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. Finally my father has a bad temper. When he’s very tired from the hard work, it is easy for him to lose his temper.翻译
有时候我真的很怀疑我的父母之间是否有爱。他们每天都在为我和我哥哥的高额学费而努力攒钱。他们不会像我在电视或书中看到的那样以浪漫的方式互动。在他们的观念里，“我爱你”过于奢侈，以至于说不出口。在情人节给彼此送花更不可能。最后一点，我的父亲脾气不好。当他因为劳累的工作而疲惫时，他很容易发脾气。
One day, my mother was sewing a quilt. I silently sat down beside her and asked her with courage.
“Is there love between you and Dad?” I asked her in a very low voice.翻译
有一天，我的母亲正在缝被子。我静静坐到她身边，鼓起勇气问她：
“你和我爸之间有爱吗？”我低声问。
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.翻译
我的母亲停止了手上的活，抬起头，眼里一片惊讶。她没有立即回答这个问题。然后她低下头，继续缝被子。
I was very worried because I thought I had hurt her. I was in a great embarrassment and I didn’t know what I should do. But at last I heard my mother say the following words:翻译
因为我觉得我可能伤害了她，所以我很不安。我感到非常尴尬，不知如何是好。但是最后，我的母亲说了如下的话：
“Susan,” she said thoughtfully, “Look at this thread. Sometimes it appears, but most of time 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 is there. Love is inside.”翻译
“苏珊，”她沉思了一会说，“看这根线。有时候它会出现，但它的大部分隐藏在被子里。这根线真的让这床被子又结实又耐用。如果生命是一床被子，那爱就是一根线。它很难在某个地点或某个时间被看到，但它一直都在。爱在内心。”
I listened carefully but I couldn’t understand her until the next spring. At that time, my father suddenly got sick seriously. My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for a month. When they returned from the hospital, they both looked very pale. It seemed both of them had had a serious illness.翻译
我仔细听了，但我直到第二年的春天才理解她。在那时，我的父亲突然生了很重的病。我的母亲只好在医院里陪了他一个月。当他们从医院回来，两个人都面色苍白，看起来都生了一场重病。
After they were back, every day in the morning and dusk, my mother helped my father walk slowly on the country road. My father had never been so gentle. It seemed they were the most harmonious couple.翻译
在他们回家以后，每到早晨和傍晚，我的母亲就会帮助我的父亲慢慢地走在乡间的路上。我的父亲从来没有这么温和。他们看上去就像最和谐的夫妇一样。
The doctor had said my father would recover in two months. But after two months he still couldn’t walk by himself. All of us were worried about him.翻译
医生说我的父亲两个月之后就会康复。但是在两个月之后，他仍然不能自己行走。我们都很担心他。
“Dad, how are you feeling now?” I asked him one day.翻译
“爸，你感觉怎么样？”有一天我问他。
“Susan, don’t worry about me,” he said gently. “To tell you the truth, I am quite well now. I just like walking with your mom. I like this kind of life.” Reading his eyes, I know he loves my mother deeply.翻译
“苏珊，不用担心我。”他和气地说，“实话告诉你，我只是喜欢和你妈一起走路。我喜欢这种生活。”从他的眼睛里，我可以看出他深爱我的母亲。
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.翻译
以前我认为爱是鲜花、礼物和甜蜜的亲吻。但从这次经历以后，我明白爱就是生命之被上的线。爱在内心，让生命坚韧温暖。