OWNED BY PARROT01

Can it really be sixty-two years ago that I first saw you?

我们初次相遇，难道真的是六十二年前吗？

It is truly a life time, I know.

年华似水，倏忽间我们已相携一世。

But as I gaze into your eyes now, it seems like only yesterday that I first saw you, in that small café in Hanover Square.

但当我望着你的眼睛时，当年的邂逅历历如在昨昔，就在汉诺威广场的那间小咖啡馆里。

From the moment I saw you smile, as you opened the door for that young mother and her newborn baby. I knew.

从见到你笑靥盈盈地为一位年轻的母亲和她的小宝宝开门的那一刻起，我就知道。

I knew that I wanted to share the rest of my life with you.

我知道我愿与你执手携老，共度今生。

I still think of how foolish I must have looked, as I gazed at you, that first time.

我仍然不时想起，那天自己那样地盯着你，一定很傻。

I remember watching you intently, as you took off your hat and loosely shook your short dark hair with your fingers.

我记得自己就那样怔怔地望着你，看着你摘下帽子，用手指松了松短短的黑发。

I felt myself becoming immersed in your every detail,

我感觉自己在你的温柔举止间慢慢融化，

as you placed your hat on the table and cupped your hands around the hot cup of tea,

当你把帽子放在桌前，双手捧起暖暖的茶杯，

gently blowing the steam away with your pouted lips.

你微撅樱唇，轻轻吹走飘腾的热气时，

From that moment, everything seemed to make perfect sense to me.

从那一刻起，一切对我而言似乎都有了意义。

The people in the café and the busy street outside all disappeared into a hazy blur.

咖啡馆里来来往往的人和外面闹市街区的熙熙攘攘忽然都模糊了起来。

All I could see was you.

我眼里能看到的，只有你。

All through my life I have relived that very first day.

光阴似箭，那一天却不断在我的记忆里重演，鲜活如初。

Many, many times I have sat and thought about that the first day,

无数次我再次坐下，不断追忆那天的点滴，

and how for a few fleeting moments I am there, feeling again what is like to know true love for the very first time.

不断回味那些飞纵的瞬间，重新体会一见钟情的美丽。

It pleases me that I can still have those feelings now after all those years, and I know I will always have them to comfort me.

我感到欣愉，因为岁月的流逝却并没有带走我的爱恋感觉，这些体验会永远伴随我，安抚我的寥寥余生。

Not even as I shook and trembled uncontrollably in the trenches, did I forget your face.

即使是当我在战壕中控制不住地颤抖，我也不曾忘记你的容颜。

I would sit huddled into the wet mud, terrified, as the hails of bullets and mortars crashed down around me.

我蜷缩在稀泥中，身边是枪林弹雨，弥漫硝烟。

I would clutch my rifle tightly to my heart, and think again of that very first day we met.

我把步枪紧紧地攥在胸前，一颗惊恐不安的心，还是想起了我们初识的那一天。

I would cry out in fear, as the noise of war beat down around me.

身旁战火呼啸，恐惧让我想要大声呼叫。

But, as I thought of you and saw you smiling back at me, everything around me would become silent,

直到想起你，仿佛见到你在我身后盈盈浅笑，战场忽然沉寂下来，

and I would be with you again for a few precious moments, far from the death and destruction.

在这珍贵的瞬间，我觉得自己暂时远离了毁灭和死亡，飞向你的身旁。

It would not be until I opened my eyes once again, that I would see and hear the carnage of the war around me.

我拼命想留住这美好，直到睁开眼，周围却依然是血与火的生死战场。

I can not tell you how strong my love for you was back then,

我没能再告诉你战火纷飞时我对你的爱有多深，

when I returned to you on leave in the September, feeling battered, bruised and fragile.

当九月休假回到你身边，我疲惫而脆弱时。

We held each other so tight I thought we would burst.

我们只能紧紧拥抱在一起，仿佛要把对方挤碎。

I asked you to marry me the very same day and I whooped with joy when you looked deep into my eyes and said yes to be my bride.

也就在那天，面对我的求婚，你深深凝望我的眼睛，答应做我的新娘，而我早已欢喜地振臂高呼。

I’m looking at our wedding photo now, the one on our dressing table, next to your jewelry box.

我现在正看着我们的结婚照片，总是放在我们妆台上的那张，就在你的首饰盒旁。

I think of how young and innocent we were back then.

那时候，我们多么年轻，多么纯真。

I remember being on the church steps grinning like a Cheshire cat, when you said how dashing and handsome I looked in my uniform.

我记得我们站在教堂的台阶上，开心得像一对甜蜜的鸳鸯，你还说我穿着制服多么英武俊朗。

The photo is old and faded now, but when I look at it, I only see the bright vibrant colors of our youth.

