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“You’re probably wondering why I 1)enrolled in Spanish in the first place.” Six-foot Danny James 2)slouched in his chair and grinned at me. He was failing Spanish and had asked me to 3)tutor him. “I heard it was a Romance注1 language. I thought if I learned it, all the girls would go wild over me.”
“That means it came from Latin,” I explained. “It doesn’t have anything to do with love.”
Not that Danny needed any help attracting girls. He already had every female in college 4)panting over him. Me, included, although I would never let him know that. With his blond good looks, his 5)sleek, muscular form, and that irresistible smile, he could have any girl he wanted. He would never have any interest in somebody like me.
“What can I say?” he shrugged. “I’m just a 6)red-blooded, 7)all-American 8)jock.”
I laughed, but in truth, his words stung.
Although he meant them as a joke, they reminded me that Danny and I lived in two different worlds.
My parents came from Mexico. I was born and raised in the States, growing up in various border towns. At home, we spoke Spanish. With my friends, I chattered away in English. I loved my heritage, and I loved being part of the American dream, too.
Last summer, everything changed. We moved to a small midwestern town. People stared wherever
we went, and some of the shopkeepers made it clear they didn’t want our business.
When school started, I hoped the kids would put aside their 9)prejudice and give me a chance, but I soon gave up that idea. I felt awkward and 10)ill-at-ease and was always getting tongue-tied. I didn’t fit in, and I knew it.
Then, I met Danny. I’d seen him around school, of course. When he approached me in the hall one morning, I couldn’t believe he wanted to talk to me.
He needed help. Desperately. As 11)quarterback on the football team, he knew he could lead our Eagles to victory in the big homecoming game – if he got to play. His low scores in Spanish threatened to 12)bench him. Would I be willing to work with him to bring up his grades?
“Why don’t you just drop the class?” I asked.
His blue eyes met mine, and he shook his head. “I’m not a quitter,” he said in a firm voice. That’s when I knew I liked Danny. I admired his determination.
As we worked together, I sometimes 13)flattered myself, pretending Danny enjoyed being with me. I knew better, of course. He was only there because he needed my help. He even offered to pay me, but I refused to take any money from him. Not for something as simple as speaking a language I’d known from childhood.
Some afternoons he had football practice, but every other afternoon, and sometimes on weekends, too, Danny and I sat in my family’s 14)rec room downstairs, and he’d listen as I talked about mi familia注2. I told him stories about my parents, and about my aunts and uncles still living in Mexico. Sometimes, Danny stayed for dinner to enjoy Mama’s 15)authentic Mexican cooking. One afternoon I grabbed a CD of Mexican music and taught him 16)salsa and 17)merengue.
I liked Danny, and I thought maybe he liked me, too.
But then I learned the truth.
“There’s a girl I want to impress,” he confessed one evening. “I want to write a letter to her, in Spanish, to tell her how I feel.” He grinned.
“She knows Spanish?” Obviously one of the girls in his class had caught his eye. I hoped he didn’t see my disappointment. “Well, you know the basic rules of grammar, and you’ve got a dictionary. Why don’t you write something, and I’ll check it afterward, okay?” It was the best I could offer. I couldn’t sit there, helping him choose the words to tell another chica how much he cared for her.
Thank goodness our time together would soon be over. I wouldn’t have to smile and hide my broken heart much longer. The semester finals were coming up the next day. Danny would do well. He’d be able to stay on the football team, and no doubt he and his girlfriend would have a great time dancing at the homecoming celebration.
“Adios, mi amigo,” I told him when he left that evening, quickly closing the door behind him. The sooner Danny was gone, the sooner I could forget him.
Who was I kidding? I’d fallen 18)head over heels in love. I would never forget Danny.
The next afternoon, he caught up with me as I walked home from school. “I did it! I passed the exam.” His smile melted my heart. “Thanks for everything, Maria. Or maybe I should say muchas gracias.”
I nodded and kept walking. Seeing him again made my heart ache.
“Oh, you said you’d read this for me.” He reached into his pocket and handed me a folded sheet of paper.
Again, I nodded. His love letter. To his girlfriend.
It was simple, yet 19)eloquent. His Spanish was far from perfect, but his meaning was clear.
