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Michael and I did not know when the waiter put the plates on our table. At the time we were sitting in a small restaurant, hidden from the busy Third Street, in New York City. Even the smell of freshly served blintz1 did not interfere2 with our conversation. In fact, we let the blintz soak in the sour cream. We just enjoyed the conversation too much that we forgot to eat.
Our conversation was so delightful though we did not speak about important things. We laughed and spoke about the movie we saw the night before and argued about the meaning in our literature seminar3. He told me about the maturity4 step to adulthood when he only responded if someone called him “Michael” and pretended not to hear if they called him “Mikey”.Was that at the age 12 or 14? He did not remember, but he recalled his mother cried and said that he became a man too fast. When we tasted the blueberry blintzes, I told him that my brother and I used to pick wild blueberries when visiting our cousins on the farm. I remembered I always finished my share before we went home and my aunt always warning I must be had a stomachache. But of course, it never happened.
While our fun conversation continued, my eyes went across the room and stopped on the corner. A couple of old folks were sitting there. The woman wore a flower dress with faded color, the same with the pillow where she laid her pallid5 handbag. The man’s top head shined just like the boiled egg which he ate very slowly.The woman chewed her oatmeal very slowly too, and it seemed, with very much effort.
But what made my mind think about
them was the silence around them.It seemed like a melancholy6 emptiness filled their corner. When our conversation became a whisper, like a confession to judges, the silence of the couple disturbed me.How sad, I thought, if there was nothing at all to talk about. Were there any pages in each other’s life they had not read?what if it happened to us?
Michael and I paid for our food and went on. When we passed the corner where the couple sat, my wallet fell. When I stooped to get it, I saw, under the table, they were tenderly holding each other’s hand. They were eating in silence while holding each other’s hand! I stood upright.
I was very touched to see the simple yet the very meaningful action reflecting the close relationship of the couple. I felt special being allowed to watch it.
The tender caress the old man’s hand to his wife’s wrinkle and tired fingers, filled, not only what I thought was an empty corner, but my heart too.
Their silence was not the uncomfortable emptiness like the one we used to have after the jokes we had on our first date. It was not that. Their silence was the pleasant and relaxing one, it was the expression of the tender love and love did not always need the words to express it.
They might spend hours like these in the morning. Maybe this morning was no different from yesterday, but they enjoyed it with peace. They received their partner for what they are.
When Michael and I were out of the restaurant, I thought, maybe it was nothing bad at all if some day we had something like that.Maybe, it will become an expression of a tender and complete love.
我和迈克尔不知道侍者是什么时候将盘子放在我们的餐桌上的。那时候我们正坐在繁华喧嚣的纽约第三大街深处的一家小餐馆里。就连端上来的薄饼卷的香味也没能妨碍我们交谈。事实上，我们任由薄饼卷浸泡在酸奶油里。我们沉浸在倾心交谈中，连吃饭都忘记了。
虽然没有什么重要的事情谈，但我们的谈话非常令人愉快。我们笑着谈论我们前天晚上刚刚看过的电影，争论我们的文学研究会的意义。他告诉我有关他在迈向成年时所采取的成熟措施，那就是，如果有人叫他乳名“米基”，他就装作没有听见，只有叫他“迈克尔”，他才会回答。那时候是12岁还是14岁？他记不清了，但他记得妈妈哭着说他这么快就长大了。当我们品尝越橘薄饼卷的时候，我告诉他，我和我兄弟过去到我们表兄妹家的农场上看望他们时常常去摘野越橘的事。我记得我总是还没有回家就把自己那份吃掉了，婶婶总是告诫我那样吃，肚子会痛的。当然，那样的事从来没有发生过。
当我们继续着有趣的谈话时，我的目光越过房间，落在角落里。一对老年夫妇正坐在那里。妻子穿着一件褪了色的花衣服，她把那个颜色发白的包放在同样褪了色的花枕垫上。丈夫的头顶闪闪发亮，就像他正在慢慢吃着的那个熟鸡蛋。妻子咀嚼麦片粥也非常慢，似乎非常非常吃力。
但引起我深思的有关他们的事情是笼罩在他们周围的那种沉默。他们那个角落似乎充斥着一种忧郁的空虚。当我们的谈话变成喁喁私语时，坦白地说，这对夫妇之间的沉默扰乱了我的心神。我想，如果两人根本无话可说，那是多么悲哀的一件事情啊。他们彼此的生活，有对方没有读过的一页吗？如果我们也那样，怎么办呢？
我和迈克尔付了账，起身离开。当我们经过那对夫妇坐着的角落时，我的钱包掉了。当我弯腰去拾的时候，我看见，在桌子底下，他们正温柔地握着对方的手。他们正手握着手，默默地吃饭！我直起了腰。
看到这一反映了那对夫妇之间亲密关系的简单却非常有意义的动作，我觉得非常感动。能够看到这一幕，我觉得很幸运。
老人的手对他妻子那布满皱纹和沧桑的手指的温柔爱抚，不仅充满了一个我原以为是空空的角落的地方，而且还充满了我的心。
他们的沉默不像我们在第一次约会时讲过笑话之后常常会有的那种令人不舒服的空虚。他们的沉默不是那样的。他们的沉默是令人愉快的和让人放松的。它表达的是一种温柔的爱，而爱并不总是需要用语言来表达的。
那天早上，他们可能已经像这样度过好几个小时了。也许，今天早上与昨天没有什么不同，但他们喜欢这种宁静。他们完全接受自己的伴侣。
当我和迈克尔走出餐馆的时候，我想如果有一天，我们也像那对老夫妇一样，也许也没什么不好。也许，它会变成一种温柔的和完全的爱。
纳兰馨 摘译自 Romantic Time
Our conversation was so delightful though we did not speak about important things. We laughed and spoke about the movie we saw the night before and argued about the meaning in our literature seminar3. He told me about the maturity4 step to adulthood when he only responded if someone called him “Michael” and pretended not to hear if they called him “Mikey”.Was that at the age 12 or 14? He did not remember, but he recalled his mother cried and said that he became a man too fast. When we tasted the blueberry blintzes, I told him that my brother and I used to pick wild blueberries when visiting our cousins on the farm. I remembered I always finished my share before we went home and my aunt always warning I must be had a stomachache. But of course, it never happened.
