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導語：還記得《情書》嗎？一封遲到了多年的告白，一封省略了甜言蜜語的寄托，也許，時光荏苒，連寫信人自己都忘記了那時，那刻，那份心情，但是我們知道，那份感動，永存……
I was always a little in awe of Great-aunt Stephina Roos. Indeed， as children we were all frankly terrified of her. The fact that she did not live with the family， preferring her tiny cottage and solitude to the comfortable but rather noisy household where we were brought up-added to the respectful fear in which she was held.
We used to take it in turn to carry small delicacies which my mother had made down from the big house to the little cottage where Aunt Stephia and an old colored maid spent their days. Old Tnate Sanna would open the door to the rather frightened little messenger and would usher him-or her - into the dark voor-kamer， where the shutters were always closed to keep out the heat and the flies. There we would wait， in trembling but not altogether unpleasant.
我們經常輪替著從我們住的大房子里帶些母親為她做的可口的食品到她和一名黑人女仆一塊過活的那間小屋里去。桑娜老姨總是為每一個上門來的怯生生的小使者打開房門，將他或她領進昏暗的客廳。那里的百葉窗長年關閉著，以防熱氣和蒼蠅進去。我們總是在那里哆哆嗦嗦、但又不是完全不高興地等著斯蒂菲娜老姑出來。
She was a tiny little woman to inspire so much veneration. She was always dressed in black， and her dark clothes melted into the shadows of the voor-kamer and made her look smaller than ever. But you felt. The moment she entered. That something vital and strong and somehow indestructible had come in with her， although she moved slowly， and her voice was sweet and soft.
一個像她那樣身材纖細的女人居然能贏得我們如此尊敬。她總是身穿黑色衣服，與客廳里的陰暗背景融成一體，將她的身材襯托得更加嬌小。但她一進門，我們就感到有一種說不清道不明、充滿活力和剛強的氣氛，盡管她的步子慢悠、聲調甜柔。
She never embraced us. She would greet us and take out hot little hands in her own beautiful cool one， with blue veins standing out on the back of it， as though the white skin were almost too delicate to contain them.
她從不擁抱我們，但總是和我們寒暄，將我們熱乎乎的小手握在她那雙秀美清爽的手里，她的手背上露出一些青筋，就像手上白嫩的皮膚細薄得遮不住它們似的。
Tante Sanna would bring in dishes of sweet， sweet， sticky candy， or a great bowl of grapes or peaches， and Great-aunt Stephina would converse gravely about happenings on the farm ，and， more rarely， of the outer world.
桑娜阿姨每次都要端出幾碟粘乎乎的南非糖果和一缽葡萄或桃子給我們吃。斯蒂菲娜老姑總是一本正經他說些農場里的事，偶爾也談些外邊世界發生的事。
When we had finished our sweetmeats or fruit she would accompany us to the stoep， bidding us thank our mother for her gift and sending quaint， old-fashioned messages to her and the Father. Then she would turn and enter the house， closing the door behind， so that it became once more a place of mystery.
待我們吃完糖果或水果，她總要將我們送到屋前的門廊，叮囑我們要多謝母親給她送食品，要我們對父母親轉達一些稀奇古怪的老式祝愿，然后就轉身回到屋里，隨手關上門，使那里再次成為神秘世界。
