用愛填補空白

Filling the Void

Cindy： So…

Bruce： Yep.

Cindy： It finally happened.

Bruce： I know. It’s so weird. You could hear a pin drop in here.

Cindy： Well I don’t like it. Not one bit.

Bruce： At least the trip went off without a 1）hitch.

Cindy： Did it？ Wouldn’t you count losing a piece of ourselves as a slight hitch？

Bruce： I wouldn’t exactly call it a hitch. A hitch is usually something unexpected. I’d call missing a piece of ourselves just par for the course when it comes to dropping one’s kids off at college.

Cindy： But how will they survive without us？ And how will we survive without them？ Don’t you remember when we first decided to have kids？ ①Our marriage was on the rocks， we went to that therapist， and he warned us that becoming parents was not the answer.

Bruce： But did we listen？

Cindy： Of course not， because we are a couple of stubborn 2）mules. ②Once we have our minds set on something， there’s no turning back.

Bruce： And I happen to know a pair of identical know-it-alls who have the exact same 3）mindset.

Cindy： I have to keep reminding myself how lucky they actually are to have each other for support. I guess having twins turned out to be the best thing for all of us. I just wish they didn’t have to choose a school so far from home. I always pictured them staying in the northeast， so I could drive up for special events or if they’re feeling homesick.

Bruce： ③Yeah， but Stanford gave them a scholarship offer they simply couldn’t refuse， and neither could we since the tuition there is normally through the roof.

Cindy： Fine. Besides， that’s not really what I’m worried about. I keep asking myself； will our marriage survive without the glue that’s held us together for all these years？

Bruce： I think being 4）immersed in our roles as parents， you the big corporate exec and me the stay-at-home dad with my blogs and recordings， has taken over our daily lives. They’ve been the center of our universe. And providing a safe， healthy and happy home has been our top 5）priority ever since they were born. So， with this new empty place in our hearts， maybe it’s time for us to fill it with a newfound passion. Let’s rediscover who we really are.

Cindy： ④Bruce， I…I just flashed back to when you were talking at that rally in college. You inspired such hope in all of us， that we could make a difference in people’s lives. Maybe we can devote ourselves to a good cause， and start to fill that void of ours by giving back to others and bringing joy to those in need.

Bruce： I love you so much， honey.

Cindy： I love you too， hubby.

辛迪：那么……

布魯斯：是的。

辛迪：這最終還是發生了。

布魯斯：我知道。這很奇怪。一根針掉在地上你都可以聽到。

辛迪：我不喜歡這樣。一點也不。

布魯斯：至少這次旅途暢行無阻。

辛迪：是嗎？難道你不把失去我們生命中的一部分算作是一次小故障嗎？

布魯斯：準確地說，我不會把這稱為一次小故障。故障通常指的是那些意料之外的事。當說到讓自己的孩子在大學這一站下車，我會把失去我們生命中的一部分當作意料中的事。

辛迪：但沒有我們，他們將怎么辦？而沒有了他們，我們又該怎么辦？你難道不記得當我們第一次決定要孩子的時候了嗎？（當時）我們的婚姻正遭遇瓶頸，我們去咨詢心理醫師，他提醒我們當父母并不是解決辦法。

布魯斯：但我們有聽他的意見嗎？

辛迪：當然沒有，因為我們倆都頑固得像驢一樣。一旦我們決意要做某事，便義無反顧。

布魯斯：我剛好認識這樣一對和我們完全相同的，有著一模一樣固執心態的自稱無所不知的人。辛迪：我不得不一直提醒自己他們事實上是多么幸運，可以相互依靠對方。我覺得有一對雙胞胎對我們大家來說是最好的事。我只希望他們不用選一所離家那么遠的學校。我總想著他們待在東北部，這樣的話，當有特殊活動或者他們想家的時候，我可以開車去看他們。

布魯斯：是的。但斯坦福大學提供了讓他們無法拒絕的獎學金，我們也無法拒絕，因為那里的學費通常極為昂貴。

辛迪：好吧。另外，那不是我真正擔心的事。我不停地問自己，如果沒有了這么多年來把我們黏合在一起的紐帶，我們的婚姻還能維持下去嗎？

布魯斯：我認為專注于做好父母一直占據著我們的生活，其中你是重要的高層管理人員，而我是居家老爸，通過寫博客、錄像等方式（記錄他們的生活）。他們一直都是我們的中心。從他們一出生開始，給他們提供一個安全、健康、快樂的家就一直是我們優先考慮的事。既然現在我們的心里有新的空白，或許我們是時候用新發現的激情來填補這片空白。讓我們一起來重新認識真實的自我吧！

辛迪：布魯斯，我……我剛回想起你在大學集會的講話。當時你激發了我們大家無盡的希望，你說我們可以對別人的生活產生影響。或許我們可以投身到高尚的事業中去，通過回報別人，給那些需要幫助的人帶來快樂來填補我們的空虛。

布魯斯：我真的很愛你，親愛的。

辛迪：我也愛你，丈夫。

Smart Sentences

① Our marriage was on the rocks， we went to that therapist， and he warned us that becoming parents was not the answer.

（當時）我們的婚姻正遭遇瓶頸，我們去咨詢心理醫師，他提醒我們當父母并不是解決辦法。

on the rocks： in a state of difficulty， having problems， usu. used for a relationship（困境，瀕于破裂；常用于形容情感關系）。例如：

I can’t believe my relationship with Amy is on the rocks after being together for five long years.

我與艾米一起已經五年了，真不敢相信我們的感情會陷于困境。

② Once we have our minds set on something， there’s no turning back.

一旦我們決意要做某事，便義無反顧。

have one’s mind set on sth.： want sth. or want to do sth. very much（一心想要某物，或做某事）。例如：

Ever since she was a kid， she has had her mind set on becoming an astronaut.

她從小時候起就決意要當一名宇航員。

③ Yeah， but Stanford gave them a scholarship offer they simply couldn’t refuse， and neither could we since the tuition there is normally through the roof.

是的。但斯坦福大學提供了讓他們無法拒絕的獎學金，我們也無法拒絕，因為那里的學費通常極為昂貴。

through the roof： sth. is extremely high， esp. price（非常高，特別是價錢）。例如：

The price of gold is through the roof now， so it’s a good thing I bought our wedding rings last month.

如今金價猛漲，我上個月就買了結婚戒指，太棒了。

④ Bruce， I…I just flashed back to when you were talking at that rally in college.

布魯斯，我……我剛回想起你在大學集會的講話。

flash back to sth.： remember sth. or think of sth. briefly（回想起，閃現）。例如：

After hanging up the phone with Dan， my mind kept flashing back to the old days when we were roommates in college.

與丹掛電話后，我腦海里不停地回想起我們在大學做室友的那些日子。