夏娃的遺禱

Extracted from Eve's Diary

Mark Twain

Bill Lin譯

這是我的禱告，也是我的盼望，希望我們能一起同生共死──這個盼望將永存於世，將存留於於每一位愛老公的妻子的心中，直到末了；它要被稱為夏娃的遺禱。

It is my prayer, it is my longing, that we may pass from this life together--a longing which shall never perish from the earth, but shall have place in the heart of every wife that loves, until the end of time; and it shall be called by my name.

我們之中，假如有一個必須先走，我祈求讓我先走；因為他堅強，我柔弱，他的需要我，不像我那樣的需要他──活著卻沒有他，生命就失掉了意義；我怎能受得了呢？這禱告也要永垂不朽，它要流傳，與我的族群共存亡。我是第一位妻子；而且在最後的那位妻子身上將重見我的身影。

But if one of us must go first, it is my prayer that it shall be I; for he is strong, I am weak, I am not so necessary to him as he is to me--life without him would not be life; now could I endure it? This prayer is also immortal, and will not cease from being offered up while my race continues. I am the first wife; and in the last wife I shall be repeated.

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在夏娃的墳前. . . .

亞當：「只要她在的地方，那兒就是伊甸園。」

At Eve's Grave

ADAM: Wheresoever she was, THERE was Eden.

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馬友友的妻子Jill對他說：「我哪兒也不去，你在哪裡，那裡就是我的家。」

……

馬友友說：「我慶幸擁有了這樣一位集美麗、智慧和愛於一身的女性為伴侣。我們是大提琴上的弦和弓，誰離誰都不是琴，都不成音樂……」