76.Love Is Just a Thread 爱只是一根线

Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents. Every day they are very busy trying to earn money in order to pay the high tuition for my brother and me. They don't act in the romantic ways that I read in books or I see on TV. In their opinion, "I love you" is too luxurious for them to say. Sending flowers to each other on Valentine's Day is even more out of the question.

有时候，我真的怀疑父母之间是否有真爱。他们天天忙于赚钱，为我和弟弟支付学费。他们从未像我在书中读到，或在电视中看到的那样互诉衷肠。他们认为“我爱你”太奢侈，很难说出口。更不用说在情人节送花这样的事了。

One day, my mother was sewing a quilt. I silently sat down beside her and looked at her. 

一天，母亲正在缝被子，我静静地坐在她旁边看着她。

“Mom, Is there love between you and Dad?” I asked her in a very low voice. 

我低声地问道：“妈妈，你和爸爸之间有没有爱情啊？”

My mother stopped her work and raised her head with surprise in her eyes. She didn't answer immediately. Then she bowed her head and continued to sew the quilt. 

母亲突然停下了手中的活，满眼诧异地抬起头。她没有立即作答。然后低下头，继续缝被子。

I was in a great embarrassment because I thought I had hurt her. But at last I heard my mother say the following words: 

我非常尴尬，觉得伤害了她。不过，后来我听见母亲说：

"Susan, look at this thread. Sometimes it appears, but most of it disappears in the quilt. The thread really makes the quilt strong and durable. If life is a quilt, then love should be a thread. It can hardly be seen anywhere or anytime, but it's really there. Love is inside." 

“苏珊，看看这些线。有时候，你能看得见，但是大多数都隐藏在被子里。

这些线使被子坚固耐用。如果生活就像一床被子，那么爱就是其中的线。你不

可能随时随地看到它，但是它却实实在在地存在着。爱是内在的。”

Once I thought love meant flowers, gifts and sweet kisses. But from this experience, I understand that love is just a thread in the quilt of our life. Love is inside, making life strong and warm.

我曾经认为爱情就是鲜花、礼物和甜蜜的亲吻。但是从那一刻起，我明白了，爱情就像是生活中被子里的一根线。爱情就在里面，使生活变得坚固而温暖。