雙語散文:不，我愛的人是你！

A Legend of Love “不，我愛的人是你！”

If love does not know how to give and take without restrictions,it is not love,but a transaction. — Emma Goldman
如果愛不是自然而然地付出與獲得，那它就不是愛，而只是一種交易。 ——艾瑪•高曼

　　Edward Wellman bade good-bye to his family in the old country headed for a better life in America. Papa handed him the family’s savings hidden in a leather satchel. “Times are desperate here,” he said, hugging his son goodbye. “You are our hope.”
　　Edward boarded the Atlantic freighter offering free transport to young men willing to shovel coal in return for the month-long journey. If Edward struck gold in the Colorado Rockies, the rest of the family could eventually join him.
　　For months, Edward worked his claim tirelessly, and the small vein of gold provided a moderate but steady income. At the end of each day, as he walked through the door of his two-room cabin, he yearned for the woman he loved to greet him. Leaving Ingrid behind before he could officially court her had been his only regret in accepting this American adventure. Their families had been friends for years and for as long as he could remember; he had secretly hoped to make Ingrid his wife. Her long, flowing hair and radiant smile made her the most beautiful of the Henderson sisters. He had just begun sitting by her at church picnics and making up silly reasons to stop by her house, just so he could see her. As he went to sleep in his cabin each night, Edward longed to stroke her auburn hair and hold her in his arms. Finally, he wrote to Papa, asking him to help make this dream come true.
　　After nearly a year, a telegraph came with a plan to make his life complete. Mr. Henderson had agreed to send his daughter to Edward in America. Because she was a hardworking young woman with a good mind for business, she would work alongside Edward for a year to help the mining business grow. By then both families could afford to come to America for their wedding.
　　Edward’s heart soared with joy as he spent the next month trying to make the cabin into a home. He bought a cot for him to sleep on in the living area and tried to make his former bedroom suitable for a woman. Floral cloth from flour sacks replaced the burlap-bag curtains covering the grimy window. He arranged dried sage from the meadow into a tincan vase on the nightstand.
　　At last, the day he had been waiting for his whole life arrived. With a bouquet of fresh-picked daisies in hand, he left for the train depot. Steam billowed and wheels screeched as the train crawled to a stop. Edward scanned every window looking for Ingrid’s glowing hair and smile.
　　His heart beat with eager anticipation, then stopped with a sinking thud. Not Ingrid, but her older sister Marta, stepped down from the train. She stood shyly before him, her eyes cast down.
　　Edward only stared － dumbfounded. Then with shaking hands he offered Marta the bouquet. “Welcome,” he whispered, his eyes burning. A smile etched across her plain face.
　　“I was pleased when Papa said you sent for me,” Marta said, looking into his eyes briefly, before dropping her head again.
　　“I’ll get your bags, “Edward said with a fake smile. Together they headed for the buggy.
　　Mr. Henderson and Papa were right. Marta did have a great grasp of business. While Edward worked the mine, she worked the office. From her makeshift desk in one corner of the living area, she kept detailed records of all claim activity. Within six months, their assets doubled.
　　Her delicious meals and quiet smile graced the cabin with a wonderful woman’s touch. But the wrong woman, Edward mourned as he collapsed onto his cot each night. Why did they send Marta? Would he ever see Ingrid again? Was his lifelong dream to have her as his wife forsaken?
　　For a year, Marta and Edward worked and played and laughed, but never loved. Once, Marta had kissed Edward on the cheek before retiring to her room. He only smiled awkwardly. From then on, she seemed content with their exhilarating hikes in the mountains and long talks on the porch after suppers.
　　One spring afternoon, torrential rains washed down the hillside, eroding the entrance to their mine. Furiously, Edward filled sand bags and stacked them in the water’s path. Soaked and exhausted, his frantic efforts seemed futile. Suddenly there was Marta at his side holding the next burlap bag open. Edward shoveled sand inside, then with the strength of any man, Marta hurled it onto the pile and opened another bag… For hours they worked, knee-deep in mud, until the rains diminished.
　　Hand in hand, they walked back to the cabin. Over warm soup Edward sighed, “I never could have saved the mine without you. Thank you, Marta.”
　　“You’re welcome,” she answered with her usual smile, then went quietly to her room.
A few days later, a telegraph came announcing the arrival of the Henderson and Wellman families next week. As much as he tried to stifle it, the thought of seeing Ingrid again started Edward’s heart beating in the old familiar way.
　　Together, he and Marta went to the train station. They watched as their families exited the train at the far end of the platform. When Ingrid appeared, Marta turned to Edward. “Go to her,” she said.
　　Astonished, Edward stammered, “What do you mean?”
　　“Edward, I have always known I was not the Henderson girl you intended to send for. I had watched you flirt with Ingrid at the church picnics.” She nodded toward her sister descending the train steps. “I know it is she, not me, you desire for your wife.” “But ...”
　　Marta placed her fingers over his lips. “Shhh,” she hushed him. “I do love you, Edward. I always have. And because of that, all I really want is your happiness. Go to her.”
He took her hand from his face and held it. As she gazed up at him, he saw for the first time how very beautiful she was. He recalled their walks in the meadows, their quiet evenings before the fire, her working beside him with the sandbags. It was then he realized what he had known for months.
“No, Marta. It is you I want.” Sweeping her into his arms, he kissed her with all the love bursting inside him. Their families gathered around them chorusing, “We are here for the wedding!”

