父親節:世界上第一個愛你的男人

天下的父母在子女成人結婚這一刻都是一樣的感動和興奮，也都是一樣的愛着自己的孩子。看着孩子們咿呀學語，會走路，上小學，中學，大學，工作，到最後牽手另一半，開始新的生活，父母心裏既高興又不捨。這麼多年的付出，終於看到孩子找到幸福了，他們“清淨”了，但又迫不及待的想看到孩子的孩子出生。天下父母，可親，可敬！轉摘自美國前總統小布什的弟弟尼爾.布什寫給女兒婚前的一封信。

August 17, 2011

2011年， 8月17日
Lauren,
勞倫，
As the big weekend approaches I am more and more worried that I might break up during my toast so as a pre-emptive strike please accept this letter and gifts. My feelings about you and your marriage are personal and while I hope to share the sentiments with those at the dinner, it's more important to me that you realize how much I love you and how proud I am of the amazing woman you have become.
隨着這個重要週末的臨近，我越來越擔心自己可能在祝酒時失控，爲了先發制人，請你提前接受這封信和這些禮物。對於你的婚姻，我覺得是很私人的事情，但我希望可以在晚宴上與大家分享我的感受。對我來說更重要的是，你能夠意識到我是多麼愛你，併爲你成爲一個這樣了不起的女人而感到多麼自豪。
My memory for specifics is terrible but my memory for how precious you were as a child is vivid. I loved cradling you in my arms in the wee hours of the morning when you awoke for a bottle, draping your sleepy body over my shoulder when you were too pooped to walk, giving you under doggies in the park, tossing you high in the air in the pool in Marine, and reading kids books on the floor of the Denver book store with you on my lap. From your first days you have had a quiet, beautiful, and kind demeanor. You are thoughtful, sensitive, caring and loving. You were, and still are, an angel.
我對細節的記憶很糟糕，但我對於你作爲一個孩子是多麼珍貴的記憶仍然歷歷在目。當你清晨因爲飢餓而醒來時，我喜歡抱你入懷輕輕搖晃；當你筋疲力盡不能走路時，我喜歡把你睏乏的身體放在我的肩膀上；我喜歡在公園裏爲你盪鞦韆，在緬因的游泳池裏把你拋向空中，在丹佛的書店裏讓你坐在我的膝蓋上爲你讀小人書。你安靜、美麗、善良的氣質與生俱來。你體貼、細膩、關懷、友愛。你曾經是一個天使，並且依然如此。
When I think of you as an adult, I think of your big heart. It's your heart that has led you to be a bright point of light causing millions of meals to be served to hungry kids. It is your heart that has led you to your vegetarian lifestyle. It is your heart that helps you care for family and friends in need. For these reasons I have selected three hearts that are this dad's gift to his soon to wed daughter.
當我把你作爲一個成年人來對待時，我想到了你博大的胸懷。正是你的心，引導你成爲一抹亮點，讓飢餓的孩子們得以享用數百萬頓的膳食。正是你的心，讓你養成素食的生活方式。正是你的心，讓你懂得照顧家庭和那些有需要的朋友。基於這些原因，我選擇了三顆心作爲一個父親給他即將結婚的女兒的禮物。
One heart is a locket with a picture of you and me together. It's a reminder that of the men in your life I loved you first and will always love you forever and ever—the kind of unconditional love that your granny and grandpa have all their kids and grandkids all their lives.
第一顆心，是一個放置咱倆照片的小掛盒。只是想提醒你，在你的生命裏，我是第一個愛你的男人，並將一直愛你，那是永遠的無條件的愛，就像你祖父母在他們的一生中給他們所有兒孫們的愛。
The second heart is made of jade and has the Chinese character "Fu". Jade represents luck and "Fu" means happiness. Maria and I want your life to be filled with both. David is a very good man, a lucky man, and when I see you two together, arms draped over neck and around waist, we see happiness. You guys have fun together, a child like fun that we hope lasts a lifetime.
第二顆心是刻有中國漢字“福”字的玉墜。玉代表着幸運而“福”意味着幸福。瑪利亞和我希望你的生活充滿幸運和幸福。大衛是一個非常好的人，一個幸運的人，看到你們倆在一起，手臂環繞，相擁而行，我們看到了幸福。你們在一起很快樂，我們希望這種孩子般的快樂可以陪伴你們一生。
The third heart is just pretty and represents your beauty, not the vane kind but the inside and out kind. You are wonderful, loving gift from god, a beautiful human being.
第三顆心非常漂亮，它代表着你的美麗，不是浮於表面，而是秀外慧中的美。你是上帝賜予的一個美妙的、動人的禮物，一個美麗的人。
So we are thrilled that you are entering this exciting phase of your life, we're thrilled that you have landed in a family that places family as the highest priority in life, one that has swallowed up in the Lauren clan, remember that your mom and I loved you first and, along with Maria we will love and support you always.
所以，我們很高興，你正步入生活中激動人心的階段，我們很高興你加入到一個以家庭爲重並接納你成爲其中一員的大家庭。當你加入勞倫家族之後，不要忘記你的媽媽和我是最早愛你的人，我們將和瑪利亞一起，一直深愛並永遠支持着你。
Finally, the wedding will be amazing. I can't wait to see you walk down the aisle in your beautiful gown. And I can't wait to dance with you in celebration. My hope is that the event and the whole weekend will bring lasting memories, like an epic move.
最後我想說，婚禮將是令人驚歎的。我迫不及待想看到你穿着美麗的婚紗走向婚姻的殿堂。我迫不及待與你共舞慶祝。我希望婚禮和整個週末將帶來永久的記憶，如同一部史詩電影。
A father's greatest dream is that his child's life is filled with joy—that is my hope for you, our hope for you and David.
一個父親的最大夢想就是他孩子的生活充滿快樂——這就是我對你的希望，對你和大衛的希望。
This from your devoted and
來自深愛你併爲你自豪的……爸爸
P.S. I can't wait to love your kids the way I love you.
又及，我都等不及要像當初疼愛你一般疼愛你們的孩子們了。