天上掉下个好闺蜜

Track 6

by Julia McDaniel翻译：Roza

天上掉下个好闺蜜

Track 6

by Julia McDaniel翻译：Roza

I sat on the plane and wondered if I would1）end up hating Emily. That same part of me also wondered if I should have gone at all. What if I was2）stuck for three days wearing a false smile and pretending I found her3）halfway4）tolerable？ Or what if， instead， I was the one who ended up on the receiving end of the false smiles， being regarded with5）minimum tolerability？ What if we found each other so6）unbearable we would never speak again？ There were so many things that could go wrong.

First of all， she lived in an entirely different part of the country： Alabama. I had never been to a7）Bat Mitzvah before， nor had I ever visited any of the southern states. Then there was also the fact that I had never met her. In person， at least. In theory， I knew her better than anyone. We had been writing to each other as pen pals for two or three years， and we shared so many similar interests， like horseback riding and writing. Most importantly， we could tell each other everything and8）vent all of our problems without fear that we would be judged. I thought I would never meet her， so there was never any reason to hold back any thoughts that seemed crazy or dreams that seemed unreachable. After exchanging messages daily for those three years， she invited me to her Bat Mitzvah，which was three months away.

1） end up 结束，告终

2） stick ［stɪk］ v. 停留，逗留

3） halfway ［hɑːf'weɪ］ adv. 大致上，半路地

4） tolerable ［'tɒlərəbl］ adj. 可容忍的tolerability ［,tɒlərə'bɪlətɪ］ n. 容忍力

5） minimum ［'mɪnɪməm］ adj. 最小量的

6） unbearable ［ʌn'beərəbl］ adj. 无法忍受的

7） Bat Mitzvah 犹太女孩（12岁时的）成人礼

8） vent ［vent］ v. 发泄，吐露

Somehow， I9）convinced my parents to take me to a different city and spend three days with a family they had never met. After arriving in Alabama， we10）checked in at the hotel where most of Emily’s family was staying. We had agreed to meet at a nearby restaurant. I remember I was so thrilled that I was going to meet her， but also kind of scared， too.

When we finally met， I was able to11）spot Emily immediately in her12）trademark rain boots. At first it was like： “Whoa！ You are a real13）three-dimensional person！” To me， she was always the person who replied to my letters and spoke to me through the telephone. Somehow， I don’t think it14）sunk in that she was going to be here in all her three-dimensional15）glory. And then my thoughts slowly changed. It became， instead， “Oh my God！ You’re here！ Yay！ I’ve wanted to meet you forever！”

That weekend， I went horseback riding with Emily， stayed at her house， and attended her Bat Mitzvah ceremony， as well as her amazing party.

In other words， one of the most important events in my life was a Bat Mitzvah. It wasn’t my own， but the Bat Mitzvah of a girl I had met over the Internet who lived halfway across the country. Some people don’t understand how I could possibly have gone to visit a girl I had never met in person. But in many

ways， I know her better than the friends I see every day. She’s one of the few friends I can imagine calling when I am a little old lady living in a nursing home， or in my own house， with a walker.

9） convince ［kən'vɪns］ v. 说服，使信服

10） check in 办理入住手续

11） spot ［spɒt］ v. 认出

12） trademark ［'treɪdmɑːk］ n. 显著的特征

13） three-dimensional 三维的，立体的，真实的

14） sink in 被理解，被理会

15） glory ［'glɔːrɪ］ n. 光辉

坐在飞机里，我怀疑自己是否最终会讨厌埃米莉。我也不知道自己到底是不是真的该去。万一我不得不在那儿待个三天，一直假笑着装作自己还算能忍受她怎么办？或者万一刚好相反，我自己才是被报以虚伪笑容的人，对方还拿出最小的容忍力来对待我呢？万一我们都觉得难以忍受对方，于是再也不说话了呢？可能出差错的情况实在太多了。

首先，她住在我们国内一个与我家乡完全不一样的区域：阿拉巴马州。我从没参加过犹太女孩的成人仪式，也从没去过南方的任何一个州。还有，实际上我和她从没见过面，至少是从未亲眼见过她本人。但理论上，她是我最了解的人。我们作为笔友书信来往已经有两三年了，我们还有很多相近的兴趣爱好，例如骑马和写作。最重要的是，我们可以将任何事情告诉对方，可以相互倾诉任何问题，且不必担心自己会被评头论足一番。我以为自己永远都不会和她见面，因此没有任何理由隐藏任何看似疯狂的念头或遥不可及的梦想。在那三年里，我们每天都互通信息，后来，她邀请我于三个月后去参加她的犹太女孩成人礼。

我设法说服了父母带我去一个陌生的城市，和一个素未谋面的家庭共度三天时光。到达阿拉巴马之后，我们入住了一家酒店，埃米莉的大部分亲戚也都在这儿落脚。我们约好了在酒店附近的一家餐厅见面。记得当时我因为即将见到她而激动万分，但心里也有些许害怕。

我们终于相见了，我一眼就根据埃米莉显眼的雨靴认出了她。我第一时间想到的是：“天哪，你是个真实的、立体的人！”对我来说，她本来一直都只是给我写回信、和我打电话聊天的一个人。莫名其妙地，我觉得人们没法理解她散发着真实立体的光芒出现在我面前所带给我的感受。但之后，我的想法就慢慢改变了，变成了：“天哪！你在这儿！耶！一直以来我都很想见到你！”

那个周末，我和埃米莉一起去骑了马，我住在她家里，参加了她的犹太女孩成人礼，还有很棒的派对。

换句话说，这场犹太女孩成人礼是我人生中最重要的经历之一。虽然不是我的成人礼，而是一个我在网上认识的、与我相隔半个国家之遥的女孩的成人礼。有些人不理解，我怎么可能千里迢迢地去见一个与我素未谋面的女孩。但在很多方面，我了解她的程度深于了解那些天天见面的朋友。我能设想到，当我变成一位小老太太，住在疗养院里或在自家靠着助步器走路时，她是我会打电话联系的几位朋友之一。

My Unexpected Best Friend