雙語美文：愛是最神奇的調料
When I was a boy growing up,
當我還是一個小男孩的時候
On Sundays,
每到週日
we would always have a delicious Italian dinner.
我們都會吃一餐豐盛的意式大餐
My Nana’s slow cooked sauce was the key.
我祖母精煮慢燉的醬紫是這頓飯的靈魂
In it were cooked potatoes, chicken, steak, and meatballs.
這裏面有土豆，雞肉，牛排肉，還有肉丸子
Mounds of spaghetti would also be boiled
堆成小山的意大利麪煮好了
and dropped into the red sauce.
再倒入豔紅色的醬紫
We also had loaves of homemade Italian bread
我們還有一條條家裏自己做的意式麪包
covered in butter.
上面塗滿了黃油
Every now and then
每隔一段時間
there were also big chunks of Provolone cheese.
我們還能吃到大塊大塊的波伏沃起司
We would all eat, talk, and laugh
我們一邊吃一邊交談，歡笑
until both our bellies and hearts were full.
直到肚子裏裝滿食物，心中充滿歡樂
After Mom and Nana passed away
媽媽和祖母去世後
my Dad would still make the sauce from time to time
父親偶爾還是會做這樣的醬汁
and invite me and my brothers over to his little home
邀請我和哥哥們去他的小屋裏
for a dinner full of fine food and happy memories.
吃一頓豐盛的大餐，讓心中裝滿歡樂的回憶
When my Dad died
父親死後
he passed the family recipe on to me and my daughter.
他把家傳的醬汁菜譜交給了我和我女兒
We often made the sauce for dinner
我們經常做醬汁，在晚餐上享用
but for some reason it never tasted quite right.
不知爲何，醬汁的味道總是不對頭
At first I thought we had gotten the recipe wrong
一開始我以爲我們弄錯了醬汁的配方
but one day I realized what was missing.
直到有一天，我終於明白了弄丟的是什麼
On that day right before dinner
一天晚上，在晚餐前
I closed my eyes,
我閉上自己的眼睛
opened my heart,
敞開心扉
and imagined my Dad, Mom, and Nana all sitting at the table around me
想象着我的爸爸，媽媽，祖母還和我一起圍坐在桌前
with smiling faces.
臉上掛着微笑
Then I placed the pasta on my fork
接着我用叉子捲起意大利麪
and slowly slid it into my mouth.
慢慢將它吸入口中
It tasted perfect
味道太完美了
just as it always had when I was a boy growing up.
嚐起來就和我小時候一模一樣
The secret ingredient was,
醬料的祕密配方就是
of course,
——當然會是——
what it had always been: Love!
一直都是——愛！
Love is the secret ingredient that makes all of life taste better.
愛是神奇的祕方，會讓生活的滋味變得好起來
Love is the meal that life wants all of us to feast upon.
愛是生活想讓我們所有人馨享的盛宴
Make all of your meals with love.
用愛去烹飪每一餐吧
Fill all of your days with love.
讓你的每一天充滿愛
Live all of your life with love.
讓你的生活充滿愛
Share your love with everyone you meet.
與你見到的每一個人分享愛
