密歇根新闻广播 来自密歇根电台主任的情人节贺卡

A Valentine's Day postcard arrived today from a friend of ours - Tamar Charney, who used to be our boss as programming director here at Michigan Radio. Now she's left us to be Managing Editor at NPR One.

Dear Stateside:

I found a heart on the shore of Lake Michigan. It was a stone that had washed up in a storm on New Year's day. It was lying there in the sand with a bunch of other rocks. But this one stood out because it was shaped like a perfect Valentine's Day heart.

The time between New Year's and Valentine's Day is when we all swear we're going to get our shit/act together. Gyms are full of people trying to get in shape. Everyone is on a diet. And all those resolutions are in full swing, but then come Valentine's Day we crash and lose our drive to make over our lives.

Blame the chocolates in heart shaped boxes if you want, but they aren't the problem. The problem is the whole premise¹ of this holiday. It's one big festival of a gauzy romantic love that exists only on a Hallmark card and in a 1980's John Hughes movie. Valentine's Day smacks² you upside the head with the realization³ that your love life will never ...ever ...possibly ...measure up...and all the New Year's resolutions in the world won't win you the happiness that comes from love like that.

So we give up. We resign ourselves to our pathetic⁴, seemingly⁵ loveless lives.

But not so fast. The problem is what Valentine's Day is celebrating. What if Valentine's Day wasn't about the fantasy version⁶ of romantic love? What if it was about the kinds of love that really make a difference in our lives?

Because there isn't just one kind of love.

Sure there is romantic love with all it's real world blessings⁷ and curses⁸. But what about unrequited love? And past loves.

Love of family. And love for friends.

The animals we love. The kids we love.

The foods we love, the music we love. The places we love.

Love of self ...and love of life.

There are so many types of love. Each with its own joys and its own sorrows. Each one plays a part in making us who we are. And at any given time one kind of love may be going strong while another fades away.

So, if you look for more than one idealized sort of love, you may find it washes up every day in unexpected⁹ places. Like that heart shaped stone. You just have to know to look for it wherever you are.

And that is worth celebrating.

Happy Valentine's Day loves!

1 premise   

n.前提；v.提论，预述

参考例句：

• Let me premise my argument with a bit of history.让我引述一些史实作为我立论的前提。
• We can deduce a conclusion from the premise.我们可以从这个前提推出结论。

2 smacks   

掌掴（声）( smack的名词复数 )； 海洛因； （打的）一拳； 打巴掌

参考例句：

• His politeness smacks of condescension. 他的客气带有屈尊俯就的意味。
• It was a fishing town, and the sea was dotted with smacks. 这是个渔业城镇，海面上可看到渔帆点点。

3 realization   

n.实现；认识到，深刻了解

参考例句：

• We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。
• He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。

4 pathetic   

adj.悲哀的，可怜的，感伤的，不足的，差强人意的

参考例句：

• The animal gave a pathetic little whimper.这只动物低声哀叫，令人怜悯。
• I refused to go along with their pathetic charade.我拒不跟他们摆出那副可悲的装模作样的姿态。

5 seemingly   

adv.从表面上看起来，似乎是

参考例句：

• Seemingly,we can do nothing to prevent this from happening.我们似乎没有什么办法阻止这件事发生。
• For several seemingly interminable seconds no one spoke.有几秒钟没有人讲话，这几秒钟似乎十分漫长。

6 version   

n.版本；型号；叙述，说法

参考例句：

• His version of the events is pure supposition.他对这件事的说法纯属猜测。
• What is your version of this matter?你对这件事情的看法 怎么样？

7 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 curses   

n. 诅咒，咒骂，祸端，行经 vt. 咒骂，诅咒，引起灾祸 vi. 诅咒

参考例句：

• The old woman rained down curses on our heads. 那老婆子把我们骂得狗血喷头。
• He hurled curses at the unfortunate man who had made the mistake. 他对着这个犯了错误的可怜人大声叫骂。

9 unexpected   

adj.想不到的，意外的

参考例句：

• I always keep some good wine in for unexpected guests.我总保存些好酒，用来招待不速之客。
• His promotion was unexpected.他的升迁出人意料。