双语对照 ● 咸咖啡 Salty Coffee
■ 咸咖啡 Salty Coffee
◎ Trinity Bluce
He met her at a party. She was outstanding, many guys were after her; but nobody paid any attention to him. After the party, he invited her for coffee. She was surprised, so as not to appear rude, she went along. As they sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything and she felt uncomfortable. Suddenly, he asked the waiter, “Could you please give me some salt? I’d like to put it in my coffee.”
他在一个聚会上遇见了她。她如此出众，许多人都追随她左右，而他又是如此普通，没人注意到他。聚会结束后，他邀请她喝咖啡，她很惊讶，但出于礼貌她还是应允了。他们坐在一家很不错的咖啡店里，他紧张地说不出话来，她感到很不舒服。突然，他问服务员：“你能给我一些盐吗？我想往咖啡里加点盐。”
They stared at him. He turned red, but when the salt came, he put it in his coffee and drank. Curious[86] , she asked, “Why salt with coffee?” He explained, “When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea. I liked playing on the sea ... I could feel its taste salty, like salty coffee. Now every time I drink it, I think of my childhood and my hometown. I miss it and my parents, who are still there.”
每个人都很诧异地盯着他，这人太奇怪了。他的脸红了，但是服务生把盐送来时，他还是把盐加进咖啡里，喝了起来。她很好奇，便问道：“你为什么有这个嗜好？”他解释说：“当我还是一个小男孩的时候，我住在海边。我喜欢在海边玩耍……我可以感觉到海水的味道，就像加盐的咖啡一样。现在每次喝咸咖啡的时候，我总会想起我的童年、我的故乡。我很想念我的家乡、我的父母，他们还在那里。”
She was deeply touched. A man who can admit that he’s homesick[87] must love his home and care about his family. He must be responsible.
她被深深地感动了。那是他的真情流露。一个能告诉别人乡愁的男人，一定是一个爱家、关心家人、有家庭责任感的男人。
She talked too, about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family. That was the start to their love story.
接着，她也开始说起了她遥远的家乡、她的童年、她的家人。那真是一次温馨的谈话，也是他们之间故事的开端。
They continued to date. She found that he met all her requirements. He was tolerant, kind, warm and careful. And to think she would have missed the catch if not for the salty coffee!
接着他们又开始约会。她发现他真是一个能够满足自己所有要求的男人。他耐心、善良、热心、细心。这是一个好男人，可她差点错过了。多亏了那杯咸咖啡！
So they married and lived happily together. And every time she made coffee for him, she put in some salt, the way he liked it.
他们结婚了，幸福地生活在一起。每次她为他煮咖啡，都会往里面放些盐，因为他喜欢。
After 40 years, he passed away and left her a letter which said:
40年后，他去世了，留给她一封信：
My dearest, please forgive my life-long lie. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous I asked for salt instead of sugar.
我最亲爱的，请原谅我一生的谎言。记得我们的第一次约会吗？我很紧张，紧张到问服务员要了盐而不是糖。
It was hard for me to ask for a change, so I just went ahead. I never thought that we would hit it off. Many times, I tried to tell you the truth, but I was afraid that it would ruin everything.
我很难要求更改，所以我就这样喝了。我从没想到我们会合得来。很多次，我想告诉你真相，但我怕那样会毁了一切。
Sweetheart, I don’t exactly like salty coffee. But as it mattered so much to you, I’ve learnt to enjoy it. Having you with me was my greatest happiness. If I could live a second time, I hope we can be together again, even if it means that I have to drink salty coffee for the rest of my life.
亲爱的，我不喜欢咸咖啡。但这对你来说那么重要，我已经学会了享受它。拥有你是我最大的幸福。如果我能再活一次，我希望我们还能在一起，即使这意味着我的余生都要品尝咸咖啡。