愛德華•威爾曼就要告別家人、移民美國去尋求更美好的生活了。爸爸把家裏所有的積蓄藏在一個小皮包裏交給了他。“你知道，我們這兒的情況越來越糟了，日子越來越不好過了，”爸爸擁抱着愛德華，叮囑道：“你是我們全家的希望啊！”
　　愛德華搭上了一艘大西洋貨船，貨船專門爲願意無償爲貨船剷煤的年輕人提供一個月的免費旅行。如果愛德華能夠在美國科羅拉多州的落基山脈淘到黃金，那麼，他的家人們就能夠到美國和他團聚了。
　　經過幾個月不知疲倦地工作，愛德華終於找到了一個小型的金礦，他開始有了一些收入，雖然不多，但是很穩定。每天晚上，當勞累了一天的他走進他那有兩個房間的小木屋的門的時候，他多麼希望他鐘愛的女人能在門口迎接他的歸來啊！直到如今，他惟一感到遺憾的仍舊是在他決定離開英格里德前來美國開創事業之前沒能正式向她求婚。他家和英格里德家是多年的世交，至少從記事以來就是。而英格里德是漢德森姐妹中最漂亮的一個，她那一頭長長的、宛如流雲飛瀑一般的秀髮是那麼地瀟灑飄逸；她那燦爛而又甜美的微笑是那麼地令人心醉神迷……他一直都默默地愛着英格里德，期盼着有朝一日能夠娶她爲妻。記得他很小的時候，就喜歡和英格里德在一起玩，即使是在教堂野餐時，他也是從一開始就坐在她的旁邊，並且，他還總是找一些愚蠢的理由到她家裏去拜訪，這樣一來，他就能夠見到她了。如今，每天晚上，當他回到他的小木屋，開始睡覺的時候，他總是渴望能夠輕撫着英格里德那赤褐色的長髮，與她相擁而眠。終於，他再也無法忍受這相思之苦，提筆給他的爸爸寫了一封信，求他幫助他實現他的夢想。
　　在經歷了將近一年的漫長期待之後，終於，一封寫着使他的生活更加完美的計劃的電報飛到了他的身邊。漢德森先生已經同意讓他的女兒到美國來找愛德華了。由於她很有商業頭腦，而且又能吃苦耐勞，所以，她將在愛德華的身邊工作一年，幫助他料理金礦的事務，以使金礦的生意不斷髮展。到那時，他們兩家就可以一起來美國參加他們的婚禮了。
　　愛德華高興極了，心也彷彿要飛出胸膛一樣。他花了一個月的時間，想盡一切辦法將他的小木屋改造成了一個“家”。他買了一張輕便小牀，放在起居室裏留自己睡覺，而把他原本睡覺的房間改造成一間適合女人居住的臥室。他用從麪粉袋子上剪下來的花布做成窗簾，換下了原來掛在骯髒不堪的窗戶上的粗麻布口袋。他還從牧場裏採摘來乾的山艾，插在錫罐裏，擺在牀頭櫃上。
　　終於，他生命裏一直在期待的那天來到了。他採來一束新鮮的雛菊，拿在手裏，前往火車站迎接心上人的到來。當火車噴着蒸汽，車輪發出刺耳的尖叫聲徐徐駛進車站的時候，愛德華懷着激動的心情翹首向每一扇車窗裏張望着，期待着能再見到英格里德那長長的秀髮和迷人的微笑。
　　想着馬上就要見到最心愛的女孩了，因此，他興奮，他激動，他的心在劇烈地跳動着。但是，不久，那顆充滿渴望的心就一下子跌落到了最底處。因爲，在他的眼前，正走下火車的不是英格里德，而是她的姐姐瑪塔！她羞答答地站在他面前，頭也不敢擡，眼睛注視着地面。
　　愛德華簡直就不敢相信自己的眼睛――他大惑不解地站在那裏，啞口無言。良久，他才顫抖着手把花遞給瑪塔。“歡迎你，”他輕聲說道，眼睛彷彿被灼燒一樣難受。這時，瑪塔的那平平常常的臉上掠過了一絲微笑。
　　“當爸爸告訴我說你希望我能來美國的時候，我真是高興極了，”瑪塔看着他的眼睛，羞澀地說，說完，就又低下了頭。
　　“我來替你拿行李吧，”愛德華勉強地擠出一絲笑容說。然後，他們一起向馬車走去。
　　漢德森先生和爸爸說的沒錯，瑪塔的確具有很強的商業頭腦。當愛德華在金礦工作的時候，她則在辦公室裏料理各方面的事務。在起居室的一個角落裏，她臨時找了一張代用的辦公桌，並把所有顧客提出的要求都逐條記錄了下來。在半年的時間裏，他們的資產翻了一番。
