几年前的一个炎炎夏日，在美国佛罗里达州南部，有个小男孩为贪图凉快，决定去自家房子后面一个形成已久的深水潭中游泳。

　　因为迫不及待地想投入到清凉的水中，他飞快地从后门跑了出去，边跑边脱掉鞋子，袜子和衬衣，把它们随手抛在了身后。他一头扎进了水里，丝毫没有意识到自己游往潭中心的同时，一只美洲鳄也正在朝岸边游来。

　　小男孩的母亲当时在屋子里透过窗子向外看着，发现那只美洲鳄正向她的孩子步步逼近。她极度惊恐起来，一边迅速奔向水潭，一边声嘶力竭地朝自己的孩子呼喊着。

　　听到她的呼喊，小男孩才猛然意识到了危险，立即掉头向岸边的母亲游去。可这时已经无济于事。他的手勉强刚够到他的母亲，鳄鱼也已经接触到了他。

　　母亲在岸上拼命地拽紧儿子的手臂，而此时美洲鳄也死死地咬住孩子的腿不放。为了争夺小男孩，母亲和鳄鱼之间俨然展开了一场让人难以置信的拔河较量。美洲鳄的力气显然要比母亲强大得多，但是母亲挽救儿子的坚定信念让她无论如何也绝不放手。就在这万分危急的关头，一位农夫恰巧驾车经过，一听到孩子母亲的尖叫便飞速从卡车上跳下，瞄准鳄鱼并开枪将其射杀。

　　值得庆幸的是，经过在医院数周的抢救治疗，小男孩居然存活了下来。鳄鱼凶残的袭击在他的腿上刻下了触目惊心的伤痕。不仅如此，他的双臂上也留下了深深的抓痕，那是在生死关头母亲为了牢牢抓住挚爱的儿子，以至于手指甲都掐入了儿子的肉中所留下的。

　　事后，这位死里逃生的小男孩接受了一位报社记者的采访。当记者问他是否愿意让大家看看他身上的伤疤时，小男孩挽起了自己的裤腿，腿上深深的疤痕暴露无遗。紧接着，他满脸自豪地告诉记者，“大家还是看看我的手臂吧，我的手臂上也有好多伤疤呢。这是妈妈不放开我，在救我的时候留下的。”

　　看了这个小男孩的故事后，人们都能感同身受。其实我们每个人身上都有伤疤。只不过并不是被鳄鱼咬的，或任何如此戏剧性事件所造成，而是过往的痛苦经历所留下的。那些伤疤是如此难看，让人深感懊悔。但是，我的朋友，你可曾想过有些伤口是一些不想放弃你的人造成的。在你挣扎的过程中，那些爱你的人为了拉住你，才在你身上留下了这些伤疤。

　　在人生之路上，有时我们会愚蠢地步入危险的境地，全然不知前方是什么情况。生活的水潭危机四伏--而我们总忘了潜在的敌人在伺机而动。当较量开始的时候--如果你的手臂上有爱的伤疤，你应该心怀感激，因为在你的生命中有人不曾也永远不会放弃你。







　　Some years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house.

　　In a hurry to dive into the cool water， he ran out the back door， leaving behind shoes， socks， and shirt as he went. He flew into the water， not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake， an alligator was swimming toward the shore. His mother - in the house was looking out the window - saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear， she ran toward the water， yelling to her son as loudly as she could.

　　Hearing her voice， the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother. It was too late. Just as he reached her， the alligator reached him.

　　From the dock， the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the mother， but the mother was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by， heard her screams， raced from his truck， took aim and shot the alligator.

　　Remarkably， after weeks and weeks in the hospital， the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal and， on his arms， were deep scratches where his mother‘s fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.

　　The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma， asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then， with obvious pride， he said to the reporter， ‘；But look at my arms.I have great scars on my arms， too. I have them because my mom wouldn‘t let go.‘；

　　You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars， too. No， not from an alligator， or anything quite so dramatic. But， the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret.

　　But， some wounds， my friend， are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle， He‘s been there holding on to you.

　　The Scripture teaches that God loves you.

　　If you have Christ in your life， you have become a child of God.

　　He wants to protect you and provide for you in everyway.

　　But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril - and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack. That‘s when the tug-of-war begins - and if you have the scars of His love on your arms be very， very grateful.

