My newlywed husband said the same thing every morning. "You're beautiful today."
我的新婚丈夫每天早晨都对我说出同样的话。"你今天真美。"
One glance in the mirror revealed that it was far from the truth.
只需往镜子里一瞥就能揭示他说的根本不是事实。
A skinny girl with mashed hair on one side of her head and no makeup smiled back at me. I could feel my sticky morning breath.
镜中的女孩瘦瘦的,乱乱的头发倒向头的一侧,没有任何化妆,她微笑地望着我。我还能感到早晨起来嘴里不大好闻的气味。
"Liar," I shot back with a grin.
"说谎,"我咧着嘴笑,回敬了他一句。
It was my usual response. My mother's first husband was not a kind man and his verbal and physical abuse forced her and her two children to find a safe place. He showed up on her doorstep one day with roses. She let him in and he beat her with those roses and took advantage of her. Nine months later she gave birth to a 9 lb. 13 oz. baby girl -- me.
我总是这样回敬我的丈夫。我母亲的第一个丈夫可不是个善良的男人,他粗暴的语言攻击和身体虐待迫使我母亲带着两个孩子去寻找一个安全的地方。有一天他出现在母亲的门前,手里拿着玫瑰花。她让他进了门,但他却用玫瑰花打她,并强行占了她的便宜。9个月后她生了一个9磅12盎司重的女孩--就是我。
The harsh words we heard growing up took root. I had trouble seeing myself as someone of value. I had been married two years when I surprised myself. My husband wrapped his arms around me and told me I was beautiful.
长大过程中我们听到的刺耳的话语也扎根在我心底。我难以把自己看作一个有价值的人。结婚两年后我感到惊讶了。我的丈夫双臂拥着我告诉我,我是美丽的。
"Thank you," I said.
The same thin girl with the mousy3 brown hair still stared back at me in the mirror, but somehow the words had finally blossomed in my heart.
"谢谢你,"我说。
同样瘦弱,一头灰棕色头发的女孩在镜中盯着我,但是温柔的话语终于在我的心中开花了。
A lot of years have passed. My husband has grey in his hair. I'm no longer skinny. Last week I woke up and my husband's face was inches from mine.
许多年过去了。我的丈夫己经长出了灰发。我也不再骨瘦如柴。上周的一天早晨我醒来时,我丈夫的脸离我只有几英寸。