“I wouldn’t change a word of it,” I told him as I handed it back. “I’m sure she’ll be very impressed.”
He stood in front of me, a tender expression on his face. “Maria? Don’t you understand?” He reached for my hand and placed the folded letter in it again. “Es para ti,” he whispered. “It’s for you, Maria.”
“Me?” I stared down at the letter and tears of joy filled my eyes. “You wrote this for me?”
He grinned. “I told you Spanish was a romance language. Maybe I don’t speak it very well, but –”
His arms went around me, and his sweet kiss said it all.
“你肯定在想为什么当初我要选修西班牙语吧,”身高六尺的丹尼·詹姆斯懒洋洋地坐在椅子上,咧开嘴对我笑着说。他的西班牙语考砸了,请我给他补习。“我听说西班牙语是一门浪漫的语言。我想只要学会这门语言,所有女孩都会为我疯狂。”
“罗曼斯语的意思是它起源于拉丁语,”我解释道。“它和爱情一点关系都没有。”
在追求女生方面,丹尼根本不需要任何帮助。他本人就足以让大学里的每一位女性都为他怦然心动了。其中也包括我,不过我永远不会让他知道这件事。他有着金发碧眼的帅气脸蛋、健康有光泽的肤色、健硕的体型,还有让人难以抗拒的迷人笑容,他能得到任何一个女孩,绝不会对像我这样的女孩感兴趣。
“该怎么说呢?”他耸了耸肩。“我只是一个精力充沛的典型美国大学运动员罢了。”
我笑了,但说真的,他的话刺痛了我。虽然他只是开玩笑说说而已,但是它们再次让我明白到,丹尼和我生活在两个不同的世界。
我的父母来自墨西哥。我在美国出生和成长,在不同的边界城镇里长大。在家的时候,我们说西班牙语。和朋友一起时,我则用英语聊天。我爱我的根,也喜欢成为美国梦的一份子。
但就在去年夏天,一切都改变了。我们搬到了中西部的一个小镇。无论走到哪里,都会有人盯着我们看。一些商家甚至明确表示不愿意做我们的生意。
开学后,我希望同学们会撇开偏见,给我一个机会,但是很快我就放弃了这种想法。我感到十分尴尬,局促不安,总是张口结舌。我根本无法融入,我自己也很清楚这一点。
而后,我认识了丹尼。当然,我早就在校园里见到他了。那天他在礼堂里向我走来时,我简直不敢相信他愿意和我说话。
他需要帮助,非常需要。作为橄榄球队的四分卫,他知道自己能够带领我校的雄鹰队在大型的校友返校日比赛中获胜——如果他自己参赛的话。他的西班牙语分数太低,很可能因此要坐冷板凳。我愿意和他一起学习,帮助他提高成绩吗?
“为什么你不直接放弃这门课程呢?”我问道。
他蓝色的眼睛与我四目相遇,摇了摇头。“我不会轻言放弃,”他用坚定的口吻说。那一刻,我知道自己喜欢上丹尼了。我欣赏他的坚定。
和他一起学习的时候,有时我会自鸣得意,假装丹尼喜欢和我在一起。我当然再清楚不过,他在这里只是因为他需要我帮忙。他甚至说要给我报酬,但我拒绝接受他的钱。我只是在说一门自己从小就懂的语言,这活儿太简单了。
有些下午他要进行橄榄球训练,但隔天下午,偶尔还有周末,我会和丹尼一起坐在我家楼下的康乐室学习,他会听我用西班牙语介绍我的家庭。我给他讲父母的故事,还有仍然住在墨西哥的叔叔阿姨们的事情。有时丹尼会留在我家享受母亲地道的墨西哥风味晚餐。一天下午,我抓起一张墨西哥音乐碟,教他跳萨尔萨舞和梅伦格舞。
我喜欢丹尼,认为他或许也喜欢我。
然而不久之后,我发现了真相。
“我想追求一个女孩,”一天晚上他坦白道。“我想用西班牙语写一封信给她,向她表达我的爱意,”他笑着说。
“她懂西班牙语?”显然,班上的某个女孩引起了他的注意。我真希望他察觉不到我失望的心情。“你知道基本的语法规则,也有字典。为什么你不先写点什么,随后我再帮你修改,好吗?”这是我能提供的最大帮助了。我没办法坐在这里,为他遣词造句,告诉另一个女孩他有多么在乎她。
我们一起学习的时间接近尾声了,谢天谢地。不用多久,我就再也不必笑着隐藏自己破碎的心了。第二天就是期末考试。丹尼会考出好成绩的。他可以继续留在橄榄球队,也一定会和女朋友在校友返校日的庆典上翩翩起舞,尽情欢乐。
“再见,我的朋友,”那天晚上他离开时,我对他这样说道,在他身后将大门迅速关上。丹尼走得越早,我就能越快忘记他。
我在和谁开玩笑?我已经深深地爱上他了。我永远无法忘记丹尼。
第二天下午,我正走在回家的路上,他跑了过来。“我成功了!我通过了考试,”他的笑容融化了我的心。“谢谢你为我做的一切,玛利亚。也许我应该说‘非常感谢你’。”
我点了点头,继续往前走。与他再次相见让我又心痛起来了。
“噢,你答应会帮我看看这个的,”他从口袋里拿出一张折好的稿纸递给我。
我再次点了点头。他的情书。给他女朋友的情书。
信上的内容很简单,但也很动人。他的西班牙语远谈不上完美,但表达得足够清晰了。
“我认为不需要任何改动,”我一边说,一边将信递回给他。“我相信她会很受感动的。”
他停在我面前,一脸温柔。“玛利亚?你还不明白吗?”他抓起我的手,把折好的信再次放到我手上。“这是给你的,”他低声说。“是给你的,玛利亚。”
“给我?”我凝视着那封信,喜悦的眼泪噙满了双眼。“你是为我而写的?”
他咧嘴笑了。“我说过西班牙语是一门浪漫的语言。我可能说的不够好,
