愛情故事:一對苦命鴛鴦的愛情經歷(中英對照)

緣分到底是什麼？一個路人的拾金不昧竟是月老設下的紅線？多年後終究重逢的苦命鴛鴦是否能再續前緣？

As I walked home one freezing day, I stumbled on a wallet someone had lost in the street. I picked it up and looked inside to find some identification so I could call the owner. But the wallet contained only three dollars and a crumpled letter that looked as if it had been in there for years. The envelope was worn and the only thing that was legible on it was the return address. I started to open the letter, hoping to find some clue. Then I saw the dateline -- 1924. The letter had been written almost sixty years earlier. It was written in a beautiful feminine handwriting, on powder－blue stationery with a little flower in the left－hand corner. It was a "Dear John"letter that told the recipient, whose name appeared to be Michael, that the writer could not see him any more because her mother forbade it. Even so, she wrote that she would always love him. It was signed Hannah.

一個寒冷的日子，我在回家的路上偶然發現了一個遺失的錢夾。我拾起它並試圖找到一些可聯繫失主的身份證明。但是皮夾中只有３元錢和一封被弄皺的信，這封信看來好像已經放在錢夾裏很多年了。信封已磨損，惟有寄信人的住址還清晰可辨。我打開信，希望找到一些線索。信的落款日期是１９２４年，差不多寫於６０年前。信的雋秀筆跡出自女性之手，在淡藍色信箋的左側角落有一朵小花。這是一封"絕情信"，寫給邁克爾的，發信人因她母親的阻攔再不能見他。即便如此，她寫道她仍會一直愛他。署名是漢娜。

It was a beautiful letter, but there was no way, except for the name Michael, to identify the owner. Maybe if I called information, the operator could find a phone listing for the address on the envelope. The operator suggested I speak with her supervisor, who hesitated for a moment, then said, "Well, there is a phone listing at that address, but I can't give you the number. " She said as a courtesy, she would call that number, explain my story and ask whoever answered if the person wanted her to connect me.

這是一封精美的信，但是除了邁克爾的名字以外，沒有其他辦法確定皮夾的主人。或許詢問信息臺，話務員可以通過信封上的住址查到電話。話務員建議我和她的負責人說，那位負責人猶豫了一會兒，然後說："嗯，有那個住址的電話號碼，但我不能給你。"她說出於禮貌，她可以打那個電話，說明我的情況後，看接電話的人是否願意讓她再與我聯繫。

I waited a few minutes and then the super－visor was back on the line. "I have a party who will speak with you. " I asked the woman on the other end of the line if she knew anyone by the name of Hannah. She gasped. " Oh! We bought this house from a family who had a daughter named Hannah. But that was thirty years ago!" "Would you know where that family could be located now？" I asked. "I remember that Hannah had to place her mother in a nursing home some years ago, "the woman said. "Maybe if you got in touch with them, they might be able to track down the daughter. "She gave me the name of the nursing home, and I called the number. The woman on the phone told me the old lady had passed away some years ago, but the nursing home did have a phone number for where the daughter might be living. I thanked the person at the nursing home and phoned the number she gave me. The woman who answered explained that Hannah herself was now living in a nursing home. This whole thing is stupid, I thought to myself. Why am I making such a big deal over finding the owner of a wallet that has only three dollars and a letter that is almost sixty years old？

我等候了幾分鐘，然後那位負責人回到線上："有一位女士將會和你說。"我問電話另一端的女士，她是否認識一個叫漢娜的人。她吃驚地說："哦！我們從一戶人家買來這棟房子，他們家的女兒叫漢娜。但已經是30年前的事了！""你知道那戶人家現在可能住在哪裏嗎？"我追問。"我記得漢娜數年以前將她的母親送到一家養老院，"女人說，"如果你和他們聯繫，他們可能會找到她女兒。"她給了我養老院的名字，我撥通了電話。電話中的女人告訴我老婦人數年前就已經過世，但是養老院確實有個電話號碼，老婦人的女兒可能住在那裏。我謝過養老院的人並按她給我的號碼去了電話。接電話的女人解釋說現在漢娜自己也是住在一家養老院內。我想這整件事真是太傻了，爲什麼我費這麼大的勁去找只有３美元和一封信的錢夾主人，而那封信差不多已有６０年了？

Nevertheless, I called the nursing home in which Hannah was supposed to be living, and the man who answered the phone told me , "Yes, Hannah is staying with us. "Even though it was already 10 P. M. , I asked if I could come by to see her. "Well, "he said hesitatingly, "if you want to take a chance, she might be in the day room watching television. "