　　He did not - and will not - let you go.

He did not - and will not - let you go.

很久以看过这个故事，只是没有看过英文的。后面这句应该怎么译，比较合适。是永远不会放弃的意思吗？

引用:

原帖由 云儿ぁ风筝 于 2007-4-17 22:14 发表
He did not - and will not - let you go.

很久以看过这个故事，只是没有看过英文的。后面这句应该怎么译，比较合适。是永远不会放弃的意思吗？

嘿嘿，那不是译好的吗？千万别问我，我不会

　It was a very foggy day in London. The fog was so thick that it was impossible to see more than a foot or so. Buses, cars and taxis were not able to run and were standing by the side of the road. People were trying to find their way about on foot but were losing their way in the fog. Mr. Smith had a very important meeting at the House of Commons and had toget there but no one could take him. He tried to walk there but found he was quite lost. Suddenly he bumped into a stranger. The stranger asked if he could help him. Mr. Smith said he wanted to get to the Houses of Parliament. The stranger told him he would take him there. Mr. Smith thanked him and they started to walk there. The fog was getting thicker every minute but the stranger had no difficulty in finding the way. He went along one street, turned down another, crossed asquare and at last after about half an hour's walk they arrivedat the Houses of Parliament. Mr. Smith couldn't understand how the stranger found his way. "It is wonderful,” he said. "How do you find the way in this fog?"

　　"It is no trouble at all to me," said the stranger, "I am blind."







　　伦敦的一个大雾天。雾大得伸手不见五指，公共汽车、轿车和出租汽车无法行驶，均在路边“抛了锚”。人们步行着，尽力摸索前进，但都在雾中迷了路。史密斯先生要到下院参加一个非常重要的会议，必须赶到那儿，可是没人能送他去。他试图步行前往，又发现自己完全迷失了方向。突然，他撞上了一位陌生人。陌生人问他是否需要帮忙。史密斯先生说，他想去下议院。陌生人对他说，他愿意领他去。史密斯先生向他道了谢，他们就开始向下议院走去。雾越来越浓，但这位陌生人找起路来却毫无困难。他穿过一条街，拐进另一条街，通过一个广场，走了大约半个小时，最后来到了下议院。史密斯先生不能理解这位陌生人是如何找着路的。“太神奇了，”他说，“这么大的雾，你怎么能找着路呢？”

　　“对我来说，这根本不算一回事，”陌生人说。“我是个盲人。”

One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect. There was not a mark or a flaw in it. Yes, they all agreed it truly was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen. The young man was very proud and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart.

Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said, "Why your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine." The crowd and the young man looked at the old man's heart. It was beating strongly, but full of scars, it had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in, but they didn't fit quite right and there were several jagged edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gouges where whole pieces were missing.

The people stared — how can he say his heart is more beautiful, they thought? The young man looked at the old man's heart and saw its state and laughed. "You must be joking," he said. "Compare your heart with mine, mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears."

"Yes," said the old man, "Yours is perfect looking but I would never trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love — I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the empty place in my heart, but because the pieces aren't exact, I have some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love we shared. Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, and the other person hasn't returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the empty gouges — giving love is taking a chance. Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the love I have for these people too, and I hope someday they may return and fill the space in my heart. So now do you see what true beauty is? "

The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He walked up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart, and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with trembling hands.

The old man took his offering, placed it in his heart and then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man's heart. It fit, but not perfectly, as there were some jagged edges. The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man's heart flowed into his. They embraced and walked away side by side.

　　 中文：

　　一个年轻人站在城镇的中央，宣布他的心是整个山谷中最美丽的心。围观的群众很多，他们都称赞他的心的确是最完美的，没有一点伤痕或者瑕疵。真的，他们一致认为这实在是他们见过的最美丽的心。这个年轻人非常自豪，更加起劲地大声吹捧自己那颗美丽的心。

　　突然，一位老人出现在人群面前，他说：“你的心不如我的美丽。”围观群众和年轻人都朝老人的心看去，它有力地跳动着，却布满了伤疤，有的地方被挖走了，虽然重新补上了，但修补得不甚完整，留下参差不齐的疤痕。实际上，有的地方还露出很深的豁口。