但是——”
他的双臂环抱着我,甜蜜的亲吻道尽了一切。
注1:罗曼斯语(Romance)是属于、有关或从拉丁语发展而来的语言,主要指意大利语、法语、葡萄牙语、罗马尼亚语和西班牙语,还包括加泰罗尼亚语、普罗旺斯语、雷蒂亚-罗马语、撒丁语和拉地诺语。此处为一语双关。
注2:“mi familia”是西班牙语,意为“我的家庭”。文中斜体文字均为西班牙语。
“That means it came from Latin,” I explained. “It doesn’t have anything to do with love.”
Not that Danny needed any help attracting girls. He already had every female in college 4)panting over him. Me, included, although I would never let him know that. With his blond good looks, his 5)sleek, muscular form, and that irresistible smile, he could have any girl he wanted. He would never have any interest in somebody like me.
“What can I say?” he shrugged. “I’m just a 6)red-blooded, 7)all-American 8)jock.”
I laughed, but in truth, his words stung.
Although he meant them as a joke, they reminded me that Danny and I lived in two different worlds.
My parents came from Mexico. I was born and raised in the States, growing up in various border towns. At home, we spoke Spanish. With my friends, I chattered away in English. I loved my heritage, and I loved being part of the American dream, too.
Last summer, everything changed. We moved to a small midwestern town. People stared wherever
we went, and some of the shopkeepers made it clear they didn’t want our business.
When school started, I hoped the kids would put aside their 9)prejudice and give me a chance, but I soon gave up that idea. I felt awkward and 10)ill-at-ease and was always getting tongue-tied. I didn’t fit in, and I knew it.
Then, I met Danny. I’d seen him around school, of course. When he approached me in the hall one morning, I couldn’t believe he wanted to talk to me.
He needed help. Desperately. As 11)quarterback on the football team, he knew he could lead our Eagles to victory in the big homecoming game – if he got to play. His low scores in Spanish threatened to 12)bench him. Would I be willing to work with him to bring up his grades?
“Why don’t you just drop the class?” I asked.
His blue eyes met mine, and he shook his head. “I’m not a quitter,” he said in a firm voice. That’s when I knew I liked Danny. I admired his determination.
As we worked together, I sometimes 13)flattered myself, pretending Danny enjoyed being with me. I knew better, of course. He was only there because he needed my help. He even offered to pay me, but I refused to take any money from him. Not for something as simple as speaking a language I’d known from childhood.
