He met her at a party. She was outstanding and there were many guys chasing after her, while he was average-looking, shy and awkward.
他在一個派對上遇見了她。她很出色，身邊不乏追求者，而他外表普通、性格靦腆、還有些笨手笨腳。
At the end of the party, he finally summoned all his courage and invited the girl to have coffee with him. She was surprised, but out of politeness, she accepted his invitation to go on a date.
派對結束的時候，他終于鼓足勇氣，邀請女孩和他一起喝杯咖啡。這讓她很驚訝，但出于禮貌，還是接受了他的邀請。
They both sat in a nice coffee shop. He was too nervous to say anything, and she felt uncomfortable, waiting for coffee. With him being so shy and awkward around her, it seemed like the conversation between them would never start.
他們坐在一家優雅的咖啡廳里。他緊張得說不出話來，她也感到有些拘謹，他們就這樣等待著服務員上咖啡。他在她身邊如此害羞和尷尬，似乎他們之間的交談永遠不會開始。
The coffee was brought and suddenly, he asked the waiter: "Could you please get me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee!" Everyone at the cafe stared at him with a strange look! His face turned red, but still he put the salt in his coffee and drank it.
咖啡端了上來，他突然問服務員：“能給我點鹽嗎？我要在咖啡里加點鹽！”咖啡廳里的每個人都用奇怪的眼神盯著他。他的臉變得通紅，但還是把鹽放在自己的咖啡里喝了。

She asked him curiously, "Why this unusual habit?" He took a couple of sips and replied, "When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea. I liked playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of salty coffee. Now every time I drink salty coffee, I think of my childhood, I think of my hometown. I miss my hometown so much; I miss my parents who are still living there." While saying that, tears filled his eyes.
她好奇地問他：“為什么會有這個不尋常的習慣？”他抿了幾口咖啡，回答說：“我小時候住在海邊。那時候，我喜歡在海水里玩耍。玩耍時，我可以感受到大海的味道，就像加鹽咖啡的味道一樣?，F在，每次喝到加鹽的咖啡，都會使我想起我的童年，想起我的故鄉。我非常想念我的故鄉，想念我仍然住在那里的父母?！闭f著說著，淚水充滿了他的雙眼。
She was deeply touched. This was his true feeling, from the bottom of his heart. She figured that a man who talks this openly about his homesickness, must be a man who loves his home, cares about his home and has realized his responsibilities towards his family... So she also started talking about her childhood, her faraway hometown, and her family.
她被深深地感動了。這是他內心深處的真實感受。她認為一個能夠在公開場合談論自己思鄉之情的男人，必定是一個愛家、顧家的人，并意識到他是一個有家庭責任感的人……于是，她也開始談起自己的童年、遙遠的故鄉和家人。
It was a really nice talk, and also a beautiful beginning of their love story. They continued to date. She found out that actually, he was a man who met all her demands; he had tolerance, was kind-hearted, warm, careful. He was such a good man and had it not been for the salt in the coffee, she would never really have known him!
他們聊得非常愉快，他們的愛情故事也就此拉開了美麗的帷幕。此后，他們經常約會。她發現他實際上滿足了她對另一半的所有要求；他寬容、善良、熱情、細心。他是一個好男人，要不是那杯加鹽的咖啡，她可能就錯過了他！
The rest of the story was just like any other beautiful love story: they finally got married, and they lived a very happy married life. And sure! every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, just the way he liked it! After 40 years of marital bliss, he died after a short illness.
此后的故事情節就像所有其他美麗的愛情故事一樣：他們最后結了婚，過著非常幸福的婚姻生活。當然！每次她為他煮咖啡時，都會在咖啡里放一些鹽，就像他喜歡的那樣！經歷了40年幸福美滿的婚姻生活后，他得了一場病，不久便離開了人世。
One day, she found a letter he had left for her which said:
一天，她發現了他留給她的一封信，信的內容是這樣的：
"My dearest, please forgive me, forgive my whole life's lie. This is the only lie I ever told you, it's about the salty coffee. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time that actually, I wanted some sugar, but I said salt. It was hard for me to change what I said so I just went ahead. I never thought that could be the start of our communication!
“我最親愛的，請原諒我，有一個謊言我對你隱瞞了一生。這是我對你說過的唯一謊言，就是關于加鹽咖啡的。還記得我們第一次約會嗎？那時候我非常緊張，實際上我想要一些糖，但我說成了鹽。再改過來很難，我只好將錯就錯了。我沒想到這會是我們交往的開始！
I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but I was too afraid to do that, as I have promised not to lie to you about anything...Now I'm dying, so I tell you the truth. I don't like salty coffee, what a strange bad taste...But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life!
許多次，我都想把實情告訴你，但我又害怕你會生氣，因為我保證過不對你說謊……現在，我時日不多了，所以我決定告訴你真相。我不喜歡喝加鹽咖啡，那味道太奇怪、太難喝了......但是我一生都在喝加鹽咖啡！
Since I know you, I never feel sorry for anything I do for you. Having you with me is the biggest happiness of my entire life. If I can live for the second time, I still want to know you and have you with me for my whole life, even though I have to drink salty coffee again.
認識你以來，我從來沒有因為自己為你做過的任何事情感到過遺憾。和你在一起是我一生最大的幸福。如果我可以再活一次的話，我還想與你相識并與你共伴一生，即使我還得再喝一輩子加鹽咖啡，我也心甘情愿。
Please forgive me, darling...for lying to you first in that coffee shop and then not telling you the truth every time you made coffee for me! I am not lying now when I say that I wouldn't want to have that coffee any other way!—I am still madly in love with you"
請原諒我，親愛的......我不應該在那家咖啡廳對你說謊，也不應該在你每次為我煮咖啡時不告訴你真相！不過，這次我沒有在說謊，我現在只喜歡喝加鹽的咖啡！——我仍然瘋狂地愛著你！”
Tears fell down her cheeks as she finished reading the letter.
讀完這封信，她的淚水從臉頰上掉了下來。
If anybody asked her: "How did that salted coffee taste?" "It's sweet." She always replied.
當有人問她：“加鹽咖啡味道如何？”“很甜”她總是這樣回答。