　　人们睁大了眼睛——他们想：他怎能说自己的心更美丽呢？年轻人看了看老人的心，见是这种情形，不禁笑了起来：“你不是在开玩笑吧？”他说。“把你的心和我的比一下，我的心是那么完美，而你的心却布满了伤疤和裂痕。”

　　“是的，”老人说，“你的心从表面来看很完美，但我绝不会跟你交换。你看，每个伤疤都代表我为别人献出的一份爱——我掏出一块心给他们，他们常常会掏出自己的一块回赠给我，但由于这两块不完全一样，伤口的边缘就留下了疤痕，不过我十分珍惜这些疤痕，因为它们能使我想起我们共同拥有的爱心。有时我送出了心，其他人并没有回赠给我，因此就出现了这些深孔——献出爱只是创造机会。尽管这些伤口疼痛，并且整日敞开着，却能使我想起我给予他们的爱。我希望有一天，他们能够回来填补上我心里的空间。你们现在明白什么是真正的美丽了吧？”

　　年轻人默默无语地站着，泪水顺着脸颊流下。他走到这位老人身边，把手伸进自己完美而年轻美丽的心里，撕下一块来。他用颤抖的双手把它献给这位老人。

　　老人接过馈赠，把它放进自己的心里。然后他从自己疤痕累累的心里掏出一块，放在年轻人心里的那个伤口上。正好放进去，但不是特别吻合，因为有一些疤痕。年轻人看着自己的心，看起来不再完美但比以前更美丽了，因为老人心中的爱也流淌到了他的心里。他们互相拥抱，然后肩并肩离开了。

Thomas Carlyle lived from 1795 until 1881. He was a Scot essayist and historian. During his lifetime he became one of the world's greatest writers. But he was a human and humans make mistakes.
托马斯·卡莱尔（1795——1881）是苏格兰的散文家和历史学家，也是世界上一流的作家。但无论这位作家有多么地了不起，他毕竟也是一个凡人，凡人就免不了会犯错误
    On October 17, 1826, Carlyle married his secretary Jane Welsh. She was an intelligent, attractive and somewhat temperamental daughter of a well-to-do doctor. They had their quarrels and misunderstandings, but still loved each other dearly.
在1826年，10月17日，卡莱尔与他的秘书简·威尔斯结了婚。简的父亲是一位非常富有的医生，她聪明、美丽，但就是有点喜怒无常。虽然夫妇俩不时也会吵吵架，但感情还是蛮好的。

    After their marriage, Jane continued to serve as his secretary. But, after several years of marriage, Jane became ill. Being a hard worker, Carlyle became so absorbed in his writings that he let Jane continue working for several weeks after she became ill. She had cancer, and though it was one of the slow growing kind, she finally became confined to her bed. Although Carlyle loved her dearly, he very seldom found time to stay with her long. He was busy with his work.
结了婚后，简仍给卡莱尔当秘书。可是几年后，简却病倒了。但简还是继续带病工作了好几周，由于卡莱尔对写作非常地投入，所以，他并没有阻止简。简得的是癌症，虽然发作得比较慢，但最终，她还是病倒在床。尽管卡莱尔非常地爱简，但因为忙于工作，他很少抽时间来陪简。

    When Jane died they carried her to the cemetery for the service. The day was a miserable day. It was raining hard and the mud was deep. Following the funeral Carlyle went back to his home. He was taking it pretty hard. He went up the stairs to Jane's room and sat down in the chair next to her bed. He sat there thinking about how little time he had spent with her and wishing so much he had a chance to do it differently. Noticing her diary on a table beside the bed, he picked it up and began to read it. Suddenly he seemed shocked. He saw it. There, on one page, she had written a single line. "Yesterday he spent an hour with me and it was like heaven; I love him so."
     简死后，她的亲朋好友都到她的墓地参加葬礼。那是一个悲痛的日子。天上下着滂沱大雨，道路泥泞不堪。葬礼后，卡莱尔回到家里，心情非常沉重。他爬上楼梯，来到简的房间，坐在她床边的椅子上。回想起自己很少抽时间陪伴爱侣，卡莱尔非常地后悔，恨不得时间可以倒流。卡莱尔瞥见桌上放着简的日记本，便拿起来看。突然，他好象感到非常震惊。他看到了这样的一句话，“昨天，他陪了我一个小时，我感觉到了天堂般幸福。我喜欢他这样做。”