Some afternoons he had football practice, but every other afternoon, and sometimes on weekends, too, Danny and I sat in my family’s 14)rec room downstairs, and he’d listen as I talked about mi familia注2. I told him stories about my parents, and about my aunts and uncles still living in Mexico. Sometimes, Danny stayed for dinner to enjoy Mama’s 15)authentic Mexican cooking. One afternoon I grabbed a CD of Mexican music and taught him 16)salsa and 17)merengue.
I liked Danny, and I thought maybe he liked me, too.
But then I learned the truth.
“There’s a girl I want to impress,” he confessed one evening. “I want to write a letter to her, in Spanish, to tell her how I feel.” He grinned.
“She knows Spanish?” Obviously one of the girls in his class had caught his eye. I hoped he didn’t see my disappointment. “Well, you know the basic rules of grammar, and you’ve got a dictionary. Why don’t you write something, and I’ll check it afterward, okay?” It was the best I could offer. I couldn’t sit there, helping him choose the words to tell another chica how much he cared for her.
Thank goodness our time together would soon be over. I wouldn’t have to smile and hide my broken heart much longer. The semester finals were coming up the next day. Danny would do well. He’d be able to stay on the football team, and no doubt he and his girlfriend would have a great time dancing at the homecoming celebration.
“Adios, mi amigo,” I told him when he left that evening, quickly closing the door behind him. The sooner Danny was gone, the sooner I could forget him.
Who was I kidding? I’d fallen 18)head over heels in love. I would never forget Danny.
The next afternoon, he caught up with me as I walked home from school. “I did it! I passed the exam.” His smile melted my heart. “Thanks for everything, Maria. Or maybe I should say muchas gracias.”
I nodded and kept walking. Seeing him again made my heart ache.
“Oh, you said you’d read this for me.” He reached into his pocket and handed me a folded sheet of paper.
Again, I nodded. His love letter. To his girlfriend.
It was simple, yet 19)eloquent. His Spanish was far from perfect, but his meaning was clear.
“I wouldn’t change a word of it,” I told him as I handed it back. “I’m sure she’ll be very impressed.”
He stood in front of me, a tender expression on his face. “Maria? Don’t you understand?” He reached for my hand and placed the folded letter in it again. “Es para ti,” he whispered. “It’s for you, Maria.”
“Me?” I stared down at the letter and tears of joy filled my eyes. “You wrote this for me?”
He grinned. “I told you Spanish was a romance language. Maybe I don’t speak it very well, but –”
His arms went around me, and his sweet kiss said it all.
“你肯定在想为什么当初我要选修西班牙语吧,”身高六尺的丹尼·詹姆斯懒洋洋地坐在椅子上,咧开嘴对我笑着说。他的西班牙语考砸了,请我给他补习。“我听说西班牙语是一门浪漫的语言。我想只要学会这门语言,所有女孩都会为我疯狂。”
“罗曼斯语的意思是它起源于拉丁语,”我解释道。“它和爱情一点关系都没有。”
在追求女生方面,丹尼根本不需要任何帮助。他本人就足以让大学里的每一位女性都为他怦然心动了。其中也包括我,不过我永远不会让他知道这件事。他有着金发碧眼的帅气脸蛋、健康有光泽的肤色、健硕的体型,还有让人难以抗拒的迷人笑容,他能得到任何一个女孩,绝不会对像我这样的女孩感兴趣。
“该怎么说呢?”他耸了耸肩。“我只是一个精力充沛的典型美国大学运动员罢了。”
我笑了,但说真的,他的话刺痛了我。虽然他只是开玩笑说说而已,但是它们再次让我明白到,丹尼和我生活在两个不同的世界。
我的父母来自墨西哥。我在美国出生和成长,在不同的边界城镇里长大。在家的时候,我们说西班牙语。和朋友一起时,我则用英语聊天。我爱我的根,也喜欢成为美国梦的一份子。
但就在去年夏天,一切都改变了。我们搬到了中西部的一个小镇。无论走到哪里,都会有人盯着我们看。一些商家甚至明确表示不愿意做我们的生意。
开学后,我希望同学们会撇开偏见,给我一个机会,但是很快我就放弃了这种想法。我感到十分尴尬,局促不安,总是张口结舌。我根本无法融入,我自己也很清楚这一点。
而后,我认识了丹尼。当然,我早就在校园里见到他了。那天他在礼堂里向我走来时,我简直不敢相信他愿意和我说话。
他需要帮助,非常需要。作为橄榄球队的四分卫,他知道自己能够带领我校的雄鹰队在大型的校友返校日比赛中获胜——如果他自己参赛的话。他的西班牙语分数太低,很可能因此要坐冷板凳。我愿意和他一起学习,帮助他提高成绩吗?
