When my husband and I celebrated our 38th wedding anniversary at our favorite restaurant, Lenny, the piano player, asked, "How did you do it?"
当我和丈夫在我们最喜欢的饭馆庆祝结婚38周年纪念日时,钢琴手莱尼过来问道："你们是怎样一路走过来的?"
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,要回答这个问题并不容易.但随着周末一天天地临近,我在想：或许其中的一个原因就是我们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.
一切得从那个早餐托盘讲起,那是我妈妈送给我们的结婚礼物.盘面是玻璃的,两边各有一个细长的木制侧袋用来放晨报-就像过去常常在电影中见到的那样.我妈妈很喜欢那些电影,尽管她自己很少在床上用早餐,却非常希望女儿能这样.深爱着我的新郎把她的话牢记在心里.
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.
出于内心的愧疚,我提议我们两个轮流做早餐.每个星期天的早上,丈夫喊着"我讨厌饭渣弄到床上",一边嘟嘟囔囔地抱怨着,一边却又急切地等候他的早餐.很快,这种周末早餐就成为我们生活中的一部分,习以为常也就不去想它了.我只知道我俩都很珍视这段与其他时间有别的幸福时光-看看报、放松一下自己,忘记那些本该记在心里的事情.
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.
细想逝去的岁月,我回忆起我们的周末生活在不断地变化,但这个习惯却一直没有变.我们建立起了这个家庭（初为父母时,早饭后的时间我们多半是睡觉,而不是阅读）,而且我们总能恢复原样,重新回到最初的地方-只是两个人的早餐,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.
后来,当我们有了更多的时间,我的早餐托盘就变得更加趣味无穷.开始时是一些排列成几何形状的水果片,之后便是从自家花园里摘来的鲜花-有时候只是一朵,开在一半的葡萄柚当中.没想到这竟激发出我在装饰、点缀方面的天赋,各种各样的东西,从孤挺花到枫树的叶芽,都能成为我的道具.丈夫说我做的早餐给了他灵感.妈妈也会赞同他的说法.
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.
或许是在某个星期六,当在一个大草莓上放一朵雏菊做帽子时,我开始想：我怎么才能够超过它?在冬天的一个漆黑的夜里,我从梦中醒来,眼前仿佛看到一个雪人站在托盘上.就在那个星期天,我铲起一捧雪,很快就做好了一个雪人.我轻轻地把一个微型松果按在雪人的头上.
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!"
我端着早餐上楼,盘里放着那个冻结的漂亮的小雪人,我期待着他的反应-居然没有任何反应-但就在我下楼时,我听到他大笑着说道："好吧,你赢了!你得到大奖了!"