然而不管怎麼樣，我還是打電話給漢娜所在的養老院，接電話的男人告訴我，"是的，漢娜是和我們在一起。"即使已經是晚上10點了，我還是問是否可以前去看她，那人猶豫地說："好吧，你可以試試運氣，她可能在客廳裏看電視。"

I thanked him and drove over to the nursing home. The night nurse and a guard greeted me at the door. We went up to the third floor of the large building. In the day room, the nurse introduced me to Hannah. She was a sweet, silverhaired old－timer with a warm smile and a twinkle in her eyes. I told her about finding the wallet and showed her the letter. The second she saw the powder－blue envelope with that little flower on the left, she took a deep breath and said, "Young man, this letter was the last contact I ever had with Michael. "She looked away for a moment, deep in thought, and then said softly, "I loved him very much. But I was only sixteen at the time and my mother felt I was too young. Oh, he was so handsome. He looked like Sean Connery, the actor. "

我謝過了他並開車到養老院。值夜班的護士和一個守衛在門口接待了我。我們上了大樓的三層。在客廳中，護士向漢娜介紹了我。她是一個和藹的老人，滿頭銀髮，面帶微笑，神采奕奕。我告訴她關於拾到錢夾的事並給她看了信。她看見左邊有花的淡藍色信封的一刻，深深地吸了一口氣並說："年輕人，這封信是我和邁克爾的最後聯繫。"她把視線轉向別處，陷入沉思，然後柔和地說："我非常愛他，但是我那時只有１６歲，我母親覺得我年齡太小了。哦，他是如此英俊，看起來像演員肖恩·康納利一樣。"

"Yes, " she continued, "Michael Goldstein was a wonderful person. If you should find him, tell him I think of him often. And, " she hesitated for a moment, almost biting her lip, tears welled up in her eyes, "I never did marry. I guess no one ever matched up to Michael. . . "I thanked Hannah and said good－bye. I took the elevator to the first floor and as I stood by the door, the guard there asked, "Was the old lady able to help you？"I told him she had given me a lead. "At least I have a last name. But I think I'll let it go for a while. I spent almost the whole day trying to find the owner of this wallet. "I had taken out the wallet, which was a simple brown leather case with red lacing on the side. When the guard saw it, he said, "Hey, wait a minute! That's Mr. Goldstein's wallet. I'd know it anywhere with that bright red lacing. He 's always losing that wallet. I must have found it in the halls at least three times. "

"是的"，她繼續說，"邁克爾·戈爾茨坦是一個非常好的人。如果你能找到他，告訴他我時常想念他，且……"她猶豫了一會兒，幾乎是咬着嘴脣，熱淚盈眶，"我一直沒有結婚，我想沒有人比得上邁克爾……"我謝過漢娜並向她道別，乘電梯下到一樓，當我站到門口時，那門衛問："老人能幫助你嗎？"我告訴他老太太已經給我線索，"至少我知道了姓氏，但我想我暫時放一陣子，因爲我已花費了幾乎一整天時間來找這個錢夾的主人。"我取出錢夾，那是個樸實無華褐色帶紅邊的皮夾。當門衛看到它的時候，他說，"嗨，等一下！那是戈爾茨坦先生的皮夾。無論在何處，只要見到那鮮亮的紅邊，我就能認出來。他總是丟失那個皮夾，我曾在門廳中至少發現過３次。"

"Who's Mr. Goldstein？"I asked, as my hand began to shake. "He 's one of the old－timers on the eighth floor. That's Mike Goldstein's wallet for sure. He must have lost it on one of his walks. "I thanked the guard and quickly ran back to the nurse's office. I told her what the guard had said. We went back to the elevator and got on. I prayed that Mr. Goldstein would be up.

“誰是戈爾茨坦先生？”我問，手開始顫抖。“他是8樓的一位老人，那肯定是邁克爾·戈爾茨坦的皮夾，他準是在散步時弄丟的。”我向門衛道了謝就很快跑回護士辦公室，告訴她門衛說的話。我們乘電梯去樓上，我祈禱戈爾茨坦先生還沒睡。

On the eighth floor, the floor nurse said, "I think he's still in the day room. He likes to read at night. He 's a darling old man. "We went to the only room that had any lights on, and there was a man reading a book. The nurse went over to him and asked if he had lost hiswallet. Mr. Goldstein looked up with surprise, put his hand in his back pocket and said, "Oh, it is missing. ""This kind gentleman found a wallet and we wondered if it could be yours. "I handed Mr. Goldstein the wallet, and the second he saw it, he smiled with relief and said, "Yes, that's it！ It must have dropped out of my pocket this afternoon. I want to give you a reward. "

