◎ Stephenie Ray Brown
In the spring of 1980, I had been following one particular guy around school for a month. I just did not have the nerve to go up and talk to him. An embarrassing situation, from that winter, truly prevented me from approaching him.
1980年的春天,我已經(jīng)在學校內(nèi)外追隨那個男孩整整一個月了。我只是沒勇氣走上前和他說話。自從那個冬天發(fā)生了一件令人尷尬的事情之后,我就更加沒有勇氣接近他了。
He had been a starter for the junior varsity basketball team and I was a cheerleader, I had many opportunities to see this gorgeous guy in action. That is, if I wore my glasses. You see, I am as blind as a bat and was too vain[62] to wear them.
當時,他是學?;@球二對三年級的隊員,而我是啦啦隊隊長,所以我有很多機會欣賞這個球藝精湛的男孩的表演。只是,我需要戴上眼鏡。你也知道,我視力不好,就像蝙蝠那樣瞎,但是虛榮心使我不想戴眼鏡。
As Terry sank a half court shot at the last second, this extremely near-sighted cheerleader, misidentified the hero and began cheering for the wrong guy. As the crowd started chuckling, my face turned crimson as Terry walked by me to get to the locker room. Months later, he only knew me as the dingy cheerleader who could not even get his name right when he hit a great shot!
半決賽中,特里在最后一秒投籃命中,我這個視力差到極點的啦啦隊隊長卻把英雄認錯了,一個勁地為另一個人喝彩。在場的觀眾開始輕聲譏笑,我的臉漲得通紅。特里從我身邊走過,進了更衣室。于是,接下來的幾個月,他對我的印象都只是那個在他投中好球時,卻把他的名字弄錯的糟糕的啦啦隊隊長。
However, my best friend attended church with Terry. Shirley decided to play matchmaker. She not only invited me to a church-sponsored skating party, but also literally pushed me in his parents’ car to ride to the skating rink. Although the skating rink was 15 miles away, very few words were spoken. As I sank down in that backseat, I just wanted to keep sinking. This had truly been a huge mistake.
然而,我最好的朋友常常和特里一起去教堂做禮拜。雪莉決定充當我們倆的媒人。她不僅邀請我參加教堂組織的溜冰派對,還把我推進特里父母的車,接著車就這樣向溜冰場開去。雖然溜冰場離這兒有15英里遠,可我們誰也沒有說話。我坐在車的后排,一心想鉆進座位里去。這真是一個巨大的錯誤。
After we arrived at the skating rink, things did not get any better. Each couple skate I hoped and prayed that Terry would ask me. He didn’t! After about three couple skates, I decided enough was enough! So I took turns skating with his two best friends. As the last call for a couple skate came over the rink’s loud speakers, Terry finally skated somewhat awkwardly and stood beside the rails with me.
我們到達溜冰場后,情況并沒有好轉(zhuǎn)。每當有雙人滑的時候,我都企盼特里能過來邀請我??伤麉s沒有那樣做!大約三場雙人滑結(jié)束后,我實在忍無可忍了!于是,我和他最好的兩個朋友輪流滑著。當溜冰場的喇叭里響起最后一場雙人滑即將開始時,特里終于笨拙地溜到欄桿旁,和我站在了一起。
“I guess you wonder why I have not asked you to couple skate?” were his first words to me. Trying ever so hard not to look in those big beautiful brown eyes that made me melt, I answered nonchalantly[63] and dishonestly, “No, not really.”
“我猜你肯定很奇怪我為什么不邀請你和我一起雙人滑?!边@是他第一次對我說話。我試著不去看他那雙可以將我融化的美麗的棕色眼睛。我假裝鎮(zhèn)定,還對他撒了謊:“不,我并沒有那么想。”
This guy not only ignored my tart reply, but would also win my heart with the following reply. Casting those beautiful eyes down at his skates, he humbly remarked, “I didn’t ask because I do not skate very well. If you are not afraid that I will make you fall, would you please skate with me?” This time I did look into those eyes and did melt.
這個家伙不但不把我刻薄的回答放在心上,還用下面這些回答俘虜了我的心。他那漂亮的雙眼盯著自己的溜冰鞋,謙虛地說道:“我之所以沒有邀請你,是因為我滑得不好。如果你不怕我會讓你摔倒的話,你愿意和我一起滑嗎?”這一次,我看了那雙眼睛,我真的被他融化了。
As we skated hand in hand to Always and Forever, I knew my life would never be the same. I never knew a guy that actually would admit any of his faults, let alone worry about a girl to boot! I had first been attracted to his beauty on the outside (who wouldn’t notice those beautiful brown eyes), but it would be his beautiful heart that made me realize how truly special he was.
就在我們手牽手向著“永遠”滑去的時候,我知道我的生活將從此刻開始改變。我從來沒見過一個會承認自己缺點的男孩,更別說還會為一個女孩擔心。剛開始,我只是被他英俊的外表吸引(有誰能不注意到那雙美麗的棕色眼睛呢),但是,他那顆美麗的心靈讓我真正明白他有多特別。
I had actually found my Prince Charming.
我終于找到我的白馬王子了。
Even though he was not riding on a handsome steed (but rented roller skates), he made me feel like Cinderella at the ball as we skated around the rink. I clung tightly to his hand—not because I was afraid of midnight—but to help keep him from falling. When I look at our wedding pictures, my favorite is walking down the aisle as husband and wife. Most couples walk down the aisle with the bride’s hand tucked neatly[64] in the crook of her husband’s arm. Not us! We walked down the aisle, after being pronounced man and wife, just like we had done seven years before at that skating rink—hand-in-hand with the promise of helping keep the other one from falling.
即使他并沒有騎著駿馬(只是穿著租來的溜冰鞋),然而,當我們繞著溜冰場滑行時,他給我的感覺就仿佛我是舞會上的灰姑娘。我緊緊地拉住他的手——并不是因為我害怕午夜——而是為了幫助他,不讓他摔倒。當我看著我們的結(jié)婚照時,我最喜歡的一張是夫妻二人沿著教堂過道向外走去。大多數(shù)夫妻從過道走過時,都是妻子把手優(yōu)雅地放在丈夫的臂彎里。我們可不是這樣的!在宣布成為夫妻后,我們走過道時就像是7年前在溜冰場上那樣——手牽著手,許下諾言不讓對方摔倒。
Our children love to hear the story of how their dad did not know how to skate and asked me to hold his hand to help us keep from tumbling. But it had already been too late for their mother. Only after one look into those eyes, she had fallen—fallen in love with Prince Charming.
我們的孩子最喜歡聽的故事,就是他們的爸爸不知道怎么滑冰,讓我牽著他的手防止摔倒的事??墒悄菚r候,對他們的媽媽來說為時已晚,因為她只是看了那雙眼睛一眼,就已經(jīng)深陷其中,深深地愛上了她的白馬王子。