We slid into a booth and our conversation picked up where it left off before. He, too, was making a career change and was moving back to South Africa. His departure date was one week before mine. Now I knew I had to calm my pounding heart. We obviously had no future together. He took my phone number and invited me to dinner sometime. I accepted, suppressing my sadness, knowing I would be leaving in two short weeks and the date would probably never happen.

我們拐進(jìn)了一家路邊小店，接著上次的話題聊了起來(lái)。從他的談話中，我得知他也正要換一份工作，回到南非去。他的行程先于我一個(gè)星期。現(xiàn)在我明白我必須讓自己沖動(dòng)的心冷靜一下。很明顯，我們倆不會(huì)有結(jié)果。他問(wèn)了我的電話號(hào)碼，說(shuō)以后會(huì)請(qǐng)我吃飯。我強(qiáng)忍著悲痛接受了，因?yàn)槲抑纼蓚€(gè)星期后我將離開(kāi)，這可能是永遠(yuǎn)都無(wú)法實(shí)現(xiàn)的約會(huì)。

But it did. He picked me up a few days later for a movie and dinner. We talked for hours about our lives, our hopes, our separate dreams--- mine in New York, his in South Africa. Never had I spoken so freely, so comfortably, with a man. He reached across the table and took my hand. I thought I saw in his eyes the same love l felt swelling in my hear. He said, "I'm just sorry I met you only one week before l leave."

可它竟然實(shí)現(xiàn)了！幾天后，他來(lái)接我，我們一起看電影，吃晚飯。我們聊了幾個(gè)小時(shí)，聊生活，聊希望，聊我們各自的夢(mèng)想--我的在紐約，而他的在南非。我從不曾和一個(gè)男人談得如此暢快，如此舒服。他握住我的手。從他的眼神里，我想我看到了正在我心中急劇膨脹的愛(ài)。他說(shuō)。"我真的很遺憾，走前的一個(gè)星期才遇到你。"

"We still have seven days, " I said meekly.

"可我們還有整整七天。"我無(wú)限深情地答道。

"Then let's make the most of it." He helped me on with my sweater. Hand in hand, we strolled to the car and made plans for the next day and the next and the next. As he drove me home, Tracy Chapman sang, "Give me one reason to stay, and I'll turn right back around." Was his heart singing along like mine?

"那么就讓我們充分地享受它們吧，"說(shuō)著，他幫我穿上外套。我們手牽著手走向汽車(chē)，計(jì)劃著我們的明天以及明天的明天。在他開(kāi)車(chē)送我回家的路上，我心中響起了特蕾西·查普曼的歌?quot;給我一個(gè)留下的理由，我將會(huì)回頭……"。不知他心里是否也在和我一起歌唱呢？

We spent part of every day together for the next week. I knew I was falling in love, but dared not speak it. I couldn't upset our chances for a lifetime.
在之后的一個(gè)星期里，我們每天都會(huì)抽時(shí)間在一起。我深知自己已墜入了愛(ài)河，可卻沒(méi)有膽量說(shuō)出來(lái)。我不愿因此而破壞我們各自生活中的良機(jī)。

" And I know he loves me, too," l moaned to Stacy over a cup of coffee in my near-empty restaurant. "We've even talked about trying to get together over holidays. He's meeting me here soon to bring me a gift to remember him by."

"我知道，他也愛(ài)我，"當(dāng)我和斯泰西在我那已快人去樓空的餐廳里喝咖啡時(shí)，我輕聲說(shuō)。"我們甚至已經(jīng)在計(jì)劃假期如何一起度過(guò)。他很快就要上這兒來(lái)，送我一件禮物做紀(jì)念。"

Just then, Bary strolled in. I stood to welcome his arms around me. We sat, sipping our coffee. "I will miss you so much, "he said softly. "But I know you'll think of me whenever you hear this. "He placed a Tracy Chapman CD on the table in front of me. Then he pointed to the song title, Just Give Me One Reason. "We can listen to the same music and remember each other."

正說(shuō)著，巴里走了進(jìn)來(lái)。我站起來(lái)，投人他的懷抱。坐下后，我們各自抿著杯中的咖啡。"我會(huì)想你的，"他無(wú)限溫存地說(shuō)道。"不過(guò)，我想當(dāng)你聽(tīng)它的時(shí)候一定會(huì)想起我，"他拿出那張?zhí)乩傥鳌げ槠章腃D放在我的面前，他指著那首主打歌《我只要一個(gè)理由》，說(shuō)道："當(dāng)我們聽(tīng)同一首歌時(shí)，我們都正在思念著對(duì)方。

"Oh, and one more thing to remember me by." He set a small box on top of the CD. The same awe I felt at our first meeting paralyzed me now. The love I saw in his eyes as we gazed across the table was gift enough for a lifetime. Finally I reached for the box and opened it slowly. A diamond ring!

"對(duì)了，還有一樣?xùn)|西。"他拿出一個(gè)小盒子放在CD上。我好像第一次見(jiàn)他那樣完全怔住了。我們彼此凝望，他眼中的愛(ài)意是我一生都受用不盡的禮物。最后，我拿起那只盒子，慢慢地打開(kāi)了它。一枚鉆石戒指！

"Michelle, I have loved you from the first moment I saw you. On our first date, even before we had coffee, l knew you were the woman I was going to marry. I woke up this morning, desperate, thinking, it's May 3! In three days I'll lose my angel. Sure, my career in South Africa is a chance in a lifetime, but you, Michelle, are my dream come true. Please marry me."

"米歇爾，我見(jiàn)到你的第一眼便深深地愛(ài)上了你。在我們第一次約會(huì)之前，不，甚至在我們一起喝咖啡之前，我已經(jīng)知道你是我要娶的女人。今天早上，我睜開(kāi)眼睛，一想到已經(jīng)是5月3號(hào)，我絕望極了，再過(guò)三天，我將失去我的大使。的確，在非洲的事業(yè)是我生命中的一個(gè)轉(zhuǎn)機(jī)。可是你。米歇爾，讓我的夢(mèng)想成真。請(qǐng)嫁給我吧，親愛(ài)的米歇爾?quot;

"Yes, Barry, yes, "I cried. "

"噢，是的，巴里，是的，我同意！"我流著淚答道。

I know what moving to New York means to you, but will you come with me to South Africa? I believe with all my heart, Michelle, that we were brought together on purpose. Nothing in my life is going as I planned it, but l know it's all a part of a bigger plan." Barry chuckled. "God has a great sense of humor, but a poor sense of timing."

"我知道到紐約對(duì)你意味著什么，可是你能到南非和我一同生活嗎？我深深地感到，米歇爾，我們的相遇是上天的安排。我生活中的許多事都與計(jì)劃背道而馳。可我相信那都是一個(gè)更大計(jì)劃的組成部分?quot;巴里笑言："上帝的確夠幽默，可卻不太會(huì)安排時(shí)間。"

Exactly one year later, on May 3, we were married under an African sky. Our dream come true. Our chance of a lifetime.

一年后的5月3號(hào)，我和巴里在南非的天空下舉行了婚禮。我們都?jí)粝氤烧妫膊辉e(cuò)過(guò)我們生命中的機(jī)遇。