In the teachers' office at school, several educators were discussing students in their class—specifically the high-achieving ones, who were naturally the teachers' favorites. Lübeck was among them. As class monitor, he had collected all the students' homework notebooks and delivered them to the teachers' office, after which he could finally head home for the day.
学校教师的办公室里,几位老师正在谈论着班里的学生,当然是学习成绩好的学生,他们才是老师的最爱.吕贝克也是其中之一,他是班长,收集了全班同学的作业本送到老师办公室,然后他也可以放学回家了.
The rain outside had stopped, but the street corners were muddy. He could only hop and skip along, carefully choosing the drier patches to make his way. The buildings lining the road were drenched along with the pavement, their dark walls reflected in the puddles. Looking down the street into the distance, the haze remained thick—fine threads of rain were still drifting through the air.
外面的雨停了,但是街角泥泞,他只能尽量挑着水少的位置走走跳跳地赶路.路边的建筑与路面一同被雨水浸湿,深色的墙壁倒映在地面积水之中.沿着街道远远望去,依然雾色朦朦,原来空中还在飘着细细的雨丝.
Gradually leaving the bustling town behind, the path beneath my feet grew narrower. Standing on the small bridge I crossed daily, I gazed down at the parched riverbed below. It seemed this light rain hadn't brought much more water to it.
渐渐走出繁华的小镇,脚下的路也变得更窄,站在每天都要走过的小桥上,望着桥下干涸的河流,似乎这场小雨并没有给它带来更多的水流.
The buildings and walls flanking the road ahead seemed to block the drainage of the standing water. A woman walking toward him had no choice but to step through the puddle in her red high heels, sending ripples across the water toward Lübeck's side, soaking his shoes as well. Only then did he realize he was walking down an unfamiliar street—neither heading home nor knowing where he was going.
前方夹道的建筑与围墙似乎阻碍了路面积水的疏散,对面走过来的一位女士只好把她的红色高跟鞋踩在了积水里,泛着涟漪荡漾到吕贝克这一边,他的鞋也湿了.可是这时他才发现自己走在了一条自己并不熟悉的路上,既不是回家,也不明方向.
Lübeck opened his eyes, puzzled by why he'd had such a dream. Dawn was breaking. Today was the weekend, a day off with no work obligations, so he'd slept in naturally. Yet the dream's scenes weren't his real experiences—they were utterly disconnected. He couldn't tell if these unknown visions were conjured by his own mind or stemmed from some other source.
吕贝克睁开眼睛,他很诧异为什么自己做了这样一个梦,天色已经见亮.今天是周末,可以休息,没有什么工作任务所以睡到自然醒,但是梦中的场景却不是自己的真实经历,甚至一点都不着边际,不知道这些未知场景是自己大脑造出来的还是别的来源.
Perhaps it was the impending deep-space deployment weighing heavily on him, Lü Beck could only offer himself this excuse. Glancing at Brittany beside him, she slept soundly, the days of pleasure seemingly having drained her body.
或许是就要深空部署了,自己压力大吧,吕贝克只好这样为自己找借口.再看看身边的布列塔尼睡得深沉,几日以来的欢愉似乎透支了她的身体.
Lübeck brushed aside the strands of hair that veiled her face, gazing at her eyes and brows. He recalled how animated she'd been these past days as she recounted the rumors circulating through her unit. Lübeck realized he'd already become captivated by her. Each morning began with his anticipation of her awakening—to see the sparkle in her eyes, to witness her lively spirit unfolding before him.
吕贝克撩起她遮挡脸庞的发丝,看着她的眉眼,回想着这几天来她给自己讲述她的部队里的流言时候眉飞色舞的样子.吕贝克觉得自己已经对她着迷了,每天早上开始就盼着她醒来,看她眼里的神韵,看她活蹦乱跳地展现在自己的面前.
After a moment's contemplation, Lübeck couldn't resist moving closer, pressing himself against her side. He placed one hand on her thigh while his other arm slid along her waist, nestling against her body. At times he longed to sleep beside her once more, at others he opened his eyes to see if she had awakened.
端详片刻,吕贝克忍不住凑上前,靠紧在她的身边,把一只手搭在她的大腿,另一只手臂沿着她的腰肢,贴着她的身体一侧,一会儿想要再陪着她睡,一会儿又睁开眼睛看看她有没有醒来.
