《幸运小甜饼的预言》的英文原文

The Fortune Cookie Prophecy--幸运小甜饼的预言

Puberty hit me late．I was still afraid of the opposite sex when I was fifteen，and yet I prayed every night for the girl I would marry．I asked God to help her do well in school and to be happy and full of energy－－wherever she was．

One day，my phone rang．"Don，"it was my mother．"You know I told you about the Addison，who moved in next door to us．Well，Clara Addison keeps asking me to in－vite you over for cards some night．"

"Sorry，Mom，I've got a date that night．""How could you？I haven't even told you what night it is？"my mother responded with exasper－ation．"It doesn't matter when．I'm sure the Addisons are nice people，but I'm not going to waste an evening socializing with people who don't have any eligible daughters．"That's how stubborn I was－－I was positive that there wasno reason for me to go to visit the Addison．

Years passed．I was twenty－six，and my friends were getting nervous about my prospects．They kept lining up blind dates for me．Many of these dates were fiascoes ，and they were in ter－fering with my social life．So I made up a few rules about blind dates：

１．No dates recommended by my mother（moms don't understand the modern love）．

２．No dates recommended by a female（they are too easy on each other）．

３．No dates recommended by a single guy friend（if she's so awesome，how come he hasn't asked her out？）

In three simple steps，I eliminated９０per－cent of all my blind dates，including one recom－mended by my old friend Karen．She called one evening to tell me that she had become good friends with a beautiful girl who reminded her of me．She said she knew we would hit it off．"Sorry，"I said，"you are ruled out by rule num－ber two．"

"Don，"She said，"you're crazy，and your silly rules are eliminating the girl you've been waiting for．But have it your way．Just take her name and phone number，and when you change your mind，call her．"

To get Karen to stop bothering me about it，I said I would．The girl's name was Susan Maready．I never called her．

Just a couple of weeks later，I ran into my old buddy Ted in the university cafeteria．"Ted，"I said．"You look like you're walking on air ．"

"Can you see stars under my feet？"he said，laughing．"The fact is，I just got engagedlast night．"

"Hey，congratulations。"

"Yeah，"he said，"at thirty－two，I was begin－ning to wonder if any woman was going to have me．"He pulled his wallet out of his pocket．"Here，"he said，suddenly serious，"look at this．"

It was a thin strip of paper form a fortune cookie．"You will be married within a year，"it said．

"That's wild，"I said．"They usually say something that would fit anyone，like you have a magnetic personality．"

"No kidding，"he said．"And look at me now．"

A few weeks later，my roommate Charlie and I were eating dinner at a Chinese restau－rant．I shared this story about Ted's fortune cookie prediction，and his subsequent engage－ment．Just then，the waiter brought over our post－meal fortune cookies．Charlie laughed at the coincidence as we opened our cookies．Mine said，"You have a magnetic personality．"His said，"You or a close friend will be married within a year．"A chill ran up my spine．This was really strange．Something told me to ask Charlie if I could keep his fortune，and hehanded it to me with a smile．

Not long afterward，my classmate Brian said he wanted to introduce me to a young woman named Susan Maready．I was sure I'd heard that name before，but couldn't remem ber how or where．Since Brian was married，and therefore I wouldn't be breaking my "rules"about being fixed up by single guys，I accepted his offer to meet Susan．Susan and I spoke on the phone，and planned a bike ride and a cook－out．Then，the meeting－－and as soon as I saw her，my heart started beating hard and would not stop．Her large green eyes did something to me I couldn't explain．But somewhere in me，I knew that it was love at first sight．

After that wonderful evening，I remembered that this hadn't been the first time someone tried to fix me up with Susan．It all came backto me．Her name had been popping up all over the place for a long time．So the next time I had a chance to talk to Brian alone，I asked him about it．

He squirmed and tried to change the sub－ject．

"What is it，Brian？"I asked．

"You'll have to ask Susan，"was all he'd say．

So I did．

"I was going to tell you，"she said．"I was going to tell you．"

"Come on，Susan，"I said．"Tell me what？I can't stand the suspense．"

"I've been in love with you for years，"she said，"since the first time I saw you from the Addisons'living room window．Yes－－it was me they wanted you to meet．But you wouldn't let anyone introduce us．You wouldn't let the Ad－disons set us up；you wouldn't take Karen's word for it that we would like each other．I thought I was never going to meet you．"

My heart swelled with love，and I laughed at my self．"Karen was right，"I said．"My rules were crazy．"

"You're not mad？"she asked．

"Are you kidding？"I said．"I'm im pressed．I've got only one rule for blind dating now．"

She gave me a strange look．"What's that？"

"Never again，"I said and kissed her．

We were married seven months later．

Susan and I are convinced that we are true soul mates．When I was fifteen and praying for my future wife，she was fourteen and praying for her future husband．After we had been married a couple of months，Susan said to me，"Do youwant to hear something really strange？"

"Sure，"I said．"I love to hear strange things．"

"Well，about ten months ago，before I'd met you，my friends and I were at this Chinese restaurant，and．．．"She pulled a slip of paper from a fortune cookie out of her wallet：You will be married within a year．．．

[参考译文]

我的青春期来的比较晚。我十五岁时对异性还心存恐惧。但每晚我都会为我将要娶的那个女孩祈祷。无论那个女孩在什么地方，我都请求上帝保佑她在学校里学习成绩好，幸福愉快、精力充沛。

一天，电话铃响了。"唐，"这是妈妈打来的，"我记得我已经告诉过你关于埃迪森的事，那个刚搬到我们隔壁的新邻居。克拉拉·埃迪森一直请求我，要请你晚上去她那儿玩牌。"

