书城短篇读者文摘:这一刻的美丽
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第11章 爱是一个动词(4)

当我们有了更多的时间,我的早餐托盘上就变得更加具有喜庆色彩。开始时是以几何图形排列的水果片,随后便是从自家花园里摘来的鲜花——有时候只是一朵,开在一半的葡萄柚当中。没想到这竟激发出我在装饰、点缀方面的天赋,各种各样的东西,从孤挺花到枫树的叶芽,都成为我手下的装饰材料。丈夫说我做的早餐启发了他,妈妈也会赞同他的说法。或许是在那个星期六,在一个大草莓上放一个雏菊做帽子之后,我开始在想:我怎么才能够超过它?在一个漆黑的冬夜,我从梦中醒来,眼前仿佛看到有一个雪人站在托盘上。就在那个星期天,我铲来了一捧雪,很快就做好了一个雪人。我轻轻地把一个微型松果按在雪人的头上。

我端着早餐上楼,盘面上放着那个冻结实的小雪人,我期待着他的反应——什么也没有——但就在我下楼时,我听到他放声大笑起来,紧接着,他说道:“你赢了!毫无疑问,你得奖了!”

do you turn off your cell phone?

你的手机关了吗?

The girl would turn her cell phone off and put it by her photo on the desk every night before going to bed. This habit has been with her ever since she bought the phone.

The girl had a very close boyfriend. When they couldn’t meet, they would either call or send messages to each other. They both liked this type of communication.

One night, the boy really missed the girl. When he called her however, the girl’s cell phone was off because she was already asleep. The next day, the boy asked the girl to leave her cell phone on at night because when he needed to find her and could not, he would be worried.

From that day forth, the girl began a new habit. Her cell phone never shuts down at night. Because she was afraid that she might not be able to hear the phone ring in her sleep, she tried to stay very alert. As days passed, she became thinner and thinner. Slowly, a gap began to form between them.

The girl wanted to revive their relationship. On one night, she called the boy. However what she got was a sweet female voice: “Sorry, the subscriber you dailed is power off.”

The girl knew that her love has just been turned off.

After a long time, the girl has a new love. No matter how well they got along, the girl however refused to get married. In the girl’s heart, she always remembered that boy’s words and the night when that phone was power off.

The girl still keeps the habit of leaving her cell phone on all throughout the night, but not expecting that it’ll ring.

One night, the girl caught ill. In moment of fluster, instead of calling her parents, she dialed the new boy’s cell phone. The boy was already asleep but his cell phone was still on.

Later, the girl asked the boy: “Why don’t you turn your cell phone off at night?”

The boy answered: “I’m afraid that if you need anything at night and aren’t able to find me, you’ll worry.”

The girl finally married the boy.

Later at night, do you turn off your cell phone?

女孩每天临睡会先关掉手机,然后把它放在写字台自己的相架前,这个习惯从买了手机的时候就这样保持着。

女孩有个很要好的男朋友,两个人不见面的时候,就打打电话或发发短信,大家都喜欢这样的联络方式。

有一天夜里,男孩很想念女孩子,打了过去却关机,因为女孩已经睡下了。第二天,男孩对女孩说:“以后晚上不要关机,好么?我想你的时候找不到你,心会不安。”

从那以后,女孩开始另一种习惯——整夜都不关机。因为害怕他打来自己会因睡死而听不到,女孩夜夜都很警醒,人便日渐消瘦。然而,慢慢地,两个人之间还是有了裂痕。

女孩很想挽回即将分手的局面,便在一个深夜里给男孩打电话,回答她的却是很好听的女声:“Sorry,你所拨打的电话已关机。”

于是女孩知道,她的爱情已经关机。

很久以后,女孩有了另一场爱情。虽然两个人在一起的感觉也很好,但女孩怎么也不肯嫁。女孩的心里还是会想起那个男孩的话和那个关机的夜。

女孩还是保持着整夜不关机的习惯,只是不再期待它会响起。

一天夜里,女孩身染急症,慌乱之中把本想拨给父母的电话拨到了新的男友那里。男孩早已睡下,但手机还开着。

后来女孩问这个男孩:“为什么深夜还不关机?”