到了８樓，樓層護士說："我想他在客廳中，他喜歡晚上看書，他是一個可愛的老人。"我們走進惟一亮燈的房間，一位老人正在看書。護士走過去問他是否遺失了錢夾。戈爾茨坦先生驚奇地擡起頭，手摸向他背後的口袋，"哦，它是不見了！""這位好心的先生拾到了一個錢夾，我們想它可能是你的。"我將錢夾遞給了戈爾茨坦先生，他看見錢夾時，鬆了一口氣，笑了，並說："是的，就是它！一定是今天下午從我的口袋裏掉出來的。我要酬謝你。"

"No, thank you, "I said. "But I have to tell you something. I read the letter in the hope of finding out who owned the wallet. "The smile on his face suddenly disappeared. "You read that letter？""Not only did I read it, I think I know where Hannah is. "

"不，謝謝您，"我說。"我必須告訴你一件事，爲了找到錢夾的主人，我看了裏面的信。"他臉上的微笑突然消失，"你看了那封信？""我不僅看了信，還知道漢娜在哪裏。"

He suddenly grew pale. "Hannah？You know where she is？How is she？Is she still as pretty as she was？Please, please tell me, " he begged. "She's as pretty as when you knew her, " I said softly.

他臉色突然變得蒼白，"漢娜？你知道她在哪兒？她還好嗎？她還是那麼漂亮嗎？請快告訴我。"他請求說。"她很好……就和你當初認識她時一樣漂亮。"我柔和地說。

The old man smiled with anticipation and asked, "Could you tell me where she is？I want to call her tomorrow. "He grabbed my hand and said, "You know something, mister？I was so in love with that girl that when that letter came, my life literally ended. I never married. I guess I've always loved her. "

露出期待的微笑，問："你可以告訴我她在哪兒嗎？我想明天打電話給她。"他抓着我的手繼續說："你知道嗎，先生？我是那麼地愛着那個女孩，以致於收到那封信時，我的生命就結束了，我一直未娶，因爲我始終愛着她!"

"Michael, " I said, "come with me. "We took the elevator down to the third floor. The hallways were darkened and only one or two little night lights lit our way to the day room, where Hannah was sitting alone, watching the television.

"邁克爾，"我說，"跟我來!"我們乘電梯到三樓，走廊很昏暗，只有一兩個小夜燈照着我們到客廳，漢娜正獨自坐在那兒看電視!

The nurse walked over to her. "Hannah, "she said softly, pointing to Michael, who was waiting with me in the doorway. "Do you know this man？"She adjusted her glasses, looked for a moment, but didn't say a word.

走到她跟前!邁克爾和我等候在門口，護士指着邁克爾輕聲說："漢娜，你認識這個男人嗎？"她扶了扶眼鏡，看了一會兒，但沉默不語!

Michael said softly, almost in a whisper, "Hannah, it's Michael. Do you remember me？"She gasped. "Michael! I don't believe it! Michael! It's you! My Michael!"He walked slowly toward her, and they embraced. The nurse and I left with tears streaming down our faces. "See, "I said. "See how the good Lord works! If it's meant to be, it will be. "

邁克爾輕輕地，幾乎在耳語："漢娜，我是邁克爾!你還記得我嗎？"她一下激動起來："邁克爾！我不敢相信！邁克爾！是你！我的邁克爾！"他慢慢走向她，兩人擁抱在一起!護士和我淚流滿面地走開了!"看，"我說，"上帝的安排!如果事情註定要這樣，那就一定會這樣!"

About three weeks later, I got a call at my office from the nursing home. "Can you break away on Sunday to attend a wedding？Michael and Hannah are going to tie the knot!"

３個星期後，我在辦公室接到養老院打來的電話，"你能在星期日抽空參加一個婚禮嗎？邁克爾和漢娜要喜結良緣了！"

It was a beautiful wedding, with all the people at the nursing home dressed up to join in the celebration. Hannah wore a light beige dressand looked beautiful. Michael wore a dark blue suit and stood tall. They made me their best man. The hospital gave them their own room, and if you ever wanted to see a seventy-six-year-old bride and a seventy-nine-year-old groom acting like two teenagers, you had to see this couple. A perfect ending for a love affair that had lasted nearly sixty years.

婚禮辦得很熱鬧，養老院的所有人都盛妝打扮前來慶祝!漢娜穿着一件淺米色連衣裙，看起來很漂亮!邁克爾穿着深藍色的西裝，站得筆直!他們讓我做男儐相!醫院給了他們倆自己的房間，如果你要想看看76歲的新娘和79歲的新郎就像兩個十幾歲的年輕人，那你一定得來見見這對夫婦!一份持續了60年的愛終於得到了完美的結局!