"不好意思，妈妈，那天晚上我有一个约会。""你怎么能这样？我甚至还没有告诉你到底是哪个晚上要你去！"妈妈恼怒地答道。"什么时候并不重要，我知道埃迪森一家是好人。但是我不会为了和一个没有像样女儿的人家交际而浪费掉一个晚上?quot;我真是太固执了--我就那么肯定自己没有去拜访埃迪森的任何理由。

过了几年。我已经２６岁了，一些朋友开始为我的前途而不安起来。他们不停地为我牵线搭桥，帮我安排约会。其中有很多约会简直是糟糕透顶。他们已经妨碍了我的社交生活。所以我对由人牵线的约会制定了几个准则：

１、不考虑妈妈安排的约会（妈妈不了解现代爱情）；

２、不考虑女性安排的约会（她们对同性的审美观点实在太差）；

３、不接受单身汉朋友提供的约会（如果那女孩真的那么漂亮，他为什么不约她出去？）。

基于这３个准则，我避开了百分之九十的约会。这其中包括我的老朋友卡伦安排的约会。一天晚上她打来电话，说她和一个漂亮的女孩是好朋友，这个女孩使她想到了我，她确信我和那个女孩会一见钟情的。"真抱歉，"我拒绝道"你违反了我的第二条准则。"

"唐，"她对我说，"你真是疯了，你那些愚蠢的准则会让你错过你真正喜欢的女孩。但是随你的便，记下她的名字和电话，当你改主意时，就给她打电话。"

为了让卡伦不要再烦我，我说我会的。那个女孩叫苏珊·玛丽蒂，但我始终没有打电话给她。

仅仅几个礼拜以后，我在大学自助餐厅里偶遇了我的老伙伴泰德。"泰德，看上去你仿佛飘飘欲仙?quot;

"你能看见我脚下的星星吗？"他笑着答道，"事实上，昨晚我订婚了。"

"真的！祝贺你了！"

"谢谢，"他说"我在３２岁时开始怀疑是不是有女人想要我。"他从口袋里拿出钱夹，"这个，"他突然非常严肃地说道，"看看这个。"

那是从一种幸运甜饼里拿出来的一张薄纸。上面写着："你将在一年内结婚。"

"这真荒唐，"我说"他们总是在纸上写悦人的话，比如"你有难以抗拒的魅力"。

"不骗你，"他说，"你瞧现在我怎么样。"

几周后，我和我的室友查理一起去一家中国餐馆吃饭。在那里，我告诉了他关于泰德那幸运甜饼的预言以及后来的订婚。就在这时，服务员给我们上了一道饭后的幸运甜饼。当我们打开甜饼的包装时，查理为这个巧合笑个不停。我的甜饼纸条上写着?quot;你有难以抗拒的魅力"。他的写着："你或者你一位亲密的朋友会在一年之内结婚"。我的脊背掠过一股寒意。这真是太奇怪了。我向查理索要他的那张纸条。他笑着把纸条给了我。

不久之后，我的同学布赖恩说要向我介绍一个叫苏珊·玛丽蒂的年轻女孩。我十分肯定我曾听过这个名字，可就是想不起来是在哪里、怎么听过的。既然布赖恩已经结婚，所以没有违背"不能接受单身汉介绍女朋友"的准则。于是我同意了他安排的约会，决定去见苏珊。我和苏珊通了电话，我们计划骑车出游以及野餐。后来，就见了面--当我见她第一眼时，我的心跳急剧加速并且无法平息。她那大大的绿眼睛中，有些我根本不能用语言说清的奥妙。但是我知道，在我内心深处，我对她是一见钟情了。

在那次美妙的夜晚之后，我想起来了，这不是第一次有人向我介绍会面苏珊！我全都想起来了。她的名字突然之间充满了我的整个世界，挥之不去。再一次单独见着布赖恩时，我问了问这事。

他忐忑不安，似乎想要换一个话题。

"这是怎么回事，布赖恩？"我问。

"你自己去问苏珊。"这就是他所说的话。

于是我这样做了?quot;我本来就想告诉你的，"她说，

"我本来就想告诉你的。"

"快点儿，苏珊，"我说，"告诉我什么？我可不能忍受别人卖关子。"

"我暗恋你已经有好几年了，"她说，"自打我第一次从埃迪森家的窗口看见你时。是的-- 我就是他们一直想让你会见的那个人。但是你不给任何人介绍我们的机会。你不让埃迪森替我们安排，你不相信卡伦的那句话--我们会喜欢对方。我以为我永远不会和你约会了。"

我的心中充满了爱意。"卡伦说得对，"我自嘲道，"我的那些规矩真是太愚蠢了。"

"你不是疯子么？"她问道。

"你是在取笑我？"我说"我铭记在心。现在我对约会只有一个原则了？

她好奇地看着我，问道："是什么？"

"不会再有任何约会。"我说，然后亲了她。

七个月之后我们结婚了。

苏珊和我都确信我们是真正的心心相印。我１５岁时，为我未来的妻子祈祷；她１４岁时，为她未来的丈夫祈祷。我们结婚几个月后，苏珊对我说，"你想不想听听真正奇怪的事情？"

"当然，"我说。"我就喜欢听奇怪的事情。"

"那好，大概在１０个月前，我还没有见到你的时候，我和朋友一起去这家中国餐馆，然后......"她从钱夹里掏出了一张从幸运甜饼里拿出来的纸：你将在一年之内结婚......


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