I did get to wear the dress of my dreams standing beside Tim, the man I have shared the last eighteen years of my life with.
The Blessed Dress
I got an engagement ringengagement ring n.订婚戒指 for Christmas. My boyfriend and I had been dating for almost a year and both felt the time was right to join our lives together in holyholy adj.神圣的, 圣洁的 matrimonymatrimony n.结婚.
穿着心爱的结婚礼服,我站在蒂姆身旁。在接下来的18年里,我们相亲相爱,幸福相伴。
幸运的礼服
我在圣诞节时戴上了订婚戒指。和男朋友的交往基本快一年时间了,我和他都感觉该结婚了,两人携手迈入神圣的婚姻殿堂。
The month of January was spent planning our perfect Alabama June wedding. My mother, two sisters and I went to Huntsville, the closest town with a selection of bridal shops, to buy the gown that would play the leading role on my special occasion.
We had a wonderful time just being together and sharing silly jokes, but the day soon turned serious by afternoon: still no sign of the dress of my dreams. Both sisters were ready to give up and try another day in another town, but I coerced them into one more boutiqueboutique n.专卖流行衣服的小商店.
I had a good feeling as we entered the quaint little shop filled with the scent of fresh flowers. The elderly clerk showed us several beautiful gowns in my size and price range, but none were right. As I opened the door to leave, the desperate shop owner announced she had one more dress in the back that was expensive and not even my size, but perhaps I might want to look at it anyway. When she brought it out, I squealed in delight.
我们的美丽婚礼订于6月份,在阿拉巴马州举行,为此整个一月份我都在忙活。对于整个婚礼而言,结婚礼服非常重要。因而母亲、两个姐姐和我去最近的汉斯维尔城的一些新娘服装店去挑选。
我们母女四个高高兴兴,互相开着玩笑。但是等到了下午气氛变得不妙:梦想中的结婚礼服仍然没看见。我的两个姐姐都已经准备回家,改天再到其他的城镇去买,但是我要求再多看一家小店。
在一家新鲜花香满屋的精致小店,我突然有一种很好的预感。店员已经上了年纪,她给我介绍了几件合适的美丽礼服,价格也公道,但我还是不满意。就在我要离开时,老板娘喊住了我,说后面的仓库里还有一件,不过很贵,而且号码也不一定适合我。但我还想看一眼。当她拿来时,我高兴地跳了起来。
This was it!
I rushed to the dressing room and slipped it on. Even though it was at least two sizes too large and more costly than I had anticipated, I talked Mom into buying it. The shop was so small it didnt offer alterationsalteration n.变更, 改造 , but my excitement assured me I would be able to get it resized in my hometown.
Excitement wasnt enough. On Monday morning, my world crumbledcrumble v.弄碎, 粉碎, 崩溃 when the local sewing shop informed me the dress simply could not be altered because of numerous handsewn pearls and sequins on the bodice. I called the boutique for suggestions but only got their answering machine.
A friend gave me the number of a lady across town who worked at home doing alterations. I was desperate and willing to try anything, so I decided to give her a call.
这是这一件了!这就是我想要的那件了!
冲进试衣间,我把这件礼服穿在身上。它要大两码以上,价格也很高,不过我最终说服母亲买下了它。因为规模小,这家店不提供改衣服务,但是在激动之余,我确信能在家乡把它改好。
但这种好心情没持续多久。礼拜一早上,当我们那儿的裁缝店告诉我礼服上手缝的珠子和饰片太多因而没法改动时我呆住了。我打电话给那服装店寻求建议,听到的却只是话机的自动应答。
镇上有一个裁缝,她在家里做活。一个朋友把她的电话号码给了我。可能是病急乱投医吧,我决定打电话给她。
When I arrived at her modest white house on the outskirtsoutskirts n.边界, (尤指)市郊 of town, she carefully inspected my dress and asked me to try it on. She put a handful of pins into the shoulders and sides of my gown and told me to pick it up in two days. She was the answer to my prayersprayer n.祈祷.