照片已经旧得泛黄了，但我看到的，却只有当年青春的明媚姿彩。

I can still remember every detail of the pretty wedding dress your mother made for you,

我仍然记得你母亲为你做的那件新娘礼服，

with its fine delicate lace and pretty pearls.

那些精致的花边和漂亮的珠饰。

If I concentrate hard enough, I can smell the sweetness of your wedding bouquet as you held it so proudly for everyone to see.

让我再仔细回忆，我还能闻到那婚礼花束的甜香，你那么骄傲地捧着花，让每一个人分享你的幸福时光。

I remember being so over enjoyed, when a year later,

我记得一年后，我是多么欣喜若狂，

you gently held my hand to your waist and whispered in my ear that we were going to be a family.

当你轻轻地把我的手放到你的腹前，对着我的耳朵悄悄透露了我们将有一个新家庭成员的消息时。

I know both our children love you dearly; they are outside the door now, waiting.

我知道我们的孩子都深深地爱着你，他们现在就在门外等候着。

Do you remember how I panicked like a mad man when Jonathon was born?

你还记得乔纳森出生的时候我那手足无措、像个疯子一样不断颤抖的样子吗？

I can still picture you laughing and smiling at me now, as I clumsily held him for the very first time in my arms.

我还记得你笑话我的样子，我笨拙地把他第一次抱在怀里。

I watched as your laughter faded into tears, as I stared at him and cried my own tears of joy.

看着他，我们笑着笑着，都情不自禁地迸出了开心的泪花。

Sarah and Tom arrived this morning with little Tessie.

今天早晨撒拉和汤姆带着小缇西也赶到了。

Can you remember how we both hugged each other tightly when we saw our tiny granddaughter for the first time?

你还记得我们第一次看到这个可爱的小孙女时高兴得紧紧拥抱吗？

I can’t believe she will be eight next month.

真让人难以相信，她下个月就八岁了。

I am trying not to cry, my love, as I tell you how beautiful she looks today in her pretty dress

亲爱的，我不得不忍住眼泪告诉你，小家伙今天穿着漂亮的裙子，

and red shiny shoes, she reminds me so much of you that first day we met.

闪亮的红色小鞋，让我立刻想起当年相遇时的你。

She has her hair cut short now, just like yours was all those years ago.

连她刚剪的短发也像极了年轻的你。

When I met her at the door her smile wrapped around me like a warm glove, just like yours used to do, my darling.

当我在门口看到她的时候，她的笑容暖人心脾，这竟然也和你一模一样。

I know you are tired, my dear, and I must let you go.

我明白你累了，亲爱的，我应该让你离开。

But I love you so much it hurts (me) to do so.

可是爱人即逝，孤侣何伤！

As we grew old together, I would tease you that you had not changed since we first met.

这些年我们相濡以沫，白首到老，我总是逗你说你的容颜依然如昔。

But it is true, my darling.

可这是真的，亲爱的。

I do not see the wrinkles and grey hair that other people see.

我真的见不到他人眼里的皱纹和白发。

When I look at you now, I only see your sweet tender lips and youthful sparkling eyes

现在我望着你，也还是只能看到你娇嫩温柔的红唇和秋水流盼的眼眸，

as we sat and had out first picnic next to that small stream, and chased each other around that big old oak tree.

仿佛我们第一次在那条小溪边野餐，在那棵巨大的老橡树旁追逐嬉戏。

I remember wishing those first few days together would last forever.

那时候我们刚刚在一起，总是盼望那样的日子生生世世，你还记得吗？

Do you remember how exciting and wonderful those days were?

那些日子是多么激情荡漾，让人不忍回首。

I must go now, my darling.

亲爱的，我应该走了。

Our children are waiting outside.

孩子们都等在外面。

They want to say goodbye to you.

他们要和你道别。

I wipe the tears away from my eyes and bend my frail old legs down to the floor, so that I can kneel beside you.

我擦去了眼角的泪，弯曲老弱的腿跪在你的身边。

I lean close to you and take hold of your hand and kiss your tender lips for the very last time.

轻轻靠近你，握住你的双手，最后一次，吻你。

Sleep peacefully my dear.

亲爱的，安心地睡吧。

I am sad that you had to leave me, but please don’t worry.

这分离扯碎了我的心。

I am content, knowing I will be with you soon.

但是别担心，我很满足，因为我知道自己很快就会来陪伴你。

I am too old and too empty now to live much longer without you.

我已年迈，生死茫茫，尘世间没有你，这满腔的衷肠凭谁倾诉？这只影的寂寥复有何欢？

I know it won’t be long before we meet again in that small café in Hanover Square.

不用多久，我们就能在汉诺威广场的那间小咖啡馆里再相逢。

Goodbye, my darling wife.

再会了，我的爱妻。