点滴使爱延续 The Best Kind of Love

安妮特·帕克斯曼·鲍思/Annetle Paxman Bowen

I have a friend who is falling in love.She honestly claims the sky is bluer.Mozart moves her to tears.She has lost 15 pounds and looks like a cover girl.“Im young again!”she shouts exuberantly.

As my friend raves on about her new love,Ive taken a good look at my old one.My husband of almost 20 years,Scott,has gained 15 pounds.Once a marathon runner,he now runs only down hospital halls.His hairline is receding and his body shows the signs of long working hours and too many candy bars.Yet he can still give me a certain look across a restaurant table and I want to ask for the check and head home.When my friend asked me“What will make this love last?”I ran through all the obvious reasons:commitment,shared interests,unselfishness,physical attraction,communication.Yet theres more.We still have fun.Spontaneous good times.Yesterday,after slipping the rubber band off the rolled up newspaper,Scott flipped it playfully at me:this led to an all-out war.Last Saturday at the grocery,we split the list and raced each other to see who could make it to the checkout first.Even washing dishes can be a blast.We enjoy simply being together.And there are surprises.One time I came home to find a note on the front door that led me to another note,then another,until I reached the walk-in closet.I opened the door to find Scott holding a“pot of gold”（my cooking kettle）and the“treasure”of a gift package.Sometimes I leave him notes on the mirror and little presents under his pillow.There is understanding.I understand why he must play basketball with the guys.And he understands why,once a year,I must get away from the house,the kids-and even him-to meet my sisters for a few days of nonstop talking and laughing.There is sharing.Not only do we share household worries and parental burdens-we also share ideas.Scott came home from a convention last month and presented me with a thick historical novel.Though he prefers thrillers and science fiction,he had read the novel on the plane.He touched my heart when he explained it was because he wanted to be able to exchange ideas about the book after Id read it.

There is forgiveness.When Im embarrassingly loud and crazy at parties,Scott forgives me.When he confessed losing some of our savings in the stock market,I gave him a hug and said,“It’s okay.It’s only money.”

There is sensitivity.Last week he walked through the door with that look that tells me It’s been a tough day.After he spent some time with the kids,I asked him what happened.He told me about a 60-year-old woman who’d had a stroke.He wept as he recalled the womans husband standing beside her bed,caressing her hand.How was he going to tell this husband of 40 years that his wife would probably never recover?I shed a few tears myself.Because of the medical crisis.Because there were still people who have been married 40 years.Because my husband is still moved and concerned after years of hospital rooms and dying patients.

There is faith.Last Tuesday a friend came over and confessed her fear that her husband is losing his courageous battle with cancer.On Wednesday I went to lunch with a friend who is struggling to reshape her life after divorce.On Thursday a neighbor called to talk about the frightening effects of Alzheimer’s disease on her father-in-law’s personality.On Friday a childhood friend called long-distance to tell me her father had died.I hung up the phone and thought;this is too much heartache for one week.Through my tears,as I went out to run some errands,I noticed the boisterous orange blossoms of the gladiolus outside my window.I heard the delighted laughter of my son and his friend as they played.I caught sight of a wedding party emerging from a neighbor’s house.The bride,dressed in satin and lace,tossed her bouquet to her cheering friends.That night,I told my husband about these events.We helped each other acknowledge the cycles of life and that the joys counter the sorrows.It was enough to keep us going.Finally,there is knowing.I know Scott will throw his laundry just shy of the hamper every night;he’ll be late to most appointments and eat the last chocolate in the box.He knows that I sleep with a pillow over my head;I’ll lock us out of the house at a regular basis,and I will also eat the last chocolate.I guess our love lasts because it is comfortable.No,the sky is not bluer:it’s just a familiar hue.We don’t feel particularly young:we’ve experienced too much that has contributed to our growth and wisdom,taking its toll on our bodies,and created our memories.

I hope we’ve got what it takes to make our love last.As a bride,I had Scott’s wedding band engraved with Robert Brownings line“Grow old along with me!”Were following those instructions.

我的一个朋友正处于热恋中，她幸福地坦言，恋爱时，天空似乎都变得更蓝了。莫扎特的音乐都能让她感动得流泪。恋爱使她轻了15磅，看起来像个封面女郎。“我又年轻了！”她兴奋地喊道。

