OWNED BY PARROT01

Dear Miss Lester:

亲爱的莱斯特小姐：

I hope a few lines will not annoy or embarrass you.

我希望我的话不会让你烦恼或尴尬。

I’m writing, Miss Lester, because I’d like you to know that I am not a common thief.

我写下这些，莱斯特小姐，是因为我想让你知道，我不是寻常意义上的小偷。

I stole your bag, I want you to know, because I fell in love with you the moment I saw you on the bus.

我想让你知道，我偷你的包，是因为我在公交车上对你一见钟情。

I could think of no way to become acquainted with you except by acting rashly – foolishly, to be accurate.

我想不出任何办法来认识你，除了做出这轻率的——确切地说也是愚蠢的举动。

But then, one is a fool when one is in love.

可你知道，恋爱中的人总是愚蠢的。

I loved the way your lips were so slightly parted.

我爱上你双唇微启的样子。

You represented the answer to everything to me.

你为我揭开了万物的谜底。

I haven’t been unhappy since I came to New York four years ago, but neither have I been happy.

自从我四年前来到纽约，我从来没有不开心过，但也没有开心过。

Rather, I can best describe myself as having been one of the thousands of young men in New York who simply exist.

说起来，我和纽约成千上万的年轻人没什么区别，都只是活着罢了。

Loving you is the important thing, Miss Lester.

爱你是我唯一重要的事，莱斯特小姐。

There are some people who think love is sex and marriage and six o’ clock-kisses and children, and perhaps it is, Miss Lester.

有人认为爱是性，是婚姻，是清晨六点的吻，是一堆孩子，也许真是这样的，莱斯特小姐。

But do you know what I think?

但你知道我怎么想吗？

I think love is a touch and yet not a touch.

我觉得爱是想触碰又收回的手。

I suppose it’s important to a woman that other people think of her as the wife of a man who is either rich, handsome, witty or popular.

我想对于一个女人来说，嫁给一个外人看来是富有、英俊、聪明或者受欢迎的男人是很重要的。

I’m not even popular. I’m not even hated.

我连受欢迎都谈不上。甚至没有人讨厌我。

I’m just — I’m just — Justin Horgenschlag.

我只是–我仅仅是贾斯汀·霍根施拉格。

I never make people gay, sad, angry, or even disgusted.

我从没让人感到愉快、难过、生气，哪怕厌烦。

I think people regard me as a nice guy, that’s all.

我想人们觉得我是个好人，仅此而已。

When I was a child no one pointed me out as being cute or bright or good-looking.

我小时候从来没人说过我可爱、阳光或是好看。

If they had to say something they said I had sturdy little legs.

如果非得说他们说过些什么，他们说我的腿虽然短还蛮结实的。

I don’t expect an answer to this letter, Miss Lester.

我不指望你会回信，莱斯特小姐。

I would like an answer more than anything else in this world, but truthfully I don’t expect one.

虽然你的回信是我在这个世界上最想要的东西，但坦白说我真的不指望。

I merely wanted you to know the truth.

我只想让你知道实情。

If my love for you has only led me to a new and great sorrow, only I am to blame.

如果我对你的爱只是把我带向新的沉痛，那也是我活该。

Perhaps one day you will understand and forgive your blundering admirer.

也许有一天你会理解并且原谅我这个笨拙的仰慕者。

Justin Horgenschlag

贾斯汀·霍根施拉格