美丽英文（故事卷）

    爱如丝线（2）

    “Susan,” she said thoughtfully, “look at this thread. Sometimes it appears, but most of it disappears in the quilt. The thread really makes the quilt strong and durable3. If life is a quilt, then love should be a thread. It can hardly be seen anywhere or anytime, but it’s really there. Love is inside.”

    I listened carefully but I couldn’t understand her until the next spring. At that time, my father suddenly got sick seriously. My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for a month. When they returned from the hospital, they both looked very pale. It seemed both of them had had a serious illness.

    After they were back, every day in the morning and dusk, my mother helped my father walk slowly on the country road. My father had never been so gentle. It seemed they were the most harmonious4 couple. Along the country road, there were many beautiful flowers, green grass and trees. The sun gently glistened5 through the leaves. All of these made up the most beautiful picture in the world.

    The doctor had said my father would recover in two months. But after two months he still couldn’t walk by himself. All of us were worried about him.

    “Dad, how are you feeling now？” I asked him one day.

    “Susan, don’t worry about me.” he said gently,“To tell you the truth, I just like walking with your mom. I like this kind of life.” Reading his eyes, I know he loves my mother deeply.

    Once I thought love meant flowers, gifts and sweet kisses. But from this experience, I understand that love is just a thread in the quilt of our life. Love is inside, making life strong and warm.

    让爱重温的小港

    卡伦?斯卡尔?莉娜蒙

    加利福尼亚的12月里，我们从得克萨斯州乘飞机来到这里，与家人们一起过圣诞节。从我们到达的那天起，直到圣诞节前夜，我们的时间被名目繁多的岁末活动挤得满满的。

    一天晚上，我们挤上车，去一位朋友家参加圣诞聚会。因为妈妈、姐姐和我在附近的商场疯狂购物一天，不停地填支票、签交费单，很晚才回家，所以我们出发的时候，已经比计划的时间晚了。

    妈妈看着前排开车的爸爸说：“哎呀！忙碌了一天啊！我感觉有一个星期都没见你了！”

    爸爸嘴里咕哝了几句，一边看着后视镜一边换车道，车速几乎接近光速了。

    妈妈伸出手用手指缠绕着爸爸的一绺头发说：“我知道了！我们相互注视一下吧。就一会儿，看对方的眼睛。”

    这次爸爸说话了，他咕哝道：“亲爱的，我在开车呢。”

    “就10秒钟！5秒钟！我一整天都没看见你了，我要好好看看你的眼睛。准备好了吗？”

    爸爸摇着头说：“我现在不能看你，否则我们会撞车的！”

    “那等下一个红灯的时候吧。”

    车子飞快地行驶着，没过多久我们就赶上了红灯。果然，父亲转过身，隔着前座与母亲手握着手，相互注视着对方的双眼。“嗨，”妈妈说。“嗨，”爸爸热情地回应道。

    这时，绿灯亮了，油门踩到底，赛跑又开始了。好像什么都没有改变，可一切好像又都变了。最重要的是，刚才亲眼见证的一幕悄悄地打动了我：在这手忙脚乱、焦头烂额的日子里，居然有这样一站让爱重温的小港湾。

    A Small Harbor of Reconnection

    Karen Scalf Linamen

    It was December in California, and we had flown in from Texas to visit our families for the holidays. The days between our arrival and Christmas Eve brimmed with a flurry of last minute activities.

    One evening we all hustled into the car to drive to a Christmas party at the home of family friends. We were a little behind schedule because my mom, sister, and I had gotten home late after spending a long day writing checks, signing charge slips, and bringing hysterical grins of joy to the faces of local merchants at a nearby mall.

    My mom looked across the front seat at my dad and said, “Whew！ What a busy day！I feel like I haven’t seen you in a week！”

    My dad grunted, checked the rearview mirror, and changed lanes at something approximating the speed of light.

    My mom reached over and twirled a lock of my dad’s hair around her finger. “I know！Let’s look at each other. For just a minute. In the eyes.”

    My dad responded this time. He groaned. “Honey, I’m driving.”

    “Ten seconds. Five！I haven’t seen you all day. I need to look into your eyes. Are you ready？”

    He shook his head. “I can’t look right now. We’ll have a wreck！”

    “At the next light.”

    At the speed we were traveling, we hit the next red light in no time. And sure enough, holding hands across the front seat, my parents turned and gazed into each other’s eyes. “Hi,” my mom said. “Hi,” my dad said warmly back.

    Then the light changed, the gas pedal hit the floor, and the race was on again. Nothing had changed, and yet everything had changed. Most of all, I was silently moved by what I had witnessed: a small harbor of reconnection in a raging hurricane of activity and distraction.