The Time Traveler’s Wife (Excerpt)〔 时间旅行者的妻子〕（节选）作者 | 奥德丽·尼芬格（美）

Dearest Clare,
最挚爱的克莱尔：

There is one last thing, and I have hesitated to tell you, because I’m superstitiously afraid that telling might cause it to not happen (I know: silly) .

克莱尔，还有最后一件事情，我一直犹豫着是否要告诉你，因为我迷信地担心，泄漏天机事难成（我知道，听起来很傻）。

And also because I have just been going on about not waiting and this might cause you to wait longer than you have ever waited before.

还有一个原因是，我刚刚让你别再等待，而这次恐怕会导致你的等待比以前任何一次更加漫长。

But I will tell you in case you need something, after.

不过我还是要告诉你，以备你需要一些力量继续未来的路。

Last summer, I was sitting in Kendrick’s waiting room when I suddenly found myself in a dark hallway in a house I don’t know.去年夏天，我坐在肯德里克的候诊室里，突然发现自己位于一间陌生房屋的一处漆黑的过道上，我被一堆橡胶套鞋缠住，有一股雨天的味道。

I was sort of tangled up in a bunch of galoshes, and it smelled like rain.在过道的尽头，我看见门边一圈依稀的微光，于是我非常缓慢、非常安静地走到门边，朝里张望。

At the end of the hall I could see a rim of light around a door, and so I went very slowly and very quietly to the door and looked in.

在过道的尽头，我看见门边一圈依稀的微光，于是我非常缓慢、非常安静地走到门边，朝里张望。

The room was white, and intensely lit with morning sun.

在早晨的强光下，房间里一片亮白。

At the window, with her back to me, sat a woman, wearing a coral colored cardigan sweater, with long white hair all down her back.

窗边，有一位女士背对我坐着，她穿着珊瑚色的开襟衫，一头长长的白发披在背上。

She had a cup of tea beside her, on a table.

她身边的桌子上放着一杯茶。

I must have made some little noise, or she sensed me behind her…

一定是我发出了一些声响，或者她感觉到我在她的身后……

She turned and saw me, and I saw her.

她转过身，看见了我，我也看见了她。

It was you, Clare, this was you as an old woman, in the future.

那是你，克莱尔，是年迈的你，是未来的你。

It was sweet, Clare, it was sweet beyond telling, to come as though from death to hold you, and to see the years all present in your face.

多么甜美的感觉，克莱尔，甜美得无法言喻，就好像从死神手里走出来，抱着你，看着岁月在你脸上留下的痕迹。

I won’t tell you any more, so you can imagine it, so you can have it unrehearsed when the time comes, as it will, as it does come.

我不能再多说了，你可以去想象，当那一时刻到来时，你将会有全新的感受，那一定会到来的。

We will see each other again, Clare.

克莱尔，我们会再见面的。

Until then, live, fully, present in the world, which is so beautiful.

在那之前，好好地活在这个如此美丽的世界上。

It’s dark, now, and I am very tired. I love you, always. Time is nothing.
现在天色暗了，我累了。我永远爱你。时间没有什么了不起的。

Henry
亨利