懸崖上的鮮花

Edwin used to be a university student， majoring in science. With such fine qualities as being ready and prudent， reliable and diligent， he swept Sophia off her feet. They had been courting for three years before their wedding took place.

However， time can be the enemy of love. After a decade of marriage， Sophia grew weary of the dull family life. Like most women， she was under the sway of emotions， longing for passionate love in romantic atmosphere， while her husband was introverted and practical by nature. Actually， he was so bad at speech that he never said \"I love you\" to Sophia， nor did he kiss or embrace her.

One day， nerving herself， Sophia said to Edwin， \"We'd better get divorce.\"

\"Could you give me the reason?\"

\"All good things must come to an end! Frankly speaking， I'm fed up with you.\"

Edwin was just smoking a cigarette， not knowing how to respond. Sophia had her heart in her boots. She thought to herself， \"How can a person incapable of saving the situation bring me great happiness?\"

Eventually Edwin asked， \"In what circumstances will you change your mind?\" Staring at him， Sophia said， \"I have a question for you， and if your answer is the very one I'm eager to hear， I shall remain your wife forever. Suppose on the edge of a cliff is a beautiful flower， which I admire day and night. Unfortunately， you'll surely die if you risk picking it back for me. Are you willing to do that?\"

\"Sorry， I can't make a reply until tomorrow morning，\" murmured Edwin. Sophia felt greatly disappointed.

Early the following morning， Sophia woke up only to find Edwin missing and also noticed a note under a glass of hot milk， on which were written too many words. But unexpectedly， she was plunged into deep sorrow by the first line.

\"Darling， I won't pick the flower， however charming it may be. Yet I have every reason to say NO. Do let me tell you what they are. Typewriting on computer is your full-time job. But much to your irritation， the program is repeatedly made a mess of. And you are at a loss what to do next before the keyboard. I'll continue to restore the software with my hands. So they are the apple of my eye. More often than not， you forget to take the key before away from home， and consequently you can't enter our house when you return. I have to run back to open the door. Thus I must attend to my feet. You are enthusiastically fond of traveling， however， you get lost time and time again in the city. It is essential that I lead the way. You have spoiled your eyes by watching the computer screen day after day. When you are advanced in years， I will trim your nails， help you remove your annoying white hairs. I will take you by the hand， enjoying the warm sunshine， and telling you that the color of a certain flower resembles your face in the prime of youth. Obviously， I have to look after my own eyes. Besides， as a rule， you keep yourself to yourself. I will drive away your loneliness by talking about things that interest you. Therefore， my mouth is particularly important. Anyway， I won't pick the flower on the cliff until I have met another man who loves you more dearly than I do， despite the fact that you crazily wish for it now.\"

Tears were rolling down her rosy cheeks. Sophia wiped them away and went on reading the rest of the note:

\"Darling， if you have read the note through， and if you are satisfied with my words， please open the door. I'm standing outside at the moment. And in my hands are fresh milk and tasty bread， both of which are undoubtedly your favorites.\"

Pulling the door open， Sophia saw Edwin， as nervous as a little kid. He was shaking the bread with one hand.

\"I no longer worship the flower. Having you about me is enough. I can say for sure that no one else loves me more than you do in this world，\" stated Sophia tearfully.

It goes without saying that love or marriage is like a book--what counts more is not its cover but its contents.

埃德溫上大學時學的是理科。他敏捷慎重、可靠勤奮，這些良好品質讓索菲婭為之傾倒。他們一直相愛3年，才舉辦婚禮。

然而，時間可能是愛情的敵人。經過12年的婚姻生活，索菲婭漸漸對乏味的家庭生活感到厭倦。和大多數女人一樣，她開始情感波動，渴望浪漫激情的愛，而她的丈夫卻性格內向、天生實際。實際上，他拙于言辭，從來沒有對索菲婭說過“我愛你”，也沒有親吻或擁抱過她。

有一天，索菲婭鼓起勇氣對埃德溫說:“我們最好離婚吧。”

“你能給我離婚的理由嗎?”

“天下沒有不散的筵席!坦率地說，我對你厭倦了。”

埃德溫正在抽煙，不知該如何回答。索菲婭萬分沮喪，心里想:“一個無力挽救局面的人怎能給我帶來極大幸福呢?”

最后，埃德溫問道:“在什么情況下，你會改變你的想法?”索菲婭凝視著埃德溫說:“我問你一個問題，如果你的回答正是我想聽到的，那我就永遠做你的妻子。假如一個懸崖邊上有一朵我日思夜想的美麗鮮花。不幸的是，如果你冒險為我采回，你肯定會死。你愿意那樣做嗎?”

“對不起，我明天早上才能答復你。”埃德溫咕噥說。索菲婭大失所望。

第二天一大早，索菲婭醒來時才發現埃德溫不在，同時注意到一杯熱牛奶下面有一張便條，便條上寫了好多話。但讓她想不到的是，她看了第一行字，就陷入了深深的悲痛之中。

“親愛的，無論鮮花可能多么迷人，我也不會去采。然而，我有充分理由說不。讓我向你慢慢道來。在電腦上打字是你的專職工作。但是，經常讓你氣憤的是，電腦程序經常出錯。面對鍵盤，你茫然無措。我就會不斷親手恢復軟件。所以，這雙手是我心愛的寶貝。你離家時經常忘記帶鑰匙，回家時進不了屋。我只好跑回家開門。因此，我必須愛護自己的腳。你熱衷旅游，而你卻經常在城市里迷路。我在前領路非常必要。你日復一日盯著電腦屏幕，已經損害了眼睛。你上歲數時，我會給你修剪指甲，幫你除去鬧心的白發。我會拉著你的手，享受溫暖的陽光，還會告訴你某種鮮花的顏色就像你風華正茂時的臉蛋一樣。顯然，我還得保護好自己的眼睛。此外，你不常和人來往。我要談論讓你感興趣的東西趕走你的孤獨。因此，我的嘴特別重要。總之，我要找到一個比我更愛你的男人，才會去采懸崖上的那朵鮮花，盡管你現在拼命想要。”

淚珠順著她紅潤的臉頰滾滾而下。索菲婭擦去淚珠，繼續往下念:

“親愛的，如果你看完了這張便條，如果你滿意我說的這些話，請打開門。此刻，我正站在門外。我手里端著鮮奶，拿著可口的面包，這兩樣無疑都是你特別喜愛的東西。”

索菲婭打開門，看到埃德溫像小孩子一樣緊張不安。他拿著面包的手在顫抖。

“我不再要那朵鮮花了。有你在我身邊足夠了。我可以肯定地說，在這個世界上，沒有人比你更愛我了，”索菲婭眼淚汪汪地說。

不言而喻，無論愛情還是婚姻，都像一本書:更重要的不是它的封面，而是它的內容。

注釋:

1. prudent adj. 謹慎的

2. sweep sb.off his feet 使某人為之傾心

3. introverted adj. 內向的;含蓄的

4. nerve oneself 鼓起勇氣

5. have one's heart in one's boots 焦急萬分;沮喪

6. irritation n.激怒;被激怒

7. apple of one's eye掌上明珠;心愛的寶貝

8. consequently adv.所以;因此

9. enthusiastically adv.熱心地;狂熱地

10. resemble vt.類似

11. in the prime of 正在壯年;正在年富力強時期

12. keep oneself to oneself 不交際

13. count vi. 有價值;重要;有用