双语爱情故事：一对苦命鸳鸯

双语爱情故事：一对苦命鸳鸯

As I walked home one freezing day, I stumbled on a wallet someone had lost in the street. I picked it up and looked inside to find some identification so I could call the owner. But the wallet contained only three dollars and a crumpled letter that looked as if it had been in there for years. The envelope was worn and the only thing that was legible on it was the return address. I started to open the letter, hoping to find some clue. Then I saw the dateline -- 1924. The letter had been written almost sixty years earlier. It was written in a beautiful feminine handwriting, on powder－blue stationery with a little flower in the left－hand corner. It was a "Dear John"letter that told the recipient, whose name appeared to be Michael, that the writer could not see him any more because her mother forbade it. Even so, she wrote that she would always love him. It was signed Hannah.

一个寒冷的日子，我在回家的路上偶然发现了一个遗失的钱夹。我拾起它并试图找到一些可联系失主的身份证明。但是皮夹中只有3元钱和一封被弄皱的信，这封信看来好像已经放在钱夹里很多年了。信封已磨损，惟有寄信人的住址还清晰可辨。我打开信，希望找到一些线索。信的落款日期是1924年，差不多写于60年前。信的隽秀笔迹出自女性之手，在淡蓝色信笺的左侧角落有一朵小花。这是一封"绝情信"，写给迈克尔的，发信人因她母亲的阻拦再不能见他。即便如此，她写道她仍会一直爱他。署名是汉娜。

It was a beautiful letter, but there was no way, except for the name Michael, to identify the owner. Maybe if I called information, the operator could find a phone listing for the address on the envelope. The operator suggested I speak with her supervisor, who hesitated for a moment, then said, "Well, there is a phone listing at that address, but I can't give you the number. " She said as a courtesy, she would call that number, explain my story and ask whoever answered if the person wanted her to connect me.

这是一封精美的信，但是除了迈克尔的名字以外，没有其他办法确定皮夹的主人。或许询问信息台，话务员可以通过信封上的住址查到电话。话务员建议我和她的负责人说，那位负责人犹豫了一会儿，然后说："嗯，有那个住址的电话号码，但我不能给你。"她说出于礼貌，她可以打那个电话，说明我的情况后，看接电话的人是否愿意让她再与我联系。

I waited a few minutes and then the super－visor was back on the line. "I have a party who will speak with you. " I asked the woman on the other end of the line if she knew anyone by the name of Hannah. She gasped. " Oh! We bought this house from a family who had a daughter named Hannah. But that was thirty years ago!" "Would you know where that family could be located now？" I asked. "I remember that Hannah had to place her mother in a nursing home some years ago, "the woman said. "Maybe if you got in touch with them, they might be able to track down the daughter. "She gave me the name of the nursing home, and I called the number. The woman on the phone told me the old lady had passed away some years ago, but the nursing home did have a phone number for where the daughter might be living. I thanked the person at the nursing home and phoned the number she gave me. The woman who answered explained that Hannah herself was now living in a nursing home. This whole thing is stupid, I thought to myself. Why am I making such a big deal over finding the owner of a wallet that has only three dollars and a letter that is almost sixty years old？