[摘要]如何知道自己找到了對(duì)的人?是那個(gè)害羞的眼神，可愛的昵稱，還是修理堵塞水槽的提議？正如這些故事所要說明的，愛情的火花常常在你最意想不到的時(shí)候出現(xiàn)。

How do you know when you've found the one?

如何知道自己找到了對(duì)的人?

Was it that shy glance, the cute nickname—or an offer to fix a clogged sink?

是那個(gè)害羞的眼神，可愛的昵稱，還是修理堵塞水槽的提議？

As these stories attest, lightning often strikes when you least expect it.

正如這些故事所要說明的，愛情的火花常常在你最意想不到的時(shí)候出現(xiàn)。

01

One day in junior high, I went to the movies. I sat with friends behind a row of boys from our class. The boy in front of me turned around and planted a kiss on me.

初中的時(shí)候，有一天我去看電影。我和朋友們一起，坐在班上男生們的后面。我前面的男生轉(zhuǎn)過身，親了我一下。

When I got home, my parents asked me about the movie. I drew a blank. I couldn’t remember anything after the kiss.

回家后，爸媽問我電影怎么樣的時(shí)候，我腦袋里一片空白，被親之后的事情我都不記得了。

I’ve been married to that boy for 41 years.

現(xiàn)在，我已經(jīng)和那個(gè)男生結(jié)婚41年了。

—DonnaLou Baner, Gridley, Illinois

02

A week after I met my husband, we visited the Illinois State Fair with his family. At one point, someone yelled out, “Does anybody know what time it is?”

認(rèn)識(shí)老公一周后，我們和他的家人一起，參加了伊利諾斯國(guó)家博覽會(huì)。在某個(gè)時(shí)間點(diǎn)，有人大聲問：“有誰知道現(xiàn)在幾點(diǎn)了嗎？”

At the same exact moment, we shouted back the Chicago lyric, “Does anybody really care?”

我們同時(shí)脫口而出，大聲回了句芝加哥樂隊(duì)的歌詞，“有人真的在乎嗎？”

I knew it was true love.

當(dāng)時(shí)我就知道了，這就是真愛。

—Christa Parry, Mediapolis, Iowa

03

My boyfriend of three weeks was helping my roommate and me move back to college for our senior year.

升大四的時(shí)候，交往了3周的男朋友幫我和我室友搬家回學(xué)校。

While unpacking, I listed all the things I loved about my new apartment: “I love my new room, I love my bathroom, I love our kitchen, I love our living room, I love my boyfriend …”

拆封行李的時(shí)候，我列了下新公寓里自己喜歡的東西：“我喜歡新房間，我喜歡浴室，我喜歡廚房，我喜歡客廳，我喜歡我的男朋友……”

As soon as I’d uttered those words, I wanted to stuff them back into my mouth. My beau just laughed, and we both knew that what I’d said was true.

說出這些話的瞬間，我就想把它們?nèi)�進(jìn)嘴里。男朋友只是笑了笑，同時(shí)，我們也知道我說的都是事實(shí)。

Five years later, we’re married and getting ready to celebrate our first daughter turning one.

5年后，我們已經(jīng)結(jié)婚了，正在準(zhǔn)備給第一個(gè)女兒慶祝1歲生日。

—Michelle Planter, Raleigh, North Carolina

04

In the 14 years that we went from classmates tobest friends, I never once consciously thought of him as a lover.

14年間，我們從同學(xué)變成了摯友，我從來都沒想過要把他當(dāng)成戀人。

I tried remembering the exact moment I’d fallen for him by reliving all those moments that had made us laugh, fight, cry, and ache for each other. Try as I might, I could not recall it.

我努力回想愛上他的那個(gè)瞬間，回想那些一起歡笑，一起奮斗，一起哭泣，以及需要彼此的時(shí)刻。我盡力了，可還是想不起來。

Then it came to me on our wedding day. I had been in love with him all along.

然后，婚禮那天，我才意識(shí)到，原來我一直都愛著他。

—Priyanka Prasad, Dumfries, Virginia

05

I was in the hospital having my tonsils removed. The guy was going to pick me up after he got off work, at 5 p.m. But I was discharged early, at 3:15, and the nurse asked if someone would be picking me up.

