《美食祈禱和戀愛》Chapter 34 (74):美妙的感恩夜

Deborah starts by saying she is grateful that America will soon get a chance to pick a new president. Sofie says (first in Swedish, then in Italian, then in English) that she is grateful for the benevolent hearts of Italy and for these four months she's been allowed to experience such pleasure in this country. The tears begin when Mario—our host—weeps in open gratitude as he thanks God for the work in his life that has enabled him to have this beautiful home for his family and friends to enjoy. Paolo gets a laugh when he says that he, too, is grateful that America will soon have the chance to elect a new president. We fall into a silence of collective respect for little Sara, one of the twelve-year-old twins, when she bravely shares that she is grateful to be here tonight with such nice people because she's been having a hard time at school lately—some of the other students are being mean to her—"so thank you for being sweet to me tonight and not mean to me, like they are." Luca's girlfriend says she is grateful for the years of loyalty Luca has shown to her, and for how warmly he has taken care of her family through difficult times. Simona—our hostess—cries even more openly than her husband had, as she expresses her gratitude that a new custom of celebration and thankfulness has been brought into her home by these strangers from America, who are not really strangers at all, but friends of Luca's and therefore friends of peace. 黛博拉先開始。她說她很感謝美國過不久有機會挑選新總統。蘇菲說（先講瑞典語，再講意大利語，最後講英語），她感謝意大利人的善心，以及這四個月來在這個國家所體會的快樂。招待我們的主人馬里奧流着淚，公開感謝上帝賜予他工作，使他擁有這棟讓家人和朋友樂在其中的漂亮房子。保羅說的話引起鬨堂大笑，因爲他說他也感謝美國很快就有機會舉行新總統的選舉。我們一致對小莎拉表達沉默的敬意——這位十二歲的雙胞胎之一勇敢地告訴大家，她感謝今晚能在此地與這些好人共度，因爲最近她在學校很不好過——有些同學對她不友善——“因此感謝你們今晚善待我，不像那些同學。”盧卡的女友說她感謝盧卡多年來對她一片赤忱，在困難的日子裏熱誠地照顧她的家人。我們的女主人席莫娜甚至比她的老公更開懷大哭，因爲她感謝這羣來自美國的陌生人帶給她家新的節慶風俗與感恩之意，這些人不是陌生人，而是盧卡的朋友，因此也是和平的朋友。

When it comes my turn to speak, I begin "Sono grata . . ." but then find I cannot say my real thoughts. Namely, that I am so grateful to be free tonight from the depression that had been gnawing at me like a rat over the years, a depression that had chewed such perforations in my soul that I would not, at one time, have been able to enjoy even such a lovely night as this. I don't mention any of this because I don't want to alarm the children. Instead, I say a simpler truth—that I am grateful for old and new friends. That I am grateful, most especially tonight, for Luca Spaghetti. That I hope he has a happy thirty-third birthday, and I hope he lives a long life, in order to stand as an example to other men of how to be a generous, loyal and loving human being. And that I hope nobody minds that I'm crying as I say all this, though I don't think they do mind, since everyone else is crying, too. 輪到我說時，我開口說“Sono grata……”，可是我發現自己講不出真正的想法。換句話說，我非常感謝今晚得以免於這幾年啃噬我的抑鬱，這抑鬱使我的靈魂穿孔，使我一度無法享受如此美好的夜晚。我並未提及這些，因爲我不想引起孩子們的恐慌。我只說出更簡單的事實——我對新朋友和舊朋友不勝感激。我說今晚尤其感謝盧卡•斯帕蓋蒂。我希望他能有個快樂的三十三歲生日，希望他長命百歲，以作爲他人的表率，讓大家知道何謂慷慨、赤誠、博愛。我說希望沒有人介意我說這些話的時候哭了出來，儘管我想他們並不介意，因爲大家都哭了。

Luca is so clutched by emotion that he cannot find words except to say to all of us: "Your tears are my prayers." 盧卡情緒激動得說不出話來，只對我們說：“你們的眼淚是我獻上的禱告。”

The Sardinian wine keeps on coming. And while Paolo washes the dishes and Mario puts his tired daughters to bed and Luca plays the guitar and everyone sings drunken Neil Young songs in various accents, Deborah the American feminist psychologist says quietly to me, "Look around at these good Italian men. See how open they are to their feelings and how lovingly they participate in their families. See the regard and the respect they hold for the women and children in their lives. Don't believe what you read in the papers, Liz. This country is doing very well." 撒丁酒源源不絕。保羅洗碗，馬里奧把女兒送去睡覺，盧卡彈吉他，大家南腔北調地唱着尼爾•楊（Neil Young）的醉歌。美國女性主義心理學家黛博拉悄悄地告訴我：“看看這些意大利好男人。看看他們多麼公開自己的感覺，多麼關愛自己的家庭。看看他們多麼尊重自己生命中的女人和小孩。別去相信報上的報道，小莉。這國家乾得很好。”

Our party doesn't end until almost dawn. We could have roasted that twenty-pound turkey, after all, and eaten it for breakfast. Luca Spaghetti drives me and Deborah and Sofie all the way back home. We try to help him stay awake as the sun comes up by singing Christmas carols. Silent night, sainted night, holy night, we sing over and over in every language we know, as we all head back into Rome , Pray, Love 我們的派對在將近黎明時分才結束。我們原本可以烤二十磅的火雞，當早餐吃。盧卡載着我、黛博拉和蘇菲一路回家。太陽升起，我們唱聖誕頌歌，幫助他保持清醒。平安夜，聖善夜，我們唱自己知道的各種語言，一遍又一遍，一同回到羅馬。