“为什么你不直接放弃这门课程呢?”我问道。
他蓝色的眼睛与我四目相遇,摇了摇头。“我不会轻言放弃,”他用坚定的口吻说。那一刻,我知道自己喜欢上丹尼了。我欣赏他的坚定。
和他一起学习的时候,有时我会自鸣得意,假装丹尼喜欢和我在一起。我当然再清楚不过,他在这里只是因为他需要我帮忙。他甚至说要给我报酬,但我拒绝接受他的钱。我只是在说一门自己从小就懂的语言,这活儿太简单了。
有些下午他要进行橄榄球训练,但隔天下午,偶尔还有周末,我会和丹尼一起坐在我家楼下的康乐室学习,他会听我用西班牙语介绍我的家庭。我给他讲父母的故事,还有仍然住在墨西哥的叔叔阿姨们的事情。有时丹尼会留在我家享受母亲地道的墨西哥风味晚餐。一天下午,我抓起一张墨西哥音乐碟,教他跳萨尔萨舞和梅伦格舞。
我喜欢丹尼,认为他或许也喜欢我。
然而不久之后,我发现了真相。
“我想追求一个女孩,”一天晚上他坦白道。“我想用西班牙语写一封信给她,向她表达我的爱意,”他笑着说。
“她懂西班牙语?”显然,班上的某个女孩引起了他的注意。我真希望他察觉不到我失望的心情。“你知道基本的语法规则,也有字典。为什么你不先写点什么,随后我再帮你修改,好吗?”这是我能提供的最大帮助了。我没办法坐在这里,为他遣词造句,告诉另一个女孩他有多么在乎她。
我们一起学习的时间接近尾声了,谢天谢地。不用多久,我就再也不必笑着隐藏自己破碎的心了。第二天就是期末考试。丹尼会考出好成绩的。他可以继续留在橄榄球队,也一定会和女朋友在校友返校日的庆典上翩翩起舞,尽情欢乐。
“再见,我的朋友,”那天晚上他离开时,我对他这样说道,在他身后将大门迅速关上。丹尼走得越早,我就能越快忘记他。
我在和谁开玩笑?我已经深深地爱上他了。我永远无法忘记丹尼。
第二天下午,我正走在回家的路上,他跑了过来。“我成功了!我通过了考试,”他的笑容融化了我的心。“谢谢你为我做的一切,玛利亚。也许我应该说‘非常感谢你’。”
我点了点头,继续往前走。与他再次相见让我又心痛起来了。
“噢,你答应会帮我看看这个的,”他从口袋里拿出一张折好的稿纸递给我。
我再次点了点头。他的情书。给他女朋友的情书。
信上的内容很简单,但也很动人。他的西班牙语远谈不上完美,但表达得足够清晰了。
“我认为不需要任何改动,”我一边说,一边将信递回给他。“我相信她会很受感动的。”
他停在我面前,一脸温柔。“玛利亚?你还不明白吗?”他抓起我的手,把折好的信再次放到我手上。“这是给你的,”他低声说。“是给你的,玛利亚。”
“给我?”我凝视着那封信,喜悦的眼泪噙满了双眼。“你是为我而写的?”
他咧嘴笑了。“我说过西班牙语是一门浪漫的语言。我可能说的不够好,
但是——”
他的双臂环抱着我,甜蜜的亲吻道尽了一切。
注1:罗曼斯语(Romance)是属于、有关或从拉丁语发展而来的语言,主要指意大利语、法语、葡萄牙语、罗马尼亚语和西班牙语,还包括加泰罗尼亚语、普罗旺斯语、雷蒂亚-罗马语、撒丁语和拉地诺语。此处为一语双关。
注2:“mi familia”是西班牙语,意为“我的家庭”。文中斜体文字均为西班牙语。