃也不愿意回来看我的。可是，老天！她怎么就把鞋子给留下来了呢？所有的鞋，包括全部的球鞋、靴子、凉鞋、高跟鞋、木屐、人字拖……我该怎么办啊？任它们放在这儿，还是打包扔掉呢？我是不是要每天打开衣柜就看见它们，然后冥思苦想她留下鞋子的目的呢？她一定是有意这样做的，她很清楚自己在做什么。这些鞋子我不能扔，因为我怕有一天她会回来拿。她的鞋就这样留在我生命里，彻底摆脱对她的思念是不可能的，无论是鞋子还是它们的主人我也无法舍弃。
3。 她的鞋子在我心中留下的深印实在难以抚平，我只能痴痴地看着她的鞋，看着那些鞋带，然后傻傻地把鞋扣系好。这些鞋子将我和她连结在一起，虽然方式是那样滑稽可笑。回想起和她在一起的快乐时光，想着她在那时那刻穿着哪双鞋子。鞋子是她的，不是别人的，鞋跟磨短了，鞋边磨破了，鞋内是她纤纤的足印。我席地坐在她的鞋子旁边，想着她穿着这些鞋子到过多少地方，走了多少的路？她最后下定决心要离开我时穿的又是哪双鞋呢？我拿起了一只她常穿的高跟鞋，心不在焉地嗅了一下，我一点也不觉得恶心，因为属于她而实实在在能让我拥有的就只剩那气息了，这也是回忆以外她留给我的最后一丝真实存在。她把鞋子遗留在这儿；其余一切都带走了，除了鞋子之外。它们躺在衣柜的底层，那个属于她的，属于回忆的神圣角落。