　　不僅如此，她還有一手精湛的廚藝，每天都能讓愛德華吃上可口的飯菜，還有她每天在門口迎接他歸來時那恬靜的微笑，這一切都使他的小木屋裏有了一絲美好的女人的氣息。“但是，她並不是我想要的女人啊，”每天晚上，當他拖着疲憊不堪的身體倒在他的輕便小牀上時，他總是會憂傷難過地想，“他們爲什麼讓瑪塔來？我是不是再也見不到英格里德了？我要娶英格里德爲妻的終生的夢想是不是實現不了了？”
　　轉眼，一年過去了。在這一年裏，瑪塔和愛德華一起生活，一起工作，一起玩樂，一起歡笑，但是，他們之間卻從來不曾有過愛情。有一次，在回自己的房間之前，瑪塔在愛德華的臉頰上輕輕地吻了一下。雖然，愛德華只是很笨拙地笑了笑，然而，就是從那時起，他們之間的任何一次愉快的爬山、旅行，或者是晚飯後坐在走廊裏的促膝長談，似乎都讓瑪塔感到非常滿足。
　　一個春日的午後，天空中突然下起了傾盆大雨，雨水形成的山洪猛烈地衝下山坡，把他們的金礦的入口沖垮了。眼看着自己的金礦即將毀於一旦，愛德華心裏非常焦急，非常惱怒。他把沙袋堆積在一起，企圖阻擋住水流。儘管他已經渾身溼透，且筋疲力盡，但是，他的努力好像沒有起到一點兒作用。就在這時，突然，瑪塔來到了他的身邊，打開了一個粗麻布袋，示意愛德華向裏面裝沙子。愛德華先是一愣，繼而奮力揮動鐵杴，把沙子裝進了粗麻布袋。然後，瑪塔竟像一個男人一樣，用力扛起沙袋，把它扔進那一堆沙袋之中，接着，她又拿起了另一隻粗麻布袋……他們一起在雨中奮戰了好幾個小時，直到雨停。其實，他們的膝蓋都已經深陷淤泥之中了……
然後，他們拖着疲憊的身體，手拉着手回到了小木屋。喝過一碗熱湯之後，愛德華感慨地說：“如果沒有你，我根本保不住金礦。謝謝你，瑪塔。”
　　“不用謝，”她答道，臉上依舊盪漾着與往常一樣的笑容，然後，她默默地走進自己的房間裏。
　　幾天之後，一封來自家鄉的電報又飛到了愛德華的手上。電報給他帶來了一個驚人的好消息：漢德森和威爾曼兩家將於下星期抵達美國。儘管，愛德華竭力控制着自己的喜悅與激動，但是，再次見到英格里德的喜悅使他的心又像以往那樣劇烈地跳動起來……
　　轉眼，那一天到來了。愛德華和瑪塔早早來到了火車站，翹首盼望着。終於，他們看到了自己的家人走下火車，沿着遠處的月臺向這邊走來。英格里德仍像以前一樣秀髮飄逸，笑靨如花。這時，瑪塔轉過身，看着愛德華，說：“去吧，愛德華。”
　　愛德華驚訝地看着瑪塔，結結巴巴地問：“你這是什麼意思？”
　　“愛德華，其實我早就知道我並不是你所希望的來這裏的女孩。我曾經看到過你和英格里德在教堂野餐時坐在一起談情說愛。”瑪塔一邊說着，一邊向正走下臺階的妹妹點點頭，“我知道你想娶的人是她，不是我。”
　　“但是……”
　　“噓——”瑪塔把她的手指壓在愛德華的嘴脣上，示意他保持安靜。然後，她深情地說：“我愛你，愛德華，永遠都是。正因爲如此，所以，我真誠地希望你能幸福。快去迎接她吧。”
　　這時，愛德華猛地擡起雙臂，雙手抓住了瑪塔壓在他嘴脣上的手，並緊緊地握着，握着。瑪塔擡起頭，癡癡地凝視着他。直到此時，愛德華才第一次發現瑪塔竟是如此的美麗！昔日他們在一起相處的那些情景此刻又一幕一幕地在他的眼前閃回：清晨的牧場裏，他們並肩漫步；火紅的篝火旁，他們促膝談心；滂沱的大雨中，他們攜手奮戰……哦，其實，早在幾個月以前，他就已經意識到他愛的歸宿了！
　　“不，瑪塔。我愛的人是你。”說着，愛德華將她擁入懷中。此刻，他那積聚在胸中的愛彷彿火山噴發一樣，恣意地、盡情地宣泄出來，他用他全部的愛，忘情地、狂熱地親吻着她。這時，他們的家人已經聚攏到了他們的身旁，齊聲歡呼道：“哦，真是太好了，我們就是來參加婚禮的！”

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