2007年NPR美国国家公共电台五月-Finding a New Kind of Love, Late in Life

And it's time now for StoryCorp, a project crisscrossing the country recording¹ interviews between everyday people. And we're gonna hear today about two men who changed each other's lives. It began when they met ten years ago and at that time Don Boniface was single and living with AIDS, Ted² Kuhar had only recently told friends and family that he was gay³. In this recording Don begins their story about a relationship that took root later in life.

My partner had died of AIDS and I had gone through two very very difficult years of mourning and being on my own.

I, er was an aging man who is just out a few years. I came out at age 50 so I lived my life before then with friends and family, and lots of love in my life but I didn't know what this kind of love was.

Oh thank God a mutual⁴ friend introduced us. It wasn't love at first sight but there was some kind of a recognition⁵.

I invited you, oh, come on up to Vermont.

I said I'll be there I'm staying ten days.

I was scared.

He was scared.

You arrived and I went over and shook hands "hi come on in." I gave you a bedroom that was 7 doors away.

That was as far from his bedroom as possible.

Three nights later. As I'm drying silverware he said.

Come on Ted, get real so. . .

We started long-distance dating. Ted would come and visit me in New Jersey⁶.

Remember you taking me around to, meet the ladies at the bank and supermarket and I'm hanging on to you just, holding me down to earth.

But I loved it, I'd never had any kind of experience like that before in my life.

Oh, you were a real challenge for me because I knew that you had not been in a romantic relationship previously⁷.

I remember so well before you. I used to say, I have so much love in my heart. And I want a person to come along who can have this love in my heart that could burst, there's so much of it.

We could certainly see a lot of what was there, waiting to come out and it's paid off.

When I met you, you had been living with AIDS for 11 years so the chances at that time of this going on much longer weren't real great.

I remember the time that we were in my living room and this is when you were still pretty frightened. You looked me right in the eye, you said, you know, I won't hang around for you if you get sick. And that hasn't been true at all. You were there for me, you will be there for me.

You are a part of me.

For now, and a good time to come.

If I did die before you I would hope that you would have, be open to the possibility of another relationship.
I can't imagine.
You know, once you lose a partner for me, it became a real issue. I had hope that you felt something similar to what I felt. My life is worth sharing with somebody.

A big difference between us is I have had one person in my life, that's you. You're it. . . I love you so much.

Love is what this is about.

And that's why there's no question in my mind that the death of one of us will separate us, and nothing else will come between.

Don Boniface and Ted Kuhar in Berlinton, Vermont. Their conversation will be archived along with all StoryCorp interviews at the American folk life center with the library of Congress⁸. And you can by the way subscribe⁹ to the StoryCorp Podcast by going to npr. org.
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crisscross
To move back and forth¹⁰.
take root
1. To become established or fixed¹¹.
2. To become rooted.

1 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

2 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

3 gay   

adj.同性恋的；色彩鲜艳的；n.(男)同性恋者

参考例句：

• I don't know he was a gay person.我不知道他是同性恋者。
• Spring comes round to the earth again and everything looks fresh and gay.春回大地，万象更新。

4 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

5 recognition   

n.承认，认可，认出，认识

参考例句：

• The place has changed beyond recognition.这地方变得认不出来了。
• A sudden smile of recognition flashed across his face.他脸上掠过一丝笑意，表示认识对方。

6 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

7 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

8 Congress   

n.(代表)大会；(C-:美国等国的)国会，议会

参考例句：

• There were some days to wait before the Congress.大会的召开还有几天时间。
• After 18 years in Congress,he intented to return to private life.在国会供职18年后，他打算告老还乡。

9 subscribe   

vi.(to)订阅，订购；同意；vt.捐助，赞助

参考例句：

• I heartily subscribe to that sentiment.我十分赞同那个观点。
• The magazine is trying to get more readers to subscribe.该杂志正大力发展新订户。

10 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

11 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。