    Something dawned on him that he had not noticed before. He had been too busy to notice that he meant so much to her. He thought of all the times he had gone about his work without thinking about and noticing her. Then Carlyle turned the page in the diary. There he noticed she had written some words that broke his heart. "I have listened all day to hear his steps in the hall, but now it is late and I guess he won't come today."
他开始意识到一些曾被自己忽略了的事情。他一直以来都忙于工作，竟然不知道妻子是那么地需要自己。他回想起自己埋头工作，置妻子于一边的日子。翻看着简的日记，他留意到几句令他伤心欲绝的话：“我一整天都在留意他的脚步声，但现在为时已晚了，我想他今天不会来了。”

    Carlyle read a little more in the book. Then he threw it down and ran out of the house. Some of his friends found him at the grave, his face buried in the mud. His eyes were red from weeping. Tears continued to roll down his cheeks. He kept repeating over and over again, "If I had only known, if I had only known." But it was too late for Carlyle. She was dead.
卡莱尔再读了一会儿，然后丢下了日记本，冲出了屋外。朋友们在墓地里找到了他。他的脸粘满了泥浆，眼睛哭得红肿不堪，眼泪不停地在他脸庞上滑落, 他不停地念叨着, "如果我知道, 如果我知道……," 但一切对于卡莱尔来讲都太晚了，简已经不在人世了。

    After Jane's death, Carlyle made little attempt to write again. The historians say he lived another 15 years, "weary, bored and a partial recluse." I share the story with in the hope that you will not make the same mistake. While our loved ones must have the money we make to live, it is the love we have that they really want. Give it now before it is too late.
自从简死后, 卡莱尔就没怎么再写作了。据这位历史学家称，在他妻子死后的15年, 他的生活完全变了样, 生活对于他来讲是 “苦闷、无趣、寂寞的”。我把这个故事告诉大家，就是希望大家不要重蹈覆辙，悲剧重演。爱人是需要我们努力工作赚钱，但其实他（她）们更需要的是我们的爱。趁还来得及，去关怀你的爱人吧。

A lion once fell in love with a beautiful girl, so he went to her parents and asked them to marry her to him.   

　　The old parents did not know what to say.

　　They did not like the idea of giving their daughter to the lion, but they did not want to enrage the king of beasts.

　　At last the father said, "We are glad to marry our daughter to you, but we fear that you might possibly hurt her. So if you remove your claws and teeth, we will give her to you."

　　The lion loved the girl very much, so he trimmed his claws and took out his big teeth. When he came to the parents again, they simply laughed in his face, and beat him out of their house.



　　恋爱中的狮子   

　　●一只狮子爱上了一位美丽的女孩儿，便找到她的父母向她求婚。

　　●女孩儿的父亲不知道该如何回答，他不忍将女儿许配给野兽，但又害怕激怒这兽中之王。

　　●于是父亲说：“我们很乐意将女儿嫁给你，但又怕你不小心伤害她，如果你拔去牙齿，剁掉利爪，我们就将女儿嫁给你。”

