《等待》英译

他们认识了三年，二人同是羞涩内向，个性保守。他从没有在她面前提过爱，然而，她依稀可从他羞涩眼眸中察觉到那一股灼灼爱意。几次三番，她向他暗示鼓励，他却仍是木讷呆傻，不敢开口。岁月飘逝，三年后，她跟另一个男孩订婚了，在订婚前夕却仍忘不了他。

“如果他现在开口，说出那一句话，我还愿意回到他的怀抱。”在亲友的祝福声中，她这么想着。可是，他什么也没表示，只不过眼神里多了一股淡淡的忧郁。

终于，到了结婚前夕，在她新婚的喜悦中却掺杂着一股淡淡的哀伤。

“如果他现在开口，说出那一句话，我还愿意放弃一切，选择这份迟来的幸福。”在试穿新婚礼服的一刻她这么想着，可是他什么也没表示。只不过眼神中的忧郁更浓了些。

50年后，二人都已白发苍苍。终于，她先倒了下去，在病危中，他远从外地来看她。她紧紧握住他的手，把一生中的疑惑与等待化成一句问话：“告诉我，你究竟在等待什么？”他四顾无人，颤抖着声音说出了也是一生中的彷徨与等待：“我在等你。”“等我什么？”“等你先开口啊！”

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Waiting

They had known each other for three years, both of them were of the conservative type, shy and inhibited. Although he had never mentioned the word of “love” before her, yet she could vaguely detect that passion burning in his diffident look.

She dropped him one hint after another to encourage him; however, he remained a big fool, never daring to confess it. Water flowed on under the bridge. Three years later, she was engaged to another young man. On the eve of her engagement, her thoughts went to that young man.

“If he comes and proposes now, I’m still willing to go to him,” she brooded, amidst the congratulations of her relatives and friends.

Yet, he did nothing of the kind. Added to the shyness of his look was a faint streak of melancholy.

Soon, it was the eve of her marriage. The happiness of the happiest girl was not untempered with a touch of sadness.

“Even if he should come and propose now, I would give up all this to embrace the belated happiness,” she repeated to herself as she tried on her bride’s gown. But again he hid his feelings, only his eyes betrayed greater misery.

Fifty years passed. The passage of time had dyed their hair silvery white. She was the first to collapse. When she was in a critical condition, he came from a far-away place to have a last look at her. Holding his hands in a tight grip, she asked him one question, into which she had compressed the wonderings and expectations of her lifetime.

“Tell me, what on earth have you been waiting for?”

“Waiting for you to…” he mumbled out his life-long hesitations and expectations only when he had made sure that no one else was within hearing.

“For me to do what?”

“For you to break the ice!”