在朋友对她的新欢赞不绝口时，我又重新审视我的旧爱。丈夫斯科特和我结婚快20年了，其间，他的体重增加了15磅，曾是马拉松选手的他，如今却只能从楼上跑到楼下的医院大厅。他的发际线不断后移，从他的体形可以看出，他经常超负荷地工作，并且甜食吃得太多。但约会时，餐桌对面的他仍能向我发出种种眼神，而我则心领神会，结账回家。当朋友问我“是什么使你们的爱持续至今”时，我毫不犹豫地列举了一些显性因素：承诺、共同的兴趣爱好、无私、身体吸引力，再有就是沟通。当然，还有其他诸多因素。我们俩的相处至今仍是其乐融融，一些欢乐时光常常不期而至。昨天，斯科特把捆报纸的橡皮筋拉了下来，然后调皮地弹向我，一场“战争”由此拉开了帷幕；上周六在杂货店，我们把购物单一分为二，比赛看谁能先抢购完，到达收银台；即便是一起洗碗，我们也要嬉闹一番。只要在一起，我们就很开心。我们常会给对方带来惊喜。一次，我回到家，发现门上贴着一张小纸条，纸条指引我找到了另一张纸条，接着又是一张，最后，在纸条的指引下，我走到小储藏室，推开门，发现斯科特站在里面，手里捧着“金罐子”（我的蒸煮锅），还拿着一个装着“财富”的大礼包。有时我也会把给他的纸条贴在镜子上，并偷偷地在他的枕头下藏一个小礼物。我们都理解对方。我理解他为什么一定要和老朋友出去打篮球。而他也理解我为什么每年都要离开他和孩子，去与姐妹们聚会，连续几天，无休止地聊天说笑。我们同甘共苦。我们不仅彼此分担家事的忧愁和身为父母的责任，而且也分享各自的见解。上个月，斯科特参加了一个会议，给我带回一本很厚的历史小说。虽然他比较喜欢惊怵和科幻小说，但他还是在飞机上把它读完了。他说自己这样做是为了在我读完后，能和我交流见解。听了这番话，我感动不已。

我们彼此谅解。当我在派对喧闹而胡闹时，斯科特原谅了我，而当他用我们的一点积蓄炒股赔了钱，并向我坦白时，我抱紧他，安慰道：“没关系，钱乃身外之物。”

我们心有灵犀。上周，他回家，一进门我便从他的神情看出，他今天过得很不开心。他逗孩子们玩了一会儿后，我问他怎么了。他告诉我，一个60岁的老太太得了中风。当回想到病人的丈夫站在床边爱抚她的手时，他哭了。他实在不忍心告诉病人的丈夫，与他共度了四十年的妻子可能永远都不能康复了！我的眼泪也不由自主地流了下来，为那可恶的病魔，为这世间还有维持40年的婚姻，也为丈夫这么多年来在医院目睹了无数垂死的病人后还能有如此的同情心，还能感动！

我们都有坚定的信念。上周四，一个朋友到我家来，向我诉说了她的忧虑，她担心丈夫会逐渐丧失与癌症抗争的勇气和信心。周三，我和一个朋友吃午饭，她正努力使离婚后的生活步入正轨。周四，一个邻居打电话告诉我，可怕的老年痴呆症正困扰着她公公。周五，小时候的一个玩伴打来长途电话，告诉我他父亲去世的噩耗。我放下电话，心想，一周内竟连续发生这么多令人揪心的悲剧。泪水模糊了我的双眼，我走出家门，想做点什么，却发现窗外橙色的剑兰花竟开了。儿子和伙伴们玩耍的欢声笑语传到我耳边，邻居正在举办婚宴，新娘子穿着缎面且镶有蕾丝花边的婚纱，正把花束抛向欢呼雀跃的朋友。那一夜，我把这一切都讲给了丈夫听。我们相互慰藉，人生轮回，悲欢离合总会伴随我们。我们将这样相濡以沫地生活下去。最后一个原因，我们互相了解。我知道斯科特每晚都会把换洗的衣服扔向洗衣篓，却总也扔不进去，我知道多数约会他都会迟到，因而会吃掉剩下的最后一块巧克力。他知道我睡觉时喜欢用枕头把头蒙起来，我时常忘带钥匙，进不了家门，而我也会吃掉最后一块巧克力。我猜想，或许是舒适的感觉让我们的爱延续至今。不，天空并没有变得更蓝，跟昨天的一样，它仍是我们熟悉的颜色；我们也不再有年轻的感觉；我们经历的太多了，而正是这些经历促使我们成长，让我们更理性；我们曾为此而付出过代价，也因此收获了更多的回忆。

我希望我们已经得到了使爱情延续的秘诀。结婚时，斯科特在我的戒指上刻上了罗伯特·布朗宁的诗词“陪我到老！”我们始终恪守这一誓言。

心灵小语

爱让我们永远拥有一颗年轻的心。

词汇笔记

rave[reiv]v.胡言乱语；愤怒地说；咆哮；怒喊

Andrew raved all night in his fever.

安德鲁发烧时整夜地说胡话。

confess[kənfes]v.承认；供认（错误或罪行）

The criminal soon confessed.

罪犯很快就供认了。

sensitivity[,sensətiviti:]n.敏感；敏感度

Such is the sensitivity of the information that only two people

are allowed to know it.

这信息极为敏感，只允许两个人知道。

errand[erənd]n.差事

I have a few errands to do in the town.

我在城里有些差事要办。

小试身手

我们相互慰藉，人生轮回，悲欢离合总会伴随我们。我们将这样相濡以沫地生活下去。

我们经历的太多了，而正是这些经历促使我们成长，让我们更理性。我们曾为此而付出过代价，也因此收获了更多的回忆。

短语家族

I caught sight of a wedding party emerging from a neighbors house.

catch sight of：一下子看到

Weve experienced too much that has contributed to our growth and wisdom,taking its toll on our bodies,and created our memories.Contribute to：捐献；促成