　　●狮子非常爱这个女孩儿，于是他修剪了爪子，拔掉了尖牙后又去找女孩的父母。可是这时，他们嘲笑他，并把他赶了出去。

　　寓意: 有些人轻易相信别人的话，抛弃自己的长处，结果轻而易举地被原来害怕他们的人击败了。

作为一名教育和保健护理工作者,我曾经和数不清的感染上艾滋病病毒的孩子打过交道.我和这些特殊的孩子之间的关系是生活赋予的恩赐.他们教会我许多东西,我尤其懂得了即使在最弱小的人物身上也能发现其所蕴含的巨大勇气.让我告诉你泰勒的故事.
   (In my dual profession as an educator and health care provider, I have worked with numerous children infected with the virus that causes AIDS. The relationships that I have had with these special kids have been gifts in my life. They have taught me so many things, but I have especially learned that great courage can be found in the smallest of packages. Let me tell you about Tyler.)
   泰勒出生前就从母体感染上艾滋病病毒.自他来到人间就一直靠药物维持生命.他5岁时做手术,胸部插了一根管子,管子连着他背的背包里的泵,泵不断地把药通过管子输入他的血液.有时他还需要补充氧气帮助呼吸.
   (Tyler was born infected with HIV: his mother was also infected. From the very beginning of his life, he was dependent on medications to enable him to survive. When he was five, he had a tube surgically inserted in a vein in his chest. This tube was connected to a pump, which he carried in a small backpack on his back. Medications were hooked up to this pump and were continuously supplied through this tube to his bloodstream. At times, he also needed supplemented oxygen to support his breathing.)
   泰勒不愿把童年的一分一秒屈服于致命的疾病.经常能发现他背着装药的背包和拖着载有氧气罐的小车在他家后院玩耍奔跑.我们所有认识泰勒的人都惊叹生命带给他那纯朴的欢乐和赋予他的活力.泰勒的妈妈经常逗他说,他动的那么快,得给他穿件红衣服.这样她透过窗户查看他在院子里玩的怎样时,能一眼发现他.
   (Tyler wasn’t willing to give up one single moment of his childhood to this deadly disease. It was not unusual to find him playing and racing around his backyard, wearing his medicine-laden backpack and dragging his tank of oxygen behind him in his little wagon. All of us who knew Tyler marveled at his pure joy in being alive and the energy it gave him. Tyler’s mom often teased him by telling him that he moved so fast she needed to dress him in red. That way, when she peered through the window to check on him playing in the yard, she could quickly spot him.)
   可怕的疾病最终还是拖垮了精力充沛的像台小电动机似的泰勒.他的病情越来越严重,不幸的是身染艾滋病病毒的妈妈也病入膏肓.泰勒即将撒手人寰时,妈妈和他谈起死亡.她安慰他说,她也将要离开人世,不久会和他在天堂见面.
   (This dreaded disease eventually wore down even the likes of a little dynamo like Tyler. He grew quite ill and, unfortunately, so did his HIV-infected mother. When it became apparent that he wasn’t going to survive, Tyler’s mom talked to him about death. She comforted him by telling Tyler that she was dying too, and that she would be with him soon in heaven.)
   泰勒病逝前几天,招呼我到他病床前,低声对我说,“我可能就要死了,我不害怕.我死时请给我穿上红色的衣服.妈妈答应我她也会来天堂的,她来的时候我会在玩,我得保证她能找到我.”
  (A few days before his death, Tyler beckoned me over to his hospital bed and whispered, “I might die soon. I’m not scared. When I die, please dress me in red. Mom promised she’s coming to heaven, too. I’ll be playing when she gets there, and I want to make sure she can find me.”)

Robert Uchuller in his book Power to Grow Beyond Yourself, told an old Indian story that goes like this:
罗伯特.舒勒在他的《超越你自己的力量》一书中讲述了一个古老的印第安故事。故事是这样的：
"An Indian brave went out hunting and found an eagle's egg that had fallen from its nest but miraculously remainedunbroken. The Indian took the egg and put it in the nest of a prairie chicken. The eagle's egg hatched along with the other eggs in the prairie chicken's nest, and the little eaglet grew up with the other baby birds.
“一位印第安勇士外出打猎时发现一直从巢里掉到地上的鹰蛋，但是奇迹般地完好无损。勇士捡起鹰蛋，把它放在了一个松鸡的窝里。这只鹰蛋和其他许多松鸡蛋一起在松鸡窝里被孵化出来，小鹰和松鸡们一起长大了。
"All his life, the young eagle thought he was a prairie chicken. He learned to do what prairie chicken. He learned to do what prairie chickens do: scratch in the dirt for seeds and insects, cluck and cackle and fly just a few fee off the ground with wings thrashing in the wind.After all, that's how prairie chickens fly. They don't know any other way.
“小鹰以为自己这辈子就是一只松鸡了。小鹰像其他松鸡一样学会了在土里扒拉着寻找种子和昆虫，发出咯咯咯的叫声，使劲地扇动翅膀飞离地面几尺高。毕竟松鸡们就是这样飞的。它们不知道任何别的办法。

"The years passed and the young eagle became fully grown. One day he looked up and saw a magnificent bird high above in the cloudless sky. The huge bird seemed to hang in the air, borne by the wind currents, soaring with scarcely a beat of its huge, powerful wings.
“许都年过去了，小鹰已经羽毛丰满。一天，它向天空望去，看几万里无云的高空有一只硕大无比的鸟。大鸟好像被气流托浮着悬停在空中，不怎么扇动它那对巨大而有力的翅膀就能在空中翱翔。