When the time came to pick it up, however, I grew skeptical. How could I have been so foolish as to just leave a 1,200 wedding dress in the hands of someone I barely knew? What if she made a mess out of it? I had no idea if she could even sew on a button.
Thank goodness my fears were all for naughtnaught n.零. The dress still looked exactly the same, but it now fit as if it had been made especially for me. I thanked the cheerful lady and paid her modest fee.
One small problem solved just in time for a bigger one to emerge. On Valentines Day, my fiance called.
她的住处是一座白色的房子,很简陋,在城镇郊区。她仔细地察看了我的礼服,并让我穿上。她用别针将礼服的肩膀和两侧别上,让我两天后来取衣服。她就像我的大救星。
到了取衣服的时间,我却内心不安起来,自己怎么会这么傻,将一件1200美元的礼服交给一个完全不了解的人?
老天保佑,所有的担心都是多余的。礼服还在,不过大小正合适,就像为我量身定做的一样。我谢过那个高兴的女裁缝,并付了钱。
然而这只是其中的一个小问题,更大的问题还在后头。情人节那天,未婚夫打来电话。
“Sandy, Ive come to the decision that Im not ready to get married,” he announced, none too gently. “I want to travel and experience life for a few years before settling down.”
He apologized for the inconvenience of leaving all the wedding cancellationscancellation n.取消 to me and then quickly left town.
My world turned upside down. I was angry and heartbroken and had no idea how to recover. But days flew into weeks and weeks blended into months. I survived.
One day in the fall of the same year, while standing in line at the supermarket, I heard someone calling my name. I turned around to see the alterations lady. She politely inquiredinquire v.询问, 问明, 查究 about my wedding, and was shocked to discover it had been called off, but agreed it was probably for the best.
“桑迪,我觉得自己还没有做好婚姻的准备,”他语气僵硬地说:“我想到处走走,花几年时间体验生活,然后再成家。”
对于婚礼的取消以及由此所带来的麻烦,他向我表示歉意,然后很快离开了这个城镇。
我感觉天塌了,愤怒、痛苦折磨着我,不知道日子该怎么过。然而随着日子一天天,一月月流走,我熬过去了
秋季的某一天,我在超市排队结账,突然有人喊我名字,回头一看,是那个妇女裁缝。她很有礼貌地问起我的婚礼,得知被取消她十分吃惊,但同意这样的结局也许是最好的。
I thanked her again for adjustingadjusting vt. 调节, 调整, 调制 my wedding gown, and assuredassure vt.断然地说, 确告, 保证, 担保 her it was safely bagged and awaiting the day I would wear it down the aisle on the arm of my real “Mister Right.”
With a sparklesparkle v.发火花, 用眼神表达, 发光闪烁 in her eye, she began telling me about her single son, Tim. Even though I wasnt interested in dating again, I let her talk me into meeting him.
I did have my summer wedding after all, only a year later. And I did get to wear the dress of my dreams
standing beside Tim, the man I have sharedshare vt.分享, 均分, 共有, 分配 the last eighteen years of my life with, whom I would never have met without that special wedding gown.
我再次向她表示了感谢,并告诉她,修改的礼服已经被我稳妥地存放起来,等待着有一天,能够穿上它,和我的真正“白马王子”走上红地毯。
一丝亮光闪过她的眼睛,然后她跟我说起了自己单身儿子蒂姆。对于新的约会我没什么兴趣,但为了不辜负她的好意,还是答应和她的儿子约会。
一年之后,我终于在夏季举行了婚礼。穿着心爱的结婚礼服,我站在蒂姆身旁。在接下来的18年里,我们相亲相爱,幸福相伴。
上天是公平的。有时候,一段挫折的开始或许就是另一段幸福的伏笔;而另一段幸福的开始也就成为前一段挫折的结束语。抓住身边的机会,让幸福伴随我们左右。
学会了等待,也就学会了爱;爱情是一种守候和遇见,在一个风轻云淡的日子里,你在生命的某处,邂逅一生的真情。