讀點好英文:The Best Kind of Love 天底下最真摯的愛情

所屬教程:英語漫讀

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2022年03月12日

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The Best Kind of Love 天底下最真摯的愛情

·Phoebe·

I have a friend who is falling in love. She honestIy claims the sky is bluer.Mozart moves her to tears.She has lost 15 pounds and looks like a cover girl.

“I'm young again！”she shouts exuberantIy.

As my friend raves on about her new love, I've 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 there's 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 I'd read it.

There is forgiveness. When I'm 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 woman's 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 there 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 Browning's line“Grow old along with me！”We're following those instructions.

菲比

我有一個朋友正處于熱戀中，她幸福地坦言，戀愛時，天空似乎更藍(lán)了；莫扎特的音樂讓她感動地落淚；戀愛使她的體重減輕了十五磅，她看起來像個封面女郎。

“我又年輕了！”她興奮地喊道。

在朋友對她的新歡贊不絕口時，我又重新審視我的舊愛。丈夫斯科特和我結(jié)婚快二十年了，他的體重增加了十五磅。曾是馬拉松選手的他，如今卻只能從醫(yī)院樓上跑到樓下的大廳。他的發(fā)際線不斷后移。從體形可以看出，他經(jīng)常超負(fù)荷地工作，并且甜食吃得太多。但約會時，餐桌對面的他仍會向我使某種眼神，我便心領(lǐng)神會，結(jié)賬回家。

當(dāng)朋友問我“是什么使你們的愛持續(xù)至今”時，我毫不猶豫地列舉了一些顯性因素：責(zé)任感、共同的興趣愛好、無私、身體吸引力，再有就是溝通。當(dāng)然，還有其他諸多因素：我們會時常尋找樂趣，共度歡樂時光。昨天，斯科特把捆報紙的橡皮筋拉下來，然后調(diào)皮地彈向我，“戰(zhàn)爭”由此一發(fā)不可收拾；上周六在雜貨店，我們把購物單一分為二，比賽看誰先搶購?fù)甑竭_(dá)收銀臺，誰就是勝利者；即便是一起洗碗，我們也要“打斗”一番。只要在一起，我們就開心。

我們常會給對方帶來驚喜。一次，我回到家，發(fā)現(xiàn)門上貼著一張小字條，它指引我找到了另一張字條，接著又一張，最后指引我走到小儲藏室。我打開門，發(fā)現(xiàn)斯科特手里捧著“金罐子”（我的蒸煮鍋），還拿著一個裝著“財富”的大禮包。有時我也會把給他的字條貼在鏡子上，然后偷偷地在他的枕頭下藏一個小禮物。

我們都理解對方。我理解他為什么一定要和老朋友出去打籃球，而他也理解我為什么每年都要離開他和孩子一次，去與姐妹們聚會，連續(xù)幾天，無休止地說說笑笑。

我們同甘共苦，不僅分擔(dān)家事的憂愁和身為父母的責(zé)任，也分享各自的見解。上個月，斯科特參加了一個會議，給我?guī)Щ匾槐竞芎竦臍v史小說。雖然他比較喜歡驚悚和科幻小說，但他還是在飛機(jī)上把它讀完了。他說是為了在我讀完后，能和我交流見解。聽了這番話，我感動不已。

我們彼此寬容。當(dāng)我在派對上不顧一切，瘋狂地喧鬧時，斯科特原諒了我。而當(dāng)他用我們的一點積蓄炒股賠了錢，并向我坦白時，我抱緊他，安慰道：“沒關(guān)系，錢乃身外之物。”

我們心有靈犀。上周，他回家，一進(jìn)門我便從他的神情中看出，他今天過得很不開心。他逗孩子們玩了一會兒后，我問他怎么了。他告訴我，一個60歲的老太太中風(fēng)了。想到病人的丈夫站在床邊愛撫她的手時，他哭了。他實在不忍心告訴病人的丈夫，與他共度了四十年的妻子可能永遠(yuǎn)不能康復(fù)！我的眼淚也流了下來，為那可惡的病魔，為這世間還有維系四十年的婚姻，也為丈夫這么多年來在醫(yī)院目睹了無數(shù)垂死的病人后還能有如此的感動和憐憫！

我們都有堅定的信念。上周二，一個朋友到我家來，向我訴說了她的憂慮，她擔(dān)心丈夫逐漸喪失與癌癥抗?fàn)幍挠職夂托判摹Ｖ苋液鸵粋€朋友吃午飯，她正努力使離婚后的生活步入正軌。周四，一個鄰居打電話告訴我，可怕的老年癡呆癥困擾著她公公。周五，小時候和我一起玩的一個伙伴打來長途電話通告他父親去世的噩耗。我放下電話，心想，一周內(nèi)竟連續(xù)發(fā)生這么多令人揪心的悲劇。淚水模糊了我的雙眼。我走出家門，想做點什么，卻發(fā)現(xiàn)窗外橙色的劍蘭花竟開了；兒子和伙伴們玩耍的歡聲笑語傳到耳邊；鄰居正在舉辦婚宴，新娘子穿著緞面有花邊修飾的婚紗，把花束拋向歡呼雀躍的朋友。那一夜，我把這一切都講給丈夫聽，我們相互慰藉，認(rèn)識到人生輪回、喜總大于悲。我們將這樣相濡以沫地生活下去。

最后一個原因，我們互相了解。我知道斯科特每晚都會把換洗的衣服扔向洗衣簍，卻總也扔不進(jìn)去；我知道多數(shù)約會他都會遲到，因而會被罰吃剩下的最后一塊巧克力。他知道我睡覺時喜歡用枕頭把頭蒙起來；我時常忘帶鑰匙，進(jìn)不了家門，因此我也會自覺地吃掉最后一塊巧克力。

我猜想，或許是舒適的感覺讓我們的愛延續(xù)至今。天空和昨天一樣，并沒有變得更藍(lán)，它仍是我們熟悉的顏色；我們也不再有年輕的感覺：我們經(jīng)歷得太多了，而正是這些經(jīng)歷使我們成長，讓我們更理性，在我們身上留下印記，構(gòu)成了我們的回憶。

我希望我們已經(jīng)得到了使愛情延續(xù)的秘訣。結(jié)婚時，斯科特在我的戒指上刻上了羅伯特·布朗寧的詩詞：“陪我到老吧！”我們始終恪守著這一誓言。

Practising&Exercise　實戰(zhàn)提升篇

核心單詞

honestIy['?nistli]adv.誠實地，如實地；公正地

exuberantIy[ig'zju：b?r?ntli]adv.豐富地；繁茂地；生氣勃勃地

check[t?ek]n.檢查，檢驗，核對；賬單

grocery['gr?us?ri]n.食品雜貨店

package['p?kid?]n.包裹；包；包裝箱

confess[k?n'fes]v.坦白，供認(rèn)，承認(rèn)

concerned[k?n's?：nd]adj.掛慮的，擔(dān)心的，不安的