"'What a beautiful bird,' he exclaimed. ' what is it?' 'That's and eagle-the chief of birds,' one of the chickens said. 'But don't give it a second thought, you can never be like him.'
“小鹰惊呼：‘多么漂亮的鸟哇！它是什么呀？一只松鸡回答道：‘那是鹰，是鸟类之王。可是你就别再想啦，你永远也不可能像它那样。’

"The eagle might have died after living the life of a chicken, but fortunately,he did give it a second thought. On another day, as he scratched in the dirt for seeds and insects, he looked up and again saw that same majestic bird as it soared high above with its huge wings outstretched against the sky.
“这只小鹰或许一辈子就这样过松鸡们的生活，然后死去；然而幸运的是，它确实又想了一想。另一天，当小鹰再土里扒拉着找种子和虫子的时候，它抬起头来看看天，又看见了那只大鸟，它舒展着那双巨大的翅膀在空中翱翔。
"'Strange,'he said to himself. 'I too, have giant wings, and my feet have huge claws that could be used for more than scratching the dirt.'
“‘好奇怪啊，小鹰自言自语道。‘我也有两只大翅膀，两只脚也有大爪子，它们可不仅仅是用来在土里扒食的。’
"So the eagle got a running start and leaped into the air, working his huge wings rhythmically and steadily as he had seen the huge bird do and like he had never done before. Instead of rising only a few feet as usual, he soared into the sky and found his true potential and destiny."
“于是，小鹰奔跑起来，向空中一跃而且，它像看见过的那只大鸟那样有节奏和坚定地扇动翅膀－它以前从来没有做过那样的展翅飞翔。结果，小鹰不是像往常一样只飞到几英尺高的地方，而是一直飞上了天空，找到了它真正的潜力和命运的所在。

WHATEVER LOVE MEANS—DIANA


爱就是一切——黛安娜
Although neither or them remembered the occasion, Diana first met her future husband when she was just a baby. It happened during the winter of 1961, when twelve-year-old Charles, Prince of Wales, was visiting his mother's Sandringham retreat.
尽管两人已记不清那段往事，可当黛安娜头一次见到她未来的丈夫时，还只是个孩子。那是在1961年的冬天，当时年仅十二岁的威尔士王储查尔斯正呆在夏丁汉他母亲的休养所。

At the time, your Prince Charles barely glanced at the tiny baby sleeping in her cot. After all, bow could a twelve-year-old boy be interested in babies?
那时，年轻的查尔斯王子几乎看都没看那个睡在童床里的小不点儿。毕竟，十二岁的孩子怎么会对婴儿感兴趣呢？

But the Prince would eventually take a very keen interest in this particular baby —it would just take some time.
然而，这位王子最终就是对这个婴孩产生了强烈的兴趣—只不过那是后来的事了。

In fact, it would be sixteen years before Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer took place in the middle of a farmer's field during a shooting party in November 1977.
实际上，查尔斯王子与黛安娜·斯宾塞女士再次相遇已是十六年后了。那次邂逅是在1977年11月的一次乡村狩猎会途中。

It was a cold, rainy, bleak afternoon when sixteen-year-old Diana, dressed in a borrowed parka that was too large for her, boots, and blue jeans, crossed the field to meet the heir to the British throne.
那是一个阴雨绵绵，寒风刺骨的下午，十六岁的黛安娜，身穿借来的一件过大的毛皮风雪大衣，足登长靴，下身是一件蓝色牛仔裤。她正经过这片狩猎场朝着这位英国王位继承人走来。

It was almost twilight when the two came face to face near Nobottle Woods.
接近黄昏时分，二人在诺布托树木附近迎面相遇。

"What a sad man," Diana thought when she first saw him. The future Princess was intrigued to finally meet the most eligible bachelor in England, thought she was not impressed with his five-foot-ten-inch height, thinking to herself that she would tower over him in high heels. But Diana would later say that she admired his beautiful blue eyes.
当黛安娜第一眼看到王子时，心里想：“一个多么忧郁的人。”尽管黛安娜对于他五英尺十英寸的身高并不心为然，觉得要是她穿着高跟鞋肯定会高过他，但这位未来的王妃还是期盼与英国最令人中意的单身汉见面。可是黛安娜后来说她很羡慕王子那双迷人的蓝色眼睛。

