佚名/Anonymous
My story is about a couple that goes to my church.They had been married 52 years that in itself is a rarity.She found out three and a half years ago that she had ovarian cancer.Three times the doctors told her that they thought that the chemotherapy had worked and that she was fine.Three times they were wrong.A few weeks ago they took her off her medication because it wasnt working anymore.
Her husband is in bad health as well.He has had chronic back pain for the past five years.At times his back is so bad that he cant get out of bed for weeks.
Last week I got a call from him（I work at the church as the church secretary），he was crying and wanted to let everyone at church know that his wife was being taken to hospital and asked for everyones prayers.The doctor had just told him that they only expect his wife to live a few more days.I sat on the other end of the phone listening to him cry and trying to make sense of how he could love and take care of a person for 52 years.
I chose this couple for my love story because ever since I was a little girl sitting in church Sunday mornings I can remember them and the great love that they had for each other.Every week that they were able to come to church they would sit so close to each other and hold hands.They were right there beside each other at all the church functions,and when she was too weak to feed herself,he would sit next to her and feed her until she ate what he considered to be satisfactory.They both love reading,and each week they would check out a book from the church library and read it together the following week.As I listened to him on the phone,he was so upset with himself that he wasn’t strong enough to keep her at home and take care of her himself.He said that he felt helpless,that he couldn’t do anything to help her.What do you say to someone on the phone that was about to loose everything that he has ever known?
The day that I talked to him on the phone was the day that they took her into hospital and she died three days later.My mom went to see her the day before she died.My mom said that he was right there next to her bed holding her hand and reading to her.I thought that the story of their love was a great example,a love that endured everything.I know that it doesnt have a happy ending but the love that these two people had for each other was far beyond what I have ever experienced in my life.This was the kind of love that endured through 52 years of marriage.This couple loved and cared for each other through the best and worst times of their life,even right up to the end.
我要講的是發生在我所在教區的一對夫婦身上的故事。他們的婚姻延續了52年，這本身就是很少見的。3年半前，女人被查出患有卵巢癌。醫生們曾3次對她說過化療有了成效，她已經痊愈了。可是，醫生們錯了3次。幾周前，醫生們停止了對她的藥物治療，因為治療已經不再起作用了。
丈夫的身體狀況也不好，在過去5年當中，他一直受到背痛的困擾，有時痛得接連幾周都下不來床。
上個星期我接到他打來的電話（我在教堂裏做秘書工作）。在電話裏他哭了，他希望讓所有來教堂的人都知道他的妻子正在醫院裏，他請求大家為她祈禱。醫生告訴他，妻子的時日不多了。電話另一端的我坐在那裏，傾聽著他的哭泣，試圖要弄明白他怎麽能關愛並照顧一個人長達52年之久。
之所以選擇這對夫婦作為我要講的愛情故事，是因為當我還是個坐在教堂裏做禮拜的小女孩時，他們以及他們那互相給予的偉大的愛就一直留在我的腦海中。每個星期，他們都會來教堂，然後拉著手依偎在一起。在教堂舉辦的各種儀式中，都會出現他們相依相伴的身影。當妻子虛弱得不能自己進食時，他就會坐在她的身邊，喂她吃東西，直到她吃到了他滿意的食量。他們都喜歡讀書，每周都會從教堂的圖書館裏選一本書，在接下來的一周裏，倆人便一起看。我在電話裏聽著他的傾訴，他對自己感到很失望，因為他根本無力一人在家照顧妻子，他說他感到很無助，不能為她做任何事。麵對一個即將失去生平所有的人，你又能在電話裏對他說些什麽呢？
我與他在電話裏交談的那天，他的妻子被送進了醫院，並在3天後去世了。她去世的前一天，我的母親去醫院看望她。母親說他當時正坐在妻子的床邊，拉著她的手，為她讀書。我覺得他們的恩愛故事是個很偉大的實例，足以證明愛可以經受住任何考驗。我知道，這個故事雖然沒有一個圓滿的結局，但是他們彼此之間的愛卻超越了我生活中所經曆的任何愛。這是一種經曆了52年婚姻的磨煉卻曆久彌新的愛。這對夫婦互敬互愛、相持相守地走過了他們人生中的風風雨雨，直到生命的盡頭。
心靈小語
愛不一定要轟轟烈烈，平談才是真，平凡才是美，平凡人在平談的生活中能共同走過52個春秋，這才是人間最真愛的幸福。
詞匯筆記
rarity[r??riti]n.稀薄（稀有；珍品）
These stamps have great value because of their rarity.
這些罕見的郵票非常珍貴。
cancer[k?ns?]n.癌
He was afflicted with cancer.
他患了癌症。
chemotherapy[，kem?uθer?pi]n.化學療法
They say the likely treatment is radiation and chemotherapy.
他們說可能的治療是放療和化療。
hospital[h?spitl]n.醫院
He should be have chance to survive,if get him to the hospital
in time.
如果遇難者被及時送往醫院的話，他本來會有機會活下來的。
小試身手
每個星期，他們都會來教堂，然後拉著手依偎在一起。
我覺得他們的恩愛故事是偉大的實例，可以證明愛可以經受住任何考驗。
這對夫婦互敬互愛、相持相守地走過了他們人生中的風風雨雨，直到生命的終點。
短語家族
I sat on the other end of the phone listening to him cry and trying to make sense of how he could love and take care of a person for 52 years.
take care of：照顧；照料；照看；照料
This was the kind of love that endured through 52 years of marriage.
the kind of：這種