When he opened his eyes again, Lübeck found Brittany's large, brown-green eyes staring back at him. He realized he must have fallen asleep again without noticing.
当再一次睁开眼睛,吕贝克发现布列塔尼那双棕绿色的大眼睛正在看着自己,原来自己不知道什么时候又睡着了.
"Wake up?" Brittany said, wrapping her arms and legs around Lübeck before settling into a sideways position to watch him silently.
"What are you thinking about?" Lübeck asked.
"睡醒了?"说着,布列塔尼胳膊腿并用,缠着吕贝克,然后侧躺着看着他不说话,
"在想什么?"吕贝克问,
"Lately, I've been hearing all the gossip from my coworkers—so many people have broken up."
"这些天听同事们的八卦传闻,好多人都分手了,"
Oh, people with unstable relationships will be evaluated because it directly affects their emotional state at work. What's the matter?
"哦,关系不稳定的人会被评估的,因为直接影响工作中的情绪,怎么了?"
Brittany gazed into Lübeck's eyes, then after a moment said,
"Could we possibly..."
布列塔尼望着吕贝克的眼睛,过了一阵子才说,
"我们会不会..."
"Why would you think that? We wouldn't."
"你为什么这么想?我们不会的,"
"Mm," Brittany replied, saying nothing more, only resting her forehead gently against Lübeck's cheek.
"嗯,"布列塔尼答应着,没有再说什么,只是把额头轻轻靠在吕贝克的脸颊,
Lübeck gently stroked her back to soothe her emotions, puzzled why she would think this way. Reflecting on their time together over the past few months, he couldn't recall doing anything to make her feel insecure. He pressed further,
"Why would you think that? Did I do something wrong?"
吕贝克轻抚着她的背安慰她的情绪,不明白为什么她会这么想,回想自己这几个月以来的与她相处,没有给她不安全感的地方啊,便又追问,
"你为什么会这么想呢?是不是我哪里做错了什么?"
Brittany turned her head, revealing only half her cheek as she looked at Lübeck. After a moment, she said,
"I hear a lot of them are like that—after a while, the novelty wears off, and then they split up."
布列塔尼扭过头,只露出一半的脸颊,看着吕贝克,片刻,说,
"听说他们好多人都是那样,过一段时间就没有新鲜感了,然后就分开了,"
Lübeck smiled, thinking she must have encountered something serious. He stroked her head as he comforted her, saying,
"I'm not that kind of person. Did you ever worry about this when you chose me?"
吕贝克笑了,还以为她遇到了什么大不了的事, 便一边摸着她的头一边安慰她说,
"我不是那样的人,你选择我的时候有担心过这个问题吗?"
"No," Brittany whispered.
"没有,"布列塔尼小声说,
"Then trust your own choice,"
hearing Lübeck say this, a smile finally spread across Brittany's face.
"那就相信你自己的选择,"
听吕贝克这么说,布列塔尼的脸上终于露出了笑容,
Lübeck, fearing she might still be uneasy, added,
"You're already mine. I won't leave you, and you mustn't leave me either, okay?"
吕贝克怕她不放心,又接着补充说,
"你已经是我的女人了,我不会离开你,你也不许离开我,好吗?"
"Alright,"
"好,"
"No matter what happens..."
"无论什么情况..."
"Whether in poverty or sickness,"
"无论贫穷或是疾病,"
"Hmm," Lübeck replied with a smile, surprised that Brittany would utter their wedding vows at this moment.
"No matter where life takes us, we'll always be together." As he spoke, Lü Beck cradled her head in his arms, gently stroking her hair and the curve of her back. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he murmured to himself,
"You've already spoken your wedding vows, but I haven't prepared a wedding ring for you."
"嗯,"答应着,吕贝克笑了,他没想到布列塔尼会在这个时候把结婚的誓词说出来了,
"无论天涯海角,我们永远在一起,"说着,吕贝克把她的头搂进怀里,一边抚摸着她的秀发和腰背,一边好似想起什么,自言自语地说,
"你把结婚的誓词都说出来了,可是我没给你准备结婚戒指啊."
"Hehe," Brittany giggled as she leaned against Lübeck, feeling quite pleased with herself.