While our fun conversation continued, my eyes went across the room and stopped on the corner. A couple of old folks were sitting there. The woman wore a flower dress with faded color, the same with the pillow where she laid her pallid5 handbag. The man’s top head shined just like the boiled egg which he ate very slowly.The woman chewed her oatmeal very slowly too, and it seemed, with very much effort.
But what made my mind think about
them was the silence around them.It seemed like a melancholy6 emptiness filled their corner. When our conversation became a whisper, like a confession to judges, the silence of the couple disturbed me.How sad, I thought, if there was nothing at all to talk about. Were there any pages in each other’s life they had not read?what if it happened to us?
Michael and I paid for our food and went on. When we passed the corner where the couple sat, my wallet fell. When I stooped to get it, I saw, under the table, they were tenderly holding each other’s hand. They were eating in silence while holding each other’s hand! I stood upright.
I was very touched to see the simple yet the very meaningful action reflecting the close relationship of the couple. I felt special being allowed to watch it.
The tender caress the old man’s hand to his wife’s wrinkle and tired fingers, filled, not only what I thought was an empty corner, but my heart too.
Their silence was not the uncomfortable emptiness like the one we used to have after the jokes we had on our first date. It was not that. Their silence was the pleasant and relaxing one, it was the expression of the tender love and love did not always need the words to express it.
They might spend hours like these in the morning. Maybe this morning was no different from yesterday, but they enjoyed it with peace. They received their partner for what they are.
When Michael and I were out of the restaurant, I thought, maybe it was nothing bad at all if some day we had something like that.Maybe, it will become an expression of a tender and complete love.
我和迈克尔不知道侍者是什么时候将盘子放在我们的餐桌上的。那时候我们正坐在繁华喧嚣的纽约第三大街深处的一家小餐馆里。就连端上来的薄饼卷的香味也没能妨碍我们交谈。事实上，我们任由薄饼卷浸泡在酸奶油里。我们沉浸在倾心交谈中，连吃饭都忘记了。
虽然没有什么重要的事情谈，但我们的谈话非常令人愉快。我们笑着谈论我们前天晚上刚刚看过的电影，争论我们的文学研究会的意义。他告诉我有关他在迈向成年时所采取的成熟措施，那就是，如果有人叫他乳名“米基”，他就装作没有听见，只有叫他“迈克尔”，他才会回答。那时候是12岁还是14岁？他记不清了，但他记得妈妈哭着说他这么快就长大了。当我们品尝越橘薄饼卷的时候，我告诉他，我和我兄弟过去到我们表兄妹家的农场上看望他们时常常去摘野越橘的事。我记得我总是还没有回家就把自己那份吃掉了，婶婶总是告诫我那样吃，肚子会痛的。当然，那样的事从来没有发生过。
当我们继续着有趣的谈话时，我的目光越过房间，落在角落里。一对老年夫妇正坐在那里。妻子穿着一件褪了色的花衣服，她把那个颜色发白的包放在同样褪了色的花枕垫上。丈夫的头顶闪闪发亮，就像他正在慢慢吃着的那个熟鸡蛋。妻子咀嚼麦片粥也非常慢，似乎非常非常吃力。
但引起我深思的有关他们的事情是笼罩在他们周围的那种沉默。他们那个角落似乎充斥着一种忧郁的空虚。当我们的谈话变成喁喁私语时，坦白地说，这对夫妇之间的沉默扰乱了我的心神。我想，如果两人根本无话可说，那是多么悲哀的一件事情啊。他们彼此的生活，有对方没有读过的一页吗？如果我们也那样，怎么办呢？
我和迈克尔付了账，起身离开。当我们经过那对夫妇坐着的角落时，我的钱包掉了。当我弯腰去拾的时候，我看见，在桌子底下，他们正温柔地握着对方的手。他们正手握着手，默默地吃饭！我直起了腰。
看到这一反映了那对夫妇之间亲密关系的简单却非常有意义的动作，我觉得非常感动。能够看到这一幕，我觉得很幸运。
老人的手对他妻子那布满皱纹和沧桑的手指的温柔爱抚，不仅充满了一个我原以为是空空的角落的地方，而且还充满了我的心。
他们的沉默不像我们在第一次约会时讲过笑话之后常常会有的那种令人不舒服的空虚。他们的沉默不是那样的。他们的沉默是令人愉快的和让人放松的。它表达的是一种温柔的爱，而爱并不总是需要用语言来表达的。
那天早上，他们可能已经像这样度过好几个小时了。也许，今天早上与昨天没有什么不同，但他们喜欢这种宁静。他们完全接受自己的伴侣。
当我和迈克尔走出餐馆的时候，我想如果有一天，我们也像那对老夫妇一样，也许也没什么不好。也许，它会变成一种温柔的和完全的爱。
纳兰馨 摘译自 Romantic Time