The second letter
第二封信
Dear Catherine:
亲爱的凯瑟琳:
There isn't an hour of my life without you in it. I mend the boats, test them and all the while the memories come in like the tide. I was thinking today of when we were young and you left our world for a bigger world. I was a lot more scared than I would admit. I fought my fear by telling myself you'd come back someday and trying to think of the first thing I'd say when I saw you again. I must have tried out 100 possibilities. What did I finally say? Not much. My mouth wouldn't work except to kiss you. And when you said , "I'm here to stay", that said it all. Well, I'm doing it aga in. I keep imaging what I'd say to you if somehow you came back.
你每时每刻都在我心里，无论是修理船的时候，还是为它试航的时候，回忆如同潮涌。那时我们还年轻，你就离开了这个世界，去了一个更大的世界。我不愿承认自己有多害怕。我挣扎着，安慰自己说，你会回来的;我还一直在想，真的见到你时，该对你说什么。我练习过无数次，最后说了什么呢?什么也没说。我无言以对，只有吻你。当你说我要留下来。这样就够了。我又开始了，开始不停地想像，你回来时，我该对你说什么。