男孩说:“我怕你夜里有事找不到我,会心慌。”

女孩最终嫁给了这个男孩。

夜深了,你的手机关了吗?

The measure of love is when you love without measure

爱的限度就是无限度地去爱

Freda Bright says, "Only in opera do people die of love." It"s true. You really can"t love somebody to death. I"ve known people to die from no love, but I"ve never known anyone to be loved to death. We just can"t love one another enough.

A heart-warming story tells of a woman who finally decided to ask her boss for a raise in salary. All day she felt nervous and apprehensive. Late in the afternoon she summoned the courage to approach her employer. To her delight, the boss agreed to a raise.

The woman arrived home that evening to a beautiful table set with their best dishes. Candles were softly glowing. Her husband had come home early and prepared a festive meal. She wondered if someone from the office had tipped him off, or... did he just somehow know that she would not get turned down?

She found him in the kitchen and told him the good news. They embraced and kissed, then sat down to the wonderful meal. Next to her plate the woman found a beautifully lettered note. It read: "Congratulations, darling! I knew you"d get the raise! These things will tell you how much I love you."

Following the supper, her husband went into the kitchen to clean up. She noticed that a second card had fallen from his pocket. Picking it off the floor, she read: "Don"t worry about not getting the raise! You deserve it anyway! These things will tell you how much I love you."

Someone has said that the measure of love is when you love without measure. What this man feels for his spouse is total acceptance and love, whether she succeeds or fails. His love celebrates her victories and soothes her wounds. He stands with her, no matter what life throws in their direction.

Upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa said: "What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family." And love your friends. Love them without measure.

弗里达-布赖特说过:“只有在歌剧中,人们才会为爱而死。” 这是千真万确的。的确,你不会因为爱一个人而死。我知道有人因为缺乏爱而死,可我从来没有听说过谁因被爱而死。我们恰好是相互之间爱也爱不够。

有一个感人的故事,讲的是有个女人终于决定去向老板提出加薪的要求。她一整天都焦虑不安。下午晚些时候,她鼓起勇气向老板提议。让她感到高兴的是,老板同意给她加薪。

当晚,女人回家后,发现漂亮的餐桌上已经摆满了丰盛的菜肴,烛光在轻轻地摇曳着。丈夫提早回家准备了一顿庆祝宴。她心想,会不会是办公室里有人向他通风报信了呢?或者……他不知怎么竟知道她不会被拒绝?

她在厨房找到了他,告诉了他这个好消息。他们拥抱亲吻,然后坐下来共享美餐。在她的盘子旁边,女人看到了一张字迹优美的便条。上面写着:“祝贺你,亲爱的!我就知道你会加薪的。我为你做的这一切会告诉你,我有多么爱你。”

晚餐后,丈夫到厨房洗碗。她注意到又有张卡片从他口袋里掉了出来。她把卡片从地板上拣起来,念道:“不要因为没有加薪而烦恼!不管怎样,是该给你加薪了!我为你做的这一切会告诉你,我有多么爱你。”

有人曾经说过,爱的限度就是无限度地去爱。不管妻子成功还是失败,这个男人都给予她完全的包容和爱。他的爱庆祝她的胜利,也抚平她的创伤。不管生活的道路上遇到什么,他们始终同舟共济。

特蕾莎修女在接受诺贝尔和平奖时说道:“你能为促进世界和平做些什么呢?回家爱你的家人吧。” 还要爱你的朋友。爱他们无止境。

Words from Heart

说出心里话

Most people need to hear those "three little words"-- I love you. Once in a while, they hear them just in time.

I met Connie the day she was admitted to the hospice ward, where I worked as a volunteer. Her husband, Bill, stood nervously nearby as she was transferred from the turning-bed to the hospital bed. Although Connie was in the final stages of her fight against cancer, she was alert and cheerful. We got her settled in. I finished marking her name on all the hospital supplies she would be using, then asked if she needed anything.