2007年NPR美国国家公共电台三月-Speak, Pancakes: The Language of Love(在线收听

Time again for StoryCorps, this oral history project collects interviews between everyday people talking about their lives. Today, a husband and a wife remember how they met. He was from Slovakia, she was from Wisconsin. A job brought them together.

I got this job at the Paul Bunyan restaurant as a cook. In the same year, Carol picked the same place for her summer job as a waitress.

When I saw Thomas, he was on my interview. He was sorting silverware in the kitchen.

She got my eye and I got immediately interested in her. But she thought that I have some mental disorder.

He just kept staring at me all the time and never saying anything.

My English was not good.

I just thought he was a little bit odd. And I kind of felt sorry for him. And one day I went to pick up my pancakes, and it was Thomas's job to make the pancakes every morning. So I went to pick up my platter and all the pancakes were in the shape of hearts. So, then I knew something was really up.

Right.

Our first date. I decided to take him to a concert down the square where the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra was playing. At one point the mood turned really romantic and he turned to me and he said,

"I'm sick of you."

And I said , what?

Basically, what I translated from Slovak language, that's how we say I'm love sick. But you know, it turned out a little different, so,

I heard, I'm sick of you.

Reading her facial expression, I realized that it probably doesn't mean the same thing.

I decided to give him a second chance anyway.

Well, our wedding day, actually, was exactly 3 years later.

Thomas's parents came from Slovakia. You know, his parents couldn't understand English. So we decided to say our vows in English and in Slovak. So the day came and I said my vows in English and it came to the part in Slovak and I said: ‘ I , Carol, take you ,Thomas , to be my wife. ’ Tomas cracked a little smile.

In Slovak, husband and wife is a very similar word.

Till this day, we still tease each other that Thomas is my wife.

It's kind of another thing to laugh about now.

Thomas Kubrican with his wife, Carol Mittsteadt, they recorded their conversation at a new StoryCorps Booth in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This interview and all StoryCorps interviews will be archived at the American Folklife Center at the library of Congress. To hear more, go to npr.org
  原文地址:http://www.tingroom.com/lesson/NPR2007/40981.html