我在醫(yī)院做扁桃體切除手術(shù)。他下班后要來接我，約的5點(diǎn)�？墒牵�我3點(diǎn)15就做完了，于是護(hù)士問有沒有人來接我。

Just then, it hit me.

就在這時(shí)，我突然明白了。

“Yes, my boyfriend,” I said, smiling. “He isn’t supposed to be here until five, but he won’t be able to wait that long. He’ll get here early because he’ll be worried about me.”

“有的，我男朋友來接我，”我笑著回答，“說好5點(diǎn)來的，可他等不了那么久。他會(huì)早點(diǎn)來接我的，因?yàn)樗�很�?dān)心我�！�

Sure enough, he was there 15 minutes later.

果然，15分鐘后他就來了。

06

It was during a painful argument.

我是在一次痛苦的爭(zhēng)吵中確定了他就是對(duì)的人。

We sat across from each other, trying to sort it out. Exhausted, I said, “I don’t know what to do. Tell me what you want to do.”

我們面對(duì)面坐著，想把事情搞清楚。我特別累，說了句：“我不知道要怎么辦，就說你想怎么樣吧�！�

He said nothing. Instead, he just kissed me.

他什么也沒說，只是吻了我。

—MJ Star, York, Pennsylvania

07

Previous dates brought me red roses, candy,even jewelry.

之前的約會(huì)，對(duì)方送的都是紅玫瑰、糖果，甚至還有珠寶。

Instead, he brought food—Looney Tunes frozen dinners, to be precise. He said, “I looked in your fridge; it was pretty empty.”

然而，他送給我的是吃的——準(zhǔn)確地說，是Looney Tunes 的冷凍簡(jiǎn)餐。他說：“我看了看你的冰箱，里面什么都沒有。”

How could I not fall in love?

這叫我如何不心動(dòng)？

—Suzie Berberich, Dryden, Michigan

08

We were driving down the road when a rabbit ran out in front of us. He swerved to avoid it.

我們?cè)诼飞祥_車時(shí)，一只兔子跑到了我們面前。他轉(zhuǎn)向避開了兔子。

Although I was pleased by his show of compassion, he won my heart when he called it a “bunny.”

雖然我很滿意他富有同情心的舉動(dòng)，但是，他叫我“小兔幾”的時(shí)候，才贏得了我的心。

—Mary Lou McCowan, LeRoy, New York

09

We met through Facebook, got to chatting online, and hit it off, even though we’d never met face-to-face.

我們?cè)贔acebook上認(rèn)識(shí)，然后開始聊天，即使從來沒有線下見過面，但我們依然聊得很開心。

One day, after having gone through a rough breakup, I typed out, “I’m so stubborn, and nobody wants to put up with me.” He wrote back, “I’ve never said that.”

有一天，和對(duì)象粗暴地分手后，我找他聊天，“我太固執(zhí)了，沒人愿意忍受我。”他回復(fù)道：“我從來都沒說過這些話�！�

A year later,I moved from America to Ireland to be with him. We’re married and expecting ababy.

一年后，我從美國(guó)搬去了冰島，和他在一起。現(xiàn)在我們已經(jīng)結(jié)婚了，還打算要個(gè)孩子。

—Abigail Taylor, Waterford, Ireland

10

One night, he asked me out for a drink. I said yes. We talked until closing time, and then he drove me home.

有天晚上，他約我出去喝一杯，我答應(yīng)了。我們一直聊到了打烊，然后他開車送我回家。

At my door, he leaned down and ever so tenderly brushed my lips with his.

在我家門口，他俯下身來，非常溫柔地，用嘴唇拂過我的嘴唇。

That was all it took.

這，就是我心動(dòng)的原因。

I fell in love with him that night and stayed that way until his death.

那晚我就愛上了他，并且一直深愛著他，直到42年后他去世。

Do I still love him? Oh, yes.

我現(xiàn)在還愛著他嗎？噢，當(dāng)然了。

—Barbara Young, Independence, Missouri