"If you don't have any, then you don't. I only want your heart. Besides, my job isn't really suitable for wearing jewelry anyway."
"嘻嘻,"布列塔尼趴在吕贝克嬉笑着,但是心里很美,
"没有就没有咯,我只要你的心,反正我的工作也不适合戴首饰,"
"Hmm," he agreed, though inwardly Lübeck felt somewhat guilty toward Brittany. Still, the Space Force truly wasn't suited for wearing metal or hard accessories.
"嗯,"虽然答应着,可吕贝克的内心却觉得有些对不住布列塔尼,只是太空部队里确实不适合佩戴金属或者坚硬的饰品.
Lübeck gave Brittany a firm tug around the waist, as if to bolster her confidence, then added,
"You're forgetting—I've only reverted to 25 years old. Deep down, I'm not like those young guys anymore."
吕贝克用力挽了挽布列塔尼的腰,似乎要给她更多信心,然后又补充说,
"你忘了,我只是年龄逆反回了25岁,其实我的内心已经不像那些小伙子了,"
"Oh," Brittany replied.
"哦,"布列塔尼答应着,
Besides, people are different...
"再说人与人是不同的..."
"Well, that's why I chose you," Brittany interrupted him, a delighted expression on her face.
"嗯,所以我选择了你,"布列塔尼脸上带着欣喜的表情打断了他说,
Lübeck smiled and ruffled her hair before continuing,
"Yes, your judgment is sound. In the long run, you've chosen someone devoted."
吕贝克笑着摸了摸她的头,接着说,
"是的,你的眼光没错,从长期来看,你选择的是一个专一的人,"
"Well then? May I ask about your past?" Brittany countered.
"那?我可以问问你的过去吗?"布列塔尼反问,
"Hmm,"
"嗯,"
Did you have a partner on past missions?
"过去的任务你有伴侣吗?"
"No, back then I was only on short-term orbital missions near Earth and the Moon. I could take regular leave to reunite with my ex-wife."
"没有,那时候我都是短期轨道任务,地球月球附近,我可以定期休假和我的前妻团聚,"
"Heh," Brittany chuckled,
"Then find yourself a female companion in orbit—she won't know either."
"呵呵,"布列塔尼一笑说,
"那你在轨道上找一个女伴,她也不知道啊,"
"Hmm..." Lübeck pondered for a moment before saying,
"I don't think I'm very good at that sort of thing. My ex-wife Ruth was loyal—I could trust her when I wasn't around. But this one on the orbit... if I can't trust her, it'll drain a lot of my energy."
"嗯..."吕贝克想了想说,
"我好像不太擅长那么做,我的前妻露丝是忠诚的,我不在她身边的时候可以信任她,但是轨道上这一位,如果我无法信任她的话会牵扯我的很大精力,"
"You're possessive," Brittany said with a smile.
"你的占有欲强,"布列塔尼笑着说,
"Well, not exactly. I won't force anyone to stay by my side. If she wants to leave, she can go anytime."
"嗯,也不是,我不会强迫谁在我的身边,如果她想离开可以随时离开,"
"Oh," Brittany perked up, propping her head up with her hand as she lay on her side, gazing into Lübeck's eyes.
"哦,"布列塔尼来了兴致,用手拄着头侧躺着,望着吕贝克的眼睛,
"It's just that I won't be able to adjust to your sudden departure," Lübeck added. "只是突然的离开我会不适应,"吕贝克接着补充,
Ha ha ha, I get it—you're afraid of getting hurt, aren't you?" Brittany teased playfully, running a hand over Lübeck's chest as she spoke.
"You're such a softie," she murmured, her lips curling into a smile that even lifted the corners of her eyebrows.
"哈哈哈,我知道了,你是怕受伤,是不是,"布列塔尼一边嬉笑着,一边一只手抚摸着吕贝克的前胸,然后轻声调侃地说,
"你是一个心软的男人,"然后一笑,甚至翘起了眉梢,
Right? So when you walked into my life, I couldn't live without you anymore.
"是吧,所以当你走进我的生活,我就再也离不开你了,"
"Mmm," Brittany murmured, burying herself once more in Lübeck's embrace.
"嗯,"的一声,布列塔尼再次投入吕贝克的怀中.