The Prince later remarked that he thought Diana was "a very jolly and attractive" girl, "full of fun," though Diana herself believed that "he barely noticed me at all."
虽然黛安娜自己认为“他根本没注意过我”，但王子后来说道，他觉得黛安娜是个“快乐而迷人的”姑娘，“很有趣。”

Diana, it was discovered later, first came to the attention of the royal family when she acted as a bridesmaid for her sister Jane's wedding that April. It was the first major social occasion that Diana attended as a young woman. And many of the royals were surprised at how beautiful and mature the once-gawky girl had become.
人们后来发现，黛安娜第一次引起皇室的注意是在那年四月她姐姐简的婚礼上，当时她是伴娘。这是她成年后参加的第一个大型社交活动，许多皇室成员对这个当初还是个粗笨难看的丫头，现如今却出落成如此成熟美丽的女人颇感惊讶。

Even the Queen Mother. Prince Charles's grandmother, noticed Diana's beauty, grace, and charm. She complimented the Earl on the fine job he had done in bringing Diana up.
就连查尔斯王子的祖母王后陛下都注意到了黛安娜的美丽、端庄和迷人。她称赞伯爵对黛安娜的精心培养。

A short time later, Prince Charles sent his valet to hand-deliver a formal invitation for Diana to accompany him that very evening to the opera and a latenight dinner at the palace.
不久之后，查尔斯王子派随从亲手送给她一张正式的请柬，邀请黛安娜当晚陪伴他去看歌剧并出席午夜的宫廷晚宴。

Though she was flustered, and the invitation came at such short notice, Diana accepted. She and her roommate, Carolyn Bartholomew, hurried to dress and prepare Diana for her big date. The evening was a success, and an invitation to party on the royal yacht came soon after……
尽管黛安娜感到局促不安，且请柬来得太匆忙，可她还是接受了。她与她的室友卡洛琳·巴赛洛缪，匆匆忙忙地梳洗打扮并为黛安娜做好了去赴这个重大约会的准备。当晚非常尽兴，不久邀请她参加皇家游艇聚会的请柬又接踵而至……..

Although she was intimidated by the crowd at Balmoral, Diana was wise enough not to stay in the castle itself. She asked for, and was granted, an invitation to stay with her sister Jane and her young husband at their cottage on the Balmoral estate.
虽然黛安娜对于拜尔马洛的众王族感到有些害怕，可她十分明智没有前往城堡。她提出请求，并得到批准，邀请她住在姐姐简和简的年轻丈夫在拜尔马洛的别墅中。

The Prince visited Diana there every day, offering to escort her to a barbecue, or extending an invitation for a long walk in the woods.
王子每天都去那里拜访她，要么提出陪她参加户外烤肉宴，要么邀请她去树林中进行长时间散步。

When Charles went to Switzerland for a ski vacation, Diana missed him terribly. He called her after a day or two, and told Diana he had something important to ask her.
当查尔斯去瑞士作滑雪旅行时，黛安娜对他朝思暮想。查尔斯到那里一两天后就打电话给她，告诉黛安娜他回英格兰后，要问她一些重要的事情。

He arrived home on February, 3, 1981.Three days later, he arranged to see Diana at Windsor Castle. Late that evening, while Prince Charles was showing Diana the nursery, he asked her to marry him.
1981年2月3日他回来了。三天后，他安排在温莎堡见黛安娜。那天晚上，当查尔斯王子陪黛安娜参观育婴室的时候，他向她求婚。

To his surprise, Diana treated his proposal as a joke, She actually giggled. But soon she could see that Prince Charles was serious. Despite an insistent voice inside her head that told her she would never be Queen, she accepted his proposal.
令王子惊讶的是，黛安娜把他的求婚当作了一个玩笑。她咯咯地笑起来。但不久后她看得出查尔斯王子是认真的。尽管她的脑海中一直有个声音告诫她不要想着去当王妃，可她还是接受了王子的请求。

Diana told Prince Charles over and over that she loved him.
黛安娜一遍又一遍地对王子说她爱他。

"Whatever love means." Was his reply.
“爱就是一切，”王子答道。