雙語散文:鹽咖啡

The Salty Coffee

He met her at a party. She was so outstanding, many guys chasing after her, while he was so normal, nobody paid attention to him.

At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him, she was surprised but due to being polite, she promised. They sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, she felt uncomfortable, and she thought to herself, “Please, let me go home...”

Suddenly he asked the waiter, “Would you please give me some salt? I’d like to put it in my coffee.” Everybody stared at him, so strange! His face turned red but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. She asked him curiously, “Why you have this hobby?” He replied, “When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea, I liked playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, think of my hometown, I miss my hometown so much, I miss my parents who are still living there.” While saying that tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched. That’s his true feeling, from the bottom of his heart. A man who can tell out his homesickness, he must be a man who loves home, cares about home, has responsibility of home... Then she also started to speak, spoke about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family.

That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their story. They continued to date. She found that actually he was a man who meets all her demands; he had tolerance, was kind hearted, warm, careful. He was such a good person but she almost missed him! Thanks to his salty coffee! Then the story was just like every beautiful love story, the princess married to the prince, and then they were living the happy life... And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that’s the way he liked it.

After 40 years, he passed away, left her a letter which said, “My dearest, please forgive me, forgive my whole life’s lie. This was the only lie I said to you － the salty coffee. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, actually I wanted some sugar, but I said salt. It was hard for me to change so I just went ahead. I never thought that could be the start of our communication! I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but I was too afraid to do that, as I have promised not to lie to you for anything... Now I’m dying, I afraid of nothing so I tell you the truth, I don’t like the salty coffee, what a strange bad taste... But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life! Since I knew you, I never feel sorry for anything I do for you. Having you with me is my biggest happiness for my whole life. If I can live for the second time, still want to know you and have you for my whole life, even though I have to drink the salty coffee again.”

Her tears made the letter totally wet. Someday, someone asked her, “What’s the taste of salty coffee?” She replied, “It’s sweet.”

Pass this to everyone because love is not to forget but to forgive, not to see but understand, not to hear but to listen, not to let go but HOLD ON!!!

在一個舞會上他遇見她，她那麼出衆，許多男孩追求她。他卻這麼普通，沒人注意他。

舞會結束後，他邀請她去喝咖啡，她有些驚奇，但，出於禮貌，還是答應了他。他們坐在一家典雅的咖啡廳，他非常緊張，她卻並不覺得浪漫，一心在想，“ 請讓我回家吧……”

突然他對服務員說，“請給我一點鹽好嗎? 我要把它加在我的咖啡裏。” 咖啡廳裏每個人都驚奇地看着他。他的臉紅了，卻很鎮靜。他把鹽放入咖啡中，並喝咖啡。她好奇地問他，“你怎麼有這樣的嗜好?” 他回答，“ 小時候我住得離大海很近，我喜歡在海里玩，感覺大海的滋味，就象這鹽咖啡的味道。現在，每當我喝鹽咖啡，我總是想起我的童年，我的故鄉，我思念我依然生活在那裏的父母。” 他說到這些，眼淚涌了出來。她深深地感動了，

那是發自他心底的真情一個能夠說出思鄉病的男人，一定是一個愛家，對家有責任感的人……隨後，她也開始說起自己遙遠的家鄉，她的童年，她的家庭。

那真是一次美好的約會，也是他們故事的一個美麗開端。從那以後，他們繼續約會。她發現事實上他是一個能滿足她要求的男人：他善良，善於忍受，給人以溫暖，又心細。他真是一個好人，她有時非常思念起他來! 真要謝謝他的鹽咖啡!

後來，正像每一個美麗的愛情故事，這個公主嫁給了這個王子。他們過着幸福的生活……並且，每次爲他煮咖啡，她都加上鹽，因爲他喜歡。

四十年後他去世了，留給她一封信，信中寫道，“親愛的，請原諒我。原諒我這說了一生的謊言。這是我對你唯一撒謊的一次---就是鹽咖啡。記得第一次約會嗎，那時我太緊張了，其實我想要一些糖，但卻說成了鹽。當時我覺得難以改口，只好順其自然，卻怎麼也沒想到那會是我們交往的開始! 在後來有許多次，我都想告訴你事實真相，但是我有點害怕，因爲答應過你事事要說真話。現在我快要去了，我不怕了。所以告訴你，我不喜歡鹽咖啡，那味道真是差極了……但是我卻喝了一生。自從我認識你，爲你做的事，我從不後悔。在我一生中，擁有你是我最大的幸福。如果我能活第二回，我仍想與你結識，並和你在一起，即使再讓我喝鹽咖啡。”

她的淚水把信紙全弄溼了。後來一天，有人問起她，“鹽咖啡味道怎樣？”“味道好極了！” 她回答。