When my husband and I celebrated our 38th wedding anniversary at our favorite restaurant, Lenny, the piano player, asked, "How did you do it?"
當我和丈夫在我們最喜歡的飯館慶祝結婚38週年紀念日時,鋼琴手萊尼過來問道："你們是怎樣一路走過來的?"
I knew there was no simple answer, but as the weekend approached, I wondered if one reason might be our ritual of breakfast in bed every Saturday and Sunday.
我知道,要回答這個問題並不容易.但隨著週末一天天地臨近,我在想：或許其中的一個原因就是我們每逢星期六和星期天都在床上吃早餐.
It all started with the breakfast tray my mother gave us as a wedding gift. It had a glass top and slatted wooden side pockets for the morning paper kind you used to see in the movies. Mother loved her movies, and although she rarely had breakfast in bed, she held high hopes for her daughter. My adoring bridegroom took the message to heart.
一切得從那個早餐托盤講起,那是我媽媽送給我們的結婚禮物.盤面是玻璃的,兩邊各有一個細長的木製側袋用來放晨報-就像過去常常在電影中見到的那樣.我媽媽很喜歡那些電影,儘管她自己很少在床上用早餐,卻非常希望女兒能這樣.深愛著我的新郎把她的話牢記在心裡.
Feeling guilty, I suggested we take turns. Despite grumblings- "hate crumbs in my bed"- Sunday morning found my spouse eagerly awaiting his tray. Soon these weekend breakfasts became such a part of our lives that I never even thought about them. I only knew we treasured this separate, blissful time read, relax, and forget the things we should remember.
出於內心的愧疚,我提議我們兩個輪流做早餐.每個星期天的早上,丈夫喊著"我討厭飯渣弄到床上",一邊嘟嘟囔囔地抱怨著,一邊卻又急切地等候他的早餐.很快,這種週末早餐就成為我們生活中的一部分,習以為常也就不去想它了.我只知道我倆都很珍視這段與其他時間有別的幸福時光-看看報、放鬆一下自己,忘記那些本該記在心裡的事情.
Sifting through the years, I recalled how our weekends changed, but that we still preserved the ritual. We started our family（as new parents, we slept after breakfast more than we read）,but we always found our way back to where we started, just two for breakfast, one on Saturday and one on Sunday.
細想逝去的歲月,我回憶起我們的週末生活在不斷地變化,但這個習慣卻一直沒有變.我們建立起了這個家庭（初為父母時,早飯後的時間我們多半是睡覺,而不是閱讀）,而且我們總能恢復原樣,重新回到最初的地方-只是兩個人的早餐,星期六一次,星期天一次.
When we had more time, my tray became more festive. First it was fruit slices placed in geometric pattern; then came flowers from our garden just one blossom sprouting from a grapefruit half. This arranger of mine had developed a flair for decorating, using everything from amaryllis to the buds of a maple tree. My husband said my cooking inspired him. Mother would have approved.
後來,當我們有了更多的時間,我的早餐托盤就變得更加趣味無窮.開始時是一些排列成幾何形狀的水果片,之後便是從自家花園裡摘來的鮮花-有時候只是一朵,開在一半的葡萄柚當中.沒想到這竟激發出我在裝飾、點綴方面的天賦,各種各樣的東西,從孤挺花到楓樹的葉芽,都能成為我的道具.丈夫說我做的早餐給了他靈感.媽媽也會贊同他的說法.
Perhaps it was the Saturday when the big strawberry wore a daisy hat that I began to think, how can I top this? One dark winter night I woke with a vision of a snowman on a tray. That Sunday I scooped a handful of snow and in no time had my man made. With a flourish I put a miniature pinecone on his head.
或許是在某個星期六,當在一個大草莓上放一朵雛菊做帽子時,我開始想：我怎麼才能夠超過它?在冬天的一個漆黑的夜裡,我從夢中醒來,眼前彷彿看到一個雪人站在托盤上.就在那個星期天,我剷起一捧雪,很快就做好了一個雪人.我輕輕地把一個微型松果按在雪人的頭上.
As I delivered the tray, complete with a nicely frozen snowman, I waited for a reaction. There was none but as I headed down the stairs I heard a whoop of laughter and then, "You've won! Yes, sir, you've won the prize!"
我端著早餐上樓,盤裡放著那個凍結的漂亮的小雪人,我期待著他的反應-居然沒有任何反應-但就在我下樓時,我聽到他大笑著說道："好吧,你